As regular readers will be aware, I have watched a lot of startup pitches over the past 4 years: the good, the bad, and the plain ugly. Having experienced rather too many of the latter in recent weeks (the names have been withheld to protect the guilty…) I started jotting down a few practical rules on managing the technical logistics of your pitch.

The art of pitching (Source: Scientific American, via Wikimedia)

Rule #1 Check Your Tech

That’s everything from the computer drive/USB to the projector and screen, from the mic to the PA, and all cables and connections in between. As in most things, the last mile in the delivery chain can seriously let you down. Plus, simply knowing how to hold and use a mic would be a bonus!

Rule #2 No Videos

Yes, I know videos can be “cool”, but in a pitch setting they end up being a distraction, and I feel that the use of videos can be a cop-out – like you couldn’t be bothered to prepare a proper deck. (Remember those lazy teachers at school who would prefer to show some ancient “educational film” rather than actually teach their subject?)

Plus, embedded web links and the myriad of different formats and hardware compatibility mean videos are notoriously prone to fail. Leave them out.

(As regards the use of live demos or live website connections, this really depends on the nature of the pitch event, and how reliable the technology is. While I have seen some great examples of live app demos, equally, I’ve seen otherwise good pitches derailed by slow internet connections…..)

Rule #3 Check Fonts, Colours, Slide Transition & Automation

As with video compatibility, different slide formats will likely render differently from device to device, from projector to projector. My suggestion is to create your deck with one of the most commonly-used software formats (i.e., not necessarily the latest open source graphics package that no-one else has heard of…), use universal fonts and colours wherever possible, and keep slide transition and animation simple.

Rule #4 Block audio interference over the PA

One recent pitch event I attended was beset with tech problems, including noise from another source that cut into the PA. This was not the fault of the teams pitching, but their presentations suffered as a result. Some simple planning, like making sure the PA is a closed loop or that wireless equipment isn’t on an open channel.

Rule #5 Clickers

Anything that keeps the tech “invisible” is a bonus, and a remote clicker can really make a difference for presenters who don’t have to stand behind/near a laptop or steer via a mouse. But, like all the other bits of tech, not all clickers are equal, and so a bit of familiarization is in order. And used poorly, they can become a distraction, or worse, a prop that becomes like a crutch. Again, it’s about the last mile of delivery, and making sure the tech has been tested in advance.

Rule #6 Know Your Audience

This might seem obvious, but as well as understanding the event format (and any competition rules if applicable), find out who you will be pitching to: is it an audience of fellow startup founders, or investors, or potential customers? What might be the general level of awareness for your industry, product or business model? Who are the judges? Who do you need to impress most? What would be the most important contact you could make as a result of your pitch?

Rule #7 Make The Organisers Accountable for the Tech

In all of this, there is a huge responsibility placed on hosts, venues and tech support at startup events to make sure the technology is there to help, not hinder, the pitch presentations. While organisers can’t necessarily determine the quality of the content, or the presenters’ performance, they can make sure each pitch is competing on a equal tech basis.

Ideally, presenters should all be using the same PC or device, to reduce changeover time and equipment errors. Even better if the decks can be loaded in advance, and each presenter is given time for an AV check beforehand. I also recommend event hosts and venues consider using monitor screens placed in front of the presenters, so they don’t have to keep looking over their shoulders at the big screen – this is especially helpful in large audience settings.

Finally, if the format requires more than one person at a time to be speaking, please make sure they each have a separate microphone……

Next week: The Maker Culture