How To Pitch Your $1 Million Startup Idea
An insider’s guide to staying cool under pressure (especially for teens presenting to a room full of adults)
August 14, 2018 at UCLA Anderson just after 5:00pm… It was the day I had been waiting for all summer long: Trill Project’s final milestone presentation.
Though the lucky butterfly belt I was wearing didn’t feel so lucky anymore, and the gatorade I’d chugged for energy was now mocking me with the sudden (and very untimely) urge to pee. In less than two hours, I would be presenting Trill Project with our accelerator Founders Bootcamp. And the room would be filled with my family, potential advisors, investors, media, and more. All their eyes would be on me as I delivered a 10 minute pitch fully off script with over 30 slides in my deck to get through. To say I felt nervous would be an understatement of epic proportions. The pressure was on.
But, since I’ve launched my own company, I’ve learned a thing or two about pressure.
Pressure either bursts pipes or makes diamonds.
And when I first was given this piece of advice I thought it was horribly harsh and way too black and white. For me, when I was in my private (hyper competitive) “college prep” high school, I experienced pressure all the time: pressure to get straight As, to have a perfect Instagram, to wear expensive clothes, to win interesting awards, etc.… These kinds of pressures only made me want to curl up in bed and hide. I didn’t feel like I was a bursted pipe or a sparkling diamond. I just felt discouraged and alone.
As an entrepreneur, however, I have learned to live in extremes. Approaching situations with the ambitious mentality of “making diamonds” is daunting, but it is the absolute best way to encourage yourself to dream big.
So with that said, here are the steps I followed to ensure I had the confidence to get up there on the day of my final milestone presentation (despite all the nerves) and pitch Trill Project.
- FIND AN IDEA THAT’S WORTH IT
To be upfront, pitching an idea isn’t easy. I would be lying if I said it was. A lot more goes into a presentation than meets the eye. There is planning, researching, designing, iterating, rehearsing, and everything in between. But if you’re passionate about what you are making, then it is totally worth it.
2. BUILD A TEAM
No matter how smart you think you are, how good of a speaker you may be, or how awesome your idea and pitch is… NO ONE can do it alone! Be sure to find a network of people who can challenge and guide you. Not only can these individuals lift you up when you’re feeling down, but also they can offer you honest feedback on your progress and hold you accountable. If you are in need of a mentor, try reaching out to a teacher, a friend, or a family member. Also check out these organizations we love that can help you out. Lastly, if you have a dream mentor in mind but don’t know where to start, I highly recommend reading Alex Banayan’s The Third Door.
3. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
This is by far the biggest one. At Founders Bootcamp, we spent a whole two weeks before our presentations pitching everyday in the very early morning. All the teams in the accelerator were able to offer each other praise and constructive feedback. When you think you have practiced enough, practice some more. And when you think you’ve practiced some more, practice EVEN more.
4. HAVE FUN
At the end of the day, this is what it’s all about. If you are pitching something you truly love, then people will see that and respect that. I took deep breaths and channeled the pressures I felt to ultimately deliver my presentation… and I had a great time doing it!
To WATCH how it all went down, check out this recap of the event!
Tweet me to tell me what you thought. :)
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