When you take the plunge and decide to apply for Women 2.0’s PITCH Competition, you might seem unsure of what is to come, but don’t fret, PITCH is fun! Take a look at what your journey could look like.
By Ayesha Rizvi (Multimedia/Editorial Assistant, Women 2.0) and Jordan Hunter (Editorial Intern, Women 2.0)
Pre-Conference
Step 1: Apply
Applying is the hardest part. Sometimes, you have to convince yourself that your startup has what it takes to win and motivate yourself to finish your application by July 15th or sooner! The earlier you apply, the faster you’ll hear back.
Step 2: Congratulations, you just applied For PITCH!
You’ve let us know how incredible your startup is. Now you wait.
Step 3: Acceptance
Congratulations, you are one of the finalists for this year’s PITCH competition. How do you feel? AMAZING! Now it’s time to get practicing!
Conference Time
Step 4: Meet the Competition
Sizing up the your competitors? A perfectly human factor of competition. We’ve all done it. You have to know who you’re up against.
Step 5: Befriend the Competition
Finalists in the past have said their favorite part of the competition was getting to know the other finalists, so stare them down all you want… in the end you’ll probably leave with some new friends.
Step 6: Practice, Practice, Practice
You’re up late with your co-founder practicing over and over in your hotel room. You discuss all the key points to touch on and what questions the investor panel might throw at you.
Step 7: The Morning Of: Dress Your Best
It’s the morning of. You have spent weeks preparing, you’re ready to go, now you just need to look as good as you feel.
Step 8: The Anticipation
Everyone is different when it comes to nerves. Some thrive on anticipation and some well, not so much. All you need to remember is:
Step 9: The PITCH
This is it. Get up there, sell your startup and tell them all the reasons you deserve to win.
Step 10: Q&A
So they got you. The investor panel threw a question at you that you didn’t rehearse or prepare for. It’s ok. Improvise!
Step 11: The Walk Back
Well, you nailed it. You survived without tripping on stage or fumbling over your words in front of the investor, (thanks Dave!). Now pat yourself on the back.
Step 12: The Waiting Game (cont.)
Depending on which day you pitch on, you might have a bit of a waiting period ahead of you until the results are read. Don’t sweat it.
Step 13: Victory
Congratulations, you’ve won the 2014 PITCH Competition! Victory is sweet, isn’t it? Now go enjoy your wonderful prizes, potentially an investor’s check and the rest of the weekend in the one and only city by the bay.
Now doesn’t this sound perfect?