** This post was written 13 hours before StartupRiot. Tomorrow I am pitching at Women 2.0, in San Francisco. I've come a LONG way since StartupRiot, and my nerves are not quite as bad as the night before Riot. But, I thought it was worth a repost. **
In about 13 hours I will be on-stage in front of 400+ investors and entrepreneurs at StartupRiot giving a pitch. And I am petrified.
It's been 5 years since I gave a real pitch: a pitch to real investors. I have pitched ideas to advisors/mentors, entrepreneurs, to friends/family and to you (the StartupChicks); but, I haven't given a real pitch in 5 years. Even then, the largest pitch was to an angel group with @ 75 people in attendance. It's been 10 years since I presented to over 400 people… and that was at a User Conference -a totally different audience.
Here's the thing. I'm not worried about the business, the idea. It will live or die based upon the plan and actions that my team & I take (or don't take); and upon whether or not I can pull together the right team. I'm worried about the pitch for the sake of the pitch.
Quite frankly, I am afraid of letting you down. I have inadvertently become the face of the StartupChicks and that means that you and others have come to have expectations of me. What if my pitch sucks?
So, I am calling on my own Sasha Fierce to carry me through. I will get through the next 14 hours, and I will rock the house with my pitch.
But, most importantly, MORE women will pitch at StartupRiot this year than last. And that's something.
Jen
P.S. This post has been scheduled to be released after my pitch! 🙂
