Do you have a startup idea? Would you like feedback from Columbia alumni?
Enter the Fast Pitch competition and win money to support your idea. This is a great opportunity to practice and perfect a 60-second pitch of your business idea to a panel of judges that includes Columbia alumni and members of the NYC venture community.
$5,000 is at stake! There will be a $2,000 prize pool solely for undergraduates and a $3,000 pool for the best overall pitches. All CU students and alumni 5 years out are welcomed. Find out more details here.
Submit your video application here by November 1st. Don’t forget to RSVP to Zoom in for the live event on November 19th!
Third Thursday October 15th Recap: 5 Tips on Pitching and Making Connections
Third Thursday is a recurring open forum and networking and info session for the Columbia University entrepreneurship community. This month's guest speaker, YB Choi (SEAS'01), VC at Vulcan Capital, shared best practices about preparing for Fast Pitch 2020 and pitching your product to an investor. Here are 5 takeaways:
1. A warm intro always helps
Make the connection first before the pitch. It's easy to get turned off by a cold pitch. Make it relevant to your investor and increase your chances of getting the email read by explaining the reasoning behind why you reach out (ie. I wanted to reach out to you because of 'x'.)
2. Preserve the integrity of your idea in the pitch
Level set the pitch based on the technicality of the audience. Ask if there is a purpose for including something that is not easily understood.
3. Don't over-rely on your slides
Reading off your slides is a warning that things likely should be done differently. The slides should be an aid, but not the pitch itself. Slides should have a specific purpose to help show and explain your pitch.
4. Show your investors where the "go" is
Demonstrate to the investor that you have a plan for your idea in order to build a strong investor-founder relationship. Include how you will reach your next milestone once you receive the initial capital investment.
5. Team is of key importance
Knowing how to communicate strengths and convey a positive team chemistry can be of equal importance as the idea of the pitch. Show the investor that your team is dependable and that you can trust your team.
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