Winning is Not Everything!

Recently, I was asked to help a team of students prepare a pitch important for them and their college. The college had previously entered this competition for several years but was never shortlisted to present at the final pitch competition. 

Initially, I helped the team and their professor prepare a video pitch to promote their business idea. As a result, they were selected to pitch along with seven other teams at the final event.

To be clear, I helped them tell their story, which was a very exciting solution with world-changing possibilities for the industry for which they had created their solution.

They did not win; they did not even make the top three. Their idea was way too big and did not fulfil the criteria of the organisers.

Good News:

However, after the awards announcement, my team was approached by a senior manager from Enterprise Ireland who saw the value and opportunity in their business idea, and he has already engaged further.

“The first shall be last and the last shall be first, depending on the day.” 

What do I do for entrepreneurs?

I regularly advise my clients to take every opportunity to present their business stories, as you never know who will be in the audience.

In most colleges and accelerator programmes, they work with entrepreneurs over several months to build a business profile using the ‘Lean Canvas’ or some other such template.

This type of work is invaluable but is also very left brain (academic) and in some way, hard work, particularly for people with a creative entrepreneurial bent.

During this period, I work with individuals and teams to turn the facts and figures into a story they could tell that excites them and potential investors, partners, and, most importantly, prospective customers.

The pitch needs to blend business reality and a vision that will excite people to want to engage further.

In the very early stage, all you may have is a vision. Keep going; the ones who succeed invariably have a very strong vision.

By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie