Writing For Tech Startups

After creating hundreds of thousands of presentations, Nancy Duarte discovered a framework in 2010 that changed her life. She mapped it over Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone. Both aligned perfectly. She cried in her office - the pattern she'd been desperate to find was real. See, most founder pitches fail the same way. You stack all the customer pain points at the start, then demo your product at the end. By the time you reach your solution, people have already decided if they're interested. They tuned out at slide 8. Duarte's Sparkline does the opposite. You alternate between “what is” and “what could be” throughout the entire pitch. Pain, solution. Pain, solution. The pattern works because contrast commands attention and open loops create psychological discomfort. The brain needs recurring tension to stay engaged: - MLK toggled between injustice now and "I have a dream" repeatedly. - Jobs contrasted clunky smartphone limitations with iPhone capabilities throughout the 80-minute presentation. - JFK alternated between the US’s space limitations and “we choose to go to the Moon in this decade.” Each toggle made staying in the current state unbearable. The execution: 1. Make your customer the hero by using their exact words Interview five target customers or investors before you build slides. When they describe frustrations, use their language verbatim. This proves you understand their reality before pitching your solution. 2. Paint “what could be” with sensory detail Not better accommodations. Instead: a family arrives in Paris, their Airbnb host left fresh croissants and a handwritten neighborhood guide on the kitchen table. They feel like locals, not tourists. Concrete outcomes stick. Abstract benefits are forgotten. 3. Alternative problem/solution throughout - never batch Pain 1, solution 1, pain 2, solution 2, pain 3, solution 3. Never group all problems then all features. Batching lets investors and customers mentally check out before you finish. 4. End with an immediate next step (24-48 hours) For investors: “By Friday, confirm the partner meeting date and three references you want to call.” For customers: “By tomorrow, send three use cases and I'll record a custom demo by Wednesday.” Make the decision immediate and concrete. Watch for these signals mid-pitch: You're losing them when investors lean back, check phones, or pivot to questions about your burn rate and competition. You're winning when customers interrupt to describe their specific use case, ask about implementation timeline, or want to loop in their team immediately. When every startup in your category has similar features, the pitch that creates unbearable tension wins the round, the sale, and the talent.

Confession: I'm a nervous public speaker… (yet I’ll make $1M+ from keynotes this year). Here are 9 strategies that turned my deepest fear into a powerful strength: PHASE 1: PREP WORK Strategy 1: Study the Best. We have the world's best speakers at our fingertips. Use them. Find 3-5 speakers you admire. Watch their talks on YouTube at 0.75x speed. Take notes on their structure and pacing, voice modulation, movement and gestures, audience engagement. Strategy 2: Create Clear Structure. Great speakers don't deliver speeches, they tell stories. Map your journey explicitly: opening hook, 3 key points, memorable close. Tell the audience where you're taking them. Strategy 3: Build Your "Lego Blocks." Don't memorize your entire speech. That's a trap. Instead, perfect these moments: your opening 30 seconds, key transitions, punchlines and closers. Practice in segments, not sequences. When things go sideways (they will), you'll adapt instead of freeze. Weird trick: Practice once while walking or jogging. It simulates the heart rate spike you'll feel on stage. PHASE 2: PRE-STAGE Strategy 4: Address the Spotlight. The Spotlight Effect: We think everyone's watching our every move. They're not. Use the "So What?" approach: Name your worst fear, ask "So what if it happens?", realize it's never that bad. You'll stumble? So what. Life goes on. Your family still loves you. Strategy 5: Get Into Character. Create your speaker persona. Ask yourself: What traits do they have? How do they move? What's their energy? Flip the switch. Become that character. It's not fake, it's your best self. Strategy 6: Eliminate Stress. The "Physiological Sigh" kills anxiety fast: Double-inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth, repeat 2-3 times. Science-backed. Immediate impact. PHASE 3: DELIVERY Strategy 7: Cut the Tension. Last week, they asked what song I wanted to enter to. I said "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking. I wasn't. "It's my 1-year-old's favorite song. Figured he'd be more excited to watch if Dad entered to his jam." Instant laughter. Tension gone. Audience on my side. Find your tension breaker. Use it early. Strategy 8: Play the Lava Game. Your pockets and torso are lava. Don't touch them. This forces you to gesture broadly, open your body, project confidence. Big gestures early build momentum. Strategy 9: Move Purposefully. Don't pace like you're nervous. Move like you own the room. Slow. Deliberate. Purposeful. Use movement to create dramatic pauses. Let your words land. Start with one speech, one strategy: Pick your next presentation—could be a team meeting, a toast, whatever. Choose ONE strategy from this list. Master it. Then add another. Public speaking is a muscle. These strategies are your workout plan. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Remember: Everyone gets nervous. The difference is having a system. Now you have one. Use it. Practice it. Watch yourself transform.

"This white paper offers a comprehensive overview of how to responsibly govern AI systems, with particular emphasis on compliance with the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for AI. It also outlines the evolving risk landscape that organizations must navigate as they scale their use of AI. These risks include: ▪ Ethical, social, and environmental risks – such as algorithmic bias, lack of transparency, insufficient human oversight, and the growing environmental footprint of generative AI systems. ▪ Operational risks – including unpredictable model behavior, hallucinations, data quality issues, and ineffective integration into business processes. ▪ Reputational risks – resulting from stakeholder distrust due to errors, discrimination, or mismanaged AI deployment. ▪ Security and privacy risks – encompassing cyber threats, data breaches, and unintended information disclosure. To mitigate these risks and ensure AI is used responsibly, in this white paper we propose a set of governance recommendations, including: ▪ Ensuring transparency through clear communication about AI systems’ purpose, capabilities, and limitations. ▪ Promoting AI literacy via targeted training and well-defined responsibilities across functions. ▪ Strengthening security and resilience by implementing monitoring processes, incident response protocols, and robust technical safeguards. ▪ Maintaining meaningful human oversight, particularly for high-impact decisions. ▪ Appointing an AI Champion to lead responsible deployment, oversee risk assessments, and foster a safe environment for experimentation. Lastly, this white paper acknowledges the key implementation challenges facing organizations: overcoming internal resistance, balancing innovation with regulatory compliance, managing technical complexity (such as explainability and auditability), and navigating a rapidly evolving and often fragmented regulatory landscape" Agata Szeliga, Anna Tujakowska, and Sylwia Macura-Targosz Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak

19 years ago, I used to get incredibly nervous before speaking on stage. Racing heart. Tunnel vision. Dry mouth. Today, half of my job is being on stage. Here’s my 7-step pre-stage checklist for how I conquered stage fright: (Before you step on the stage) Step 1: Set One Clear Intention Nerves often come from scattered thoughts.  So anchor your mind with a single, positive goal: • For a pitch: “Get the buyer to sign and stay firm on numbers.” • For a presentation: “Connect with the audience and deliver value.” Avoid negatives like “don’t mess up.” Your brain clings to “mess up.” — Step 2: Pick a Focal Point Choose a random spot in the back of the room (or bring a grounding object, like a pen). Right before you begin, mentally send all your nervous energy there. It gives your brain somewhere to “put” the anxiety - and frees you up to focus. — Step 3: Breathe Mindfully Most people shallow-breathe when they’re nervous. This just worsens anxiety. Do this instead: • Close your eyes • Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth • Push your belly out with each inhale (deep belly breathing) — Step 4: Release Muscle Tension Anxiety makes us clench everything - jaw, shoulders, stomach. This kills blood flow and increases anxiety. Instead, start at your head or toes and relax each muscle group with one breath: • Relax your face and eyes • Relax your jaw and neck • Loosen shoulders and chest • Relax arms and hands • Relax your stomach and abs • Continue down to your toes You’ll feel calmer and more grounded instantly. — Step 5: Find Your Center Before going on stage, shift your focus to a spot 2 inches below your belly button. This is your physical center - used by athletes and performers to stay grounded. As you breathe, imagine calm radiating from that point. During your talk, return to it anytime nerves creep in. It’s your internal anchor. — (While you’re on stage) Step 6: Repeat Your Process Cue This is your personal “how” mantra. • Interviewer: “Smile and ask great questions.” • Speaker: “Keep it warm and engaging.” • Performer: “Smooth and steady.” Keep repeating it silently throughout to stay focused and intentional. — Step 7: Direct Your Energy Feel the nerves rising? Don’t fight them - redirect them. Use your focal point from Step 2. Mentally “throw” your anxious energy toward it. It’s like dropping a heavy backpack: instant relief. __ Save this post and come back to it before your next big moment. Whether it's a presentation, interview, or performance, these steps will help you show up as your most confident, centered self.

The creator with 5K followers just landed the paid deal over the one with 50K. Here's the framework behind why: It's what I call proof over reach, and once you see it, you can't unsee it. For context, Creator Match 🧩 builds creator programs for tech brands (ie Notion, Lovable, Gusto, Zapier, WisprFlow, and more). Here are 6 things that separate the 5K creator who lands the deal from the 50K creator who doesn't: 1. Proof Beats Popularity When we build a sourcing sheet, we're not asking "how big is this person?" We're asking: has this creator already proven they can tell a story and move their audience? Or is it just AI slop or algo hacking. 2. Your Content Is Your Case Study The SaaS tools, the AI products, the workflow hacks you post about before anyone pays you to... those are case studies. When you cold pitch a brand, you're not sending a media kit. You need to send evidence. 3. Make Yourself Easy To Sell When we pitch a creator to a brand, your job is to remove every reason to pass. Help us help you. There are 3 main checks when a brand approves a creator: audience relevance, reach/engagement, product usage. 4. Use Case Marketing > Feature Marketing Tech brands don't need someone to simply announce the news of a product launch. It's too noisy in 2026. What sticks are use cases for your specific audience (ie here's how I use X tool to do Y for Z). 5. Own the Category Before the Contract You don't have to have named the brand yet in your content. But consistently talking about relevant topics puts you on the right list. We source by category first. Brand familiarity is a bonus. 6. Treat Every Post Like a Free Stage I did a lot of free talks before I got paid to speak. Same math applies here. You're not working for free, you're buying reps in a market where the contracts are real and the upside compounds. The creators landing the best tech deals right now started building proof before they needed it. The 5K creator who just landed that deal didn't get lucky. They made themselves the obvious yes, before anyone came looking. I broke all of this down (and more) on a recent episode of the "Just Send It" Show with Manychat. Sarah Gav asked me too many spicy questions now to listen. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/ekpTVVjp *** 🔔 Follow me AJ Eckstein 🧩 for more content on entrepreneurship, creator marketing strategies for tech brands, and tips for creators

A smarter way to build more credibility in IT Channel presentations: Start your presentation to CIOs/CISOs with testimonials! This is relevant when presenting at both 1-to-many events or 1-to-one discussions. 7 reasons why starting presentations with testimonials works: 𝟭/ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: - Testimonials from the audience's peers establishes your credibility - It shows your understanding of the problems 𝟮/ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: - Highlighting common challenges helps audience relate better - You also capture their attention immediately 𝟯/ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: - Demonstrates how you effectively addressed the challenge - Provides a clear, tangible example of your expertise 𝟰/ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: - Real-life stories are more engaging than data alone - You have their attention from the beginning 𝟱/ 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: - Hearing their trusted peers builds trust in your abilities - And this reflects on trust for the solutions 𝟲/ 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁: - Testimonials evoke emotions, making presentations impactful - They leave a positive impact on your audience 𝟳/ 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: - Starting with a success story sets a positive tone - Creates an impression of a problem solver This is applicable to both PPTs & Videos. Do this & see the engagement with CIOs & CISOs grow! If you need help in creating your corporate profile preso/video, DM me & we'll help you create one that resonates. P.S. What other advantages of testimonials can you think of? ---- Hi! I'm Rajeev Mamidanna. I write to benefit IT Channel CEOs & CISOs ----

How I Overcame My Fear of Public Speaking in IB Presentations Early in my investment banking career, I dreaded presentations. Speaking in front of senior bankers or clients felt like an uphill battle. I used to freeze with nervousness. The fear was about saying the wrong thing in front of the wrong people. But in IB, there’s no hiding behind Excel forever. The ability to communicate insights clearly is just as valuable as financial modeling skills. Here’s how I transformed my approach: 1) I Focused on What Senior Bankers Actually Care About Early on, I over-explained everything—diving into every assumption, every calculation. But senior bankers don’t want a data dump. They want clarity. Once I shifted to structuring my points like: a) What’s the key takeaway? b) Why does it matter? c) What’s the next step? —presentations became much easier. 2) I Practiced “Silent Rehearsals” Before any big presentation, I used to go through my slides without speaking. Instead, I scan them and mentally frame my key points. ( I still do this!) This helps me internalize the flow rather than memorizing a script. 3) I Learned the “First 10 Seconds Rule” Nervousness peaks in the first 10 seconds. Instead of worrying about the whole presentation, I focused only on nailing my opening. If I started strong, the rest would follow. 4) Power of the Pause In finance, we tend to rush through explanations. But top presenters don’t. I trained myself to pause after key points, giving time for the message to land and reducing my own anxiety. 5) I Got Comfortable with Questions Everybody fears tough questions (even the senior bankers!). But the best way to handle them isn’t to have every answer, but to be structured in how you respond: a) Clarify the question. b) Acknowledge if you need a moment to think. c) Bridge to what you do know if you’re uncertain. Confidence does not mean you have all the answers, it can be as simple as handling uncertainty well. The more I applied these, the easier public speaking became. This is eventually about delivering clarity, staying composed, and owning your expertise. Follow Pratik - for investment banking careers and education

Most "editing advice" over the internet is s**t You've heard it all before: "Take a break and then edit your content."  "Read your content out loud." "View it on a different device." Sure, those tips are good to start with but not to live with! Here is my 3-part editing process that covers everything you need to know - 1) Developmental editing 2) Copy editing   3) Proofreading I tackle them in that order - big picture stuff first, then zeroing in on the details. For the developmental edit, I evaluate: • Does this really answer what the reader wants to know?  • Does it accurately reflect my perspective/stance? • Are all the key points and arguments fully fleshed out? • Is the narrative structure and flow logical? • Is this catering to the right knowledge level? Then I move into copy editing mode to smooth out: • Paragraph transitions and flow • Use of active vs. passive voice • Removing redundancies  • Ensuring I've explained the "why" behind the "what" • Adding clear takeaways throughout Finally, I proofread with a picky eye for: • Spelling, grammar, awkward phrasing • Proper spacing and formatting of the posts The editor's mindset is moving from "this is good for the readers mostly" to "what's missing?" Following these 3 editing stages helps me catch all the big issues and polish the finer points. What does your editing process look like? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks!

I bombed my first investor meeting because I couldn't answer a basic objection. That experience led me to build a framework that helped me close my $780K pre-seed round 👇🏾 Fundraising is (basically) just sales. In sales, customers give you reasons they can't buy; in fundraising, investors give you reasons they might not invest. Our objections at Chezie fell into two categories. Here's exactly how we addressed each one. MARKET & COMPETITIVE RISK The objection: "The market feels too small." What this really means: the investor can't do the math from your ICP to $100M in revenue. They're not saying the market doesn't exist, they’re just saying it’s probably not big enough to build a big business. How we handled it: I built the math directly into our Market Opportunity slide. 57,000 companies globally have ERGs. Our pricing at maturity puts average contract value around $50K. 2,000 customers at $50K each gets you to $100M. Once the investor could run that math themselves, the objection mostly went away (plus I got brownie points for doing bottoms-up market sizing 💅🏾). TEAM & EXECUTION SIGNAL The objection: "We're not sure the team can pull this off." What this really means: the investor isn’t confident that the team has either the right domain expertise OR has the personnel to actually build the product. How we handled it: We showed our hiring plan, named CTO candidates we were already in conversations with, and let our traction speak louder than our org chart. At that point we had $120K ARR across seven enterprise customers. That signal said more about our judgment than any answer about a CTO search could. THE FRAMEWORK Every objection an investor throws at you is just uncertainty on whether or not you can execute. There’s a two-step process on how to handle them. 1. Acknowledge it directly. Don't deflect or get defensive; if the concern is legitimate, say so.  2. Show action. Either point to something you've already done that addresses the concern, or explain specifically what you'll do once you close the round. - - - I put together a cheat sheet covering the 10 most common VC objections with plain-English translations and example responses. Click "Visit my website" above to grab it for free. And if there's an objection you keep hearing that's NOT on the list, drop it below. Happy to help you work through it 🤝🏾

You'll never convince me that describing your startup as an 'AI platform for X' is the best way to get your message across and yet so many of the startups I meet do just that. Vague, jargon-heavy phrases do little to set a business apart or make the value proposition clear. Instead of leading with buzzwords or generic categories, focus on communicating your company’s mission, who you serve, and the specific problems you solve. For example, rather than saying an “AI platform for X,” describe the tangible impact your product or service delivers: “We help logistics companies reduce shipping delays by predicting disruptions before they happen,” or “Our solution enables retailers to personalize every customer interaction, increasing loyalty and sales.” This approach clarifies the offering AND makes it relevant and memorable to your audience. Unless you are building AI infrastructure, we can assume that you are powering your solution with AI and also using it internally to be the most efficient and effective. So I'm not sure that you need to lead with the AI part - it's really not the most important element. Ultimately, the goal is to make your company’s value unmistakable, so that anyone reading your description immediately understands not just what you do, but why it matters to them. So let's get back to basics and just say what we do!