Recently, a friend probed my reaction to a University of Texas study that found higher rates of depression among executive women compared to their male counterparts. As a woman CEO and tech entrepreneur, my off-the-cuff assessment: “No mystery there. We’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t.”
Twice a month, I go to Harvard Business School to listen to eight different startup pitches from students. When it comes down to whether I want to offer my connections or assistance to these entrepreneurs, I make snap decisions based on my judgment of their capabilities. The ones who come in raw and unpolished are at a disadvantage, even if they have a world-class idea. But one universal truth is that 90% of the students who pitch me “bury the lede”—it takes me a full five or 10 minutes to figure out “the point.” Alas, those muddled stories often land on crowdfunding campaign videos and company home pages. There is no substitute for being face-to-face to hone your story until it’s the shortest possible length with maximum clarity. Your goal is to invite the next level of questions by being clear, inspirational, and credible.
The single most important event in the history of our now four year-old startup happened before the company was even born. I just didn’t know it at the time.
