The startup ecosystem is full of jargon, but simply put, a pitch is when founders sell a business idea. “Pitching is training. It’s time to put all your passion into a cause in a few minutes, with motivation and blood in your eyes. It’s important to go through a critical panel that will tell you how you can improve, what strengths need to be highlighted. It’s different from presenting a company to your mother, who always thinks it’s great,” he says. Tatiana DuarteCEO and co-founder Aliyah includeswinner of the Gramado Summit 2023 startup competition.
For Castro from Cromai, speaking in a competition is very similar to a presentation to an investor, with the difference that the time at events is shorter. Therefore, according to him, it is important to set priorities.
Duarte stresses that the pitch is a moment to protect years of work in a matter of minutes, so show confidence. “You can’t stutter, make mistakes, show insecurity. Draw a picture of the possible feedback you might receive. I didn’t have any experience or complete confidence, but I knew how to handle my emotions and I was confident in my training,” he comments.