【Pitching in the Age of COVID-19】

Pitching is a very fundamental skill that we help all of our founders develop. Whether it's to potential employees, clients, or investors, understanding your target audience and crafting your narrative accordingly is a ubiquitous art that is pivotal through all lifecycles of your startup.

But COVID19 has completely redefined the rules of the game. Subtle emotional cues that you would normally pick up through body language and facial expressions have now been washed out by pixelated screens and internet latency. Building rapport through prolonged pleasantries and adhoc chit chat have been mulled over by coronavirus talk and regimented back-to-back virtual meetings.

And if you had a hard time captivating the attention of your audience in person, those efforts are even more likely to be thwarted now with the handful of distractions they literally have at their fingertips from internet browsers to messaging clients to phones.

Having now sat through dozens of virtual pitches, I'd like to pass on 5 tips to keep your audience interested and engaged (specifically geared towards founders pitching investors):

1. Do your homework
I can't stress this enough. This applies both in a pre and post COVID19 world. Leave as much guess work out of the equation by doing as much research on the person you're meeting as possible. If it's an investor, understand the basics of their fund, including fund size, areas of interest, geographic coverage, as well as the investor's background (age, schooling, nationality, etc.). Use these data points as way to build rapport and tailor your pitch accordingly.

2. Send your deck early
A prospective investor may or may not read it. But you have to at least give them that option. For the ones that do, the conversations are guaranteed to become 2x more productive, with an initial field of understanding and questions having already been set. You typically only have 1 hour, so best make use of that time.

3. Streamline your deck
Often times slides are filled with a superfluous amount of information or too many graphics where the main point gets lost in translation. Make sure you can summarize each slide in a one-sentence takeaway, and that each slide helps illustrate either 1) the problem 2) your solution 3) your team 4) your traction. Generally 10 - 12 slides will suffice. Anything extra, put it in the appendix!

4. Insert Q&A breaks
Usually when someone is confused or skeptical, it shows on their face. Less evident on virtual meetings unfortunately. Strategically insert Q&A breaks in your pitch to make sure your audience is on the same page, rather than letting questions pile up till the end. This also helps make the pitch more dynamic, more engaging, and more of a conversation. Studies have also shown that people tend to tune out after 10 minutes, which is why Apple normally swaps out its speakers every 10 minutes or so at its annual WWDC.

5. Practice, practice, practice.
A lot of times it's not so much what you say, but how you say it. Early stage investors are often times betting on feeling as much as rational hypotheses. This means you need to exude a sense of confidence and passion, which may be hard to generate when you're speaking into a camera for 1 hour. Try recording yourself on camera to see how you actually come off and then adjust accordingly.

Furthermore, don't just practice the pitch in and of itself, but also Q&A where a lot of the "sale" actually occurs. This is when investors are testing your wit and execution, to really understand if you know your space and your business, and extracting any insights you may/should have. They're also looking to see if you have a true passion for the problem at hand. Startups are hard. Very hard. If you don't have a strong heart or "why", you will not make it.

5.5 This goes without saying, but when conducting virtual pitches, make sure you have good hygiene, dress appropriately, and are in a quiet place where you won't be distracted by pets, children, or loud chatter.

Happy pitching!

-Jun Wakabayashi
Analyst, AppWorks

If you're startup working in AI, blockchain, or SEA, be sure to apply to AW#21 to join the region's strongest founder community: https://bit.ly/3c1KEUK

How far away is Allah to us?
How often do we remember him, how often do we speak of him, make him a part of our lives? This is how close he is to us, through our Doa & dhikr. The more we remember him the closer he is.
There was a consensus between the 1st generation of Muslims, the best of generations, that the most important deed is the dhikr of Allah. It polishes the heart and we should be concerned about it.
The example of A home that remembers Allah is alive, healthy, protected, immune, loved, peaceful & supported whereas a home that does not remember Allah is dead, ill, vulnerable, infected, neglected, fearful & left to its own devices.
How does the Quran tell us to connect with it? -by reading, verbalising, to come together to learn, understand and study it
- the angles search the earth for people who are reading and studying Quran together. SubhanAllah.

How do we intertwine dhikr/Doa/Quran in our lives?
1. Begin your day with Fajr, tahajud, become regimented with solah. Because of this u will gain energy u thought u never had.
2. Begin with isghstifar, it removes sins and attracts u to Allah's Grace. U become a magnet to Allah's happiness with u.
3. Don't be shy to ask Allah for anything and everything. There is no barrier between u and Allah. Doa is the rope of Allah so hold on tight to it!
4. Remember the words u say, good & bad are recorded by the Angels. When u do the zikir of Shaytan - gossiping, backbiting, slandering, ridiculing, swearing filthy words, you will forget Allah. Even what you listen & watch will have a negative effect.
5. Never lose hope in Allah and be optimistic. Darkness always fades and light remains.
6. Purchase other people's Doa by giving sedeqah.
7. Lengthen your prayer especially in sujood when ure alone.
8. Be careful of others doa's against u, do not oppress.
9. Before you read - FB, Twitter,IG or a good book, read a few ayats of the Quran. Have the Quran everywhere you go, by the bed, in the car, in the living room etc.
10. Be the one that people turn to for help or advice, so that u can help the people around u to be firm in the Deen.
11. Be the answer to other people's doa.
12. When ure angry with others it will be detrimental to your life and happiness so don't get angry.
13. Don't close the door of Allah answering your prayers. Always check your connection with Allah and ask for his forgiveness.
14. 5 daily prayers brings harmony.
15. Memorize Surah Al-Mulk and read it every night as it will be the savior from everyday peril so, from the torments of the grave, crossing the sirat and judgement day.
16. Complete your love for Allah and the Prophet Muhammad PBUH only then can u complete your love for others
17. Always give selawat to our Prophet PBUH, it is the greatest remedy to any difficulty.

#Notes #TheFiqhOfDua&Dhikir #AlMaghrib

Dato' Mohd Farid Arifin, our former Deputy Health Minister set up #makna from his own family experience, and today it is a home-grown organisation fully focused on cancer.

His only son Farul Rafiq was 17 when diagnosed with leukemia and flown to London for treatment. There, he underwent a regimented treatment which included an autologous bone marrow transplant.

While recuperating at the hospital in London, Dato’ Mohd Farid’s family made a promise that on their return to Malaysia, they would set up a cancer organisation aimed to help those from lower income groups gain access to cancer treatment.

In 2011, Farul died of lung fibrosis; Dato's Mohd Farid then left the minister cabinet, set up #makna and run with big mission in heart.
Today, #makna launched their awareness campaign & music video #TheUltimateShaveOff and the short film contest. Dato highlighted that: "Cancer is very expensive; take good care of your body- that's cheaper."

Together with me in the group photo with Dato' Mohd Farid Arifin is Mrs Universe Malaysia Carol Lee.