Another good video by VC Mark Suster about how to speak when invited on a panel:

  • Entertain
  • Be energetic
  • Be short and to the point (people don't remember who long you spoke, but what you said)
  • Say something different than the person before you
  • If the moderator asks the wrong question, answer a different one

I would also add that pitch competitions are a form of entertainment. A pitch for such an event is completely different from a pitch to the partner group of a VC.

And most of the time, pitch competitions are far more entertaining than panels. In a pitch competition, the presenter is on the line, sharp. People in panels usually do not prepare and can hide behind the others on stage, making them a lot less interesting to watch.

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