Pitch 3: Live Pitch Events

Pitch 3

Presentation and Live Pitch Events

Reminder: Before proceeding, be sure to check in with your mentor if you have any questions about whether your team will be presenting at a live pitch event. If you are, then we hope that our suggestions that we have gathered for you from experts in the field and former Technovation finalist teams will help you set the stage for success at this event!

Learning Objectives:

In this module, you will...

  • Learn how to prepare for your pitch
  • Create a presentation for your pitch
  • Discover techniques for delivering a memorable pitch
  • Learn how to respond effectively to questions that judges may ask your team

Congratulations, you have submitted your source code, pitch and demo videos, along with the other Technovation Challenge deliverables. If you happen to live in an area that is having a regional pitch event, your team will present your mobile app to a panel of judges in the first round of judging. One team from your regional pitch event will proceed to the semi-final round of judging, so it is important that you deliver a persuasive pitch to the judges.

 

Why Pitch?

The general purpose of a pitch is to get investors interested enough to have a second meeting. In a way, a pitch is like a short trailer for a movie that highlights all the essentials and piques your curiosity so that you are inspired to go see the feature length movie.

Your live pitch will be up to four minutes long, just as it was for your pitch video, but pitching live will require a different set of skills. Your pitch will be followed by a brief question and answer session with the judges. We strongly recommend that your team create a set of slides to go along with your live pitch. A slide deck with imagery will help make your presentation more memorable and help your team stand out. You will also need to know how to respond to questions that the judges may ask during their Q&A time with each team.

A slideshow (or slide deck) is a standard tool to use during a pitch. A pitch deck is a brief presentation, often created with PowerPoint, Keynote, Google slides, or Prezi, and is used to provide a quick overview of your business plan during meetings with potential investors or customers. Are you wondering how long your slide deck needs to be and what you should focus on? Here are some suggestions.

10/20/30 Rule

The 10/20/30 Rule is quite simple and goes like this: The presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes (except that in your case it will be 4 minutes), and have no smaller than 30 pt. font so people can easily read the slides.

This rule comes from Guy Kawasaki, who is a venture capitalist and marketing specialist who worked for Apple as an evangelist. He popularized the term “evangelist” in marketing and technology and has listened to hundreds of entrepreneurs pitch their companies.

You may be thinking that you want to get as much information as you can into your pitch because you only have a certain amount of time, right? Well, actually, no! The point of having what seems to be an impossibly small number of slides is that you will be forced to focus on only the essential information.  

Below are the topics that Guy Kawasaki thinks venture capitalists are interested in (1 slide per topic):

  • Title Slide. Include your app logo, your team name, and the names of your team members. Describe who did what on your team, and who helped youProblem/Opportunity. Describe the problem and your solution. Try to do this through images and not a lot of text. You may want to tell a story here, or find a good hook (more on that to come). Explain why your team’s solution is unique and helps relieve the problem.
  • Underlying technology. Describe the technology that is being used. Show images or schematics.
  • Business model. Who are your users and how will you get them to pay for it? Senior Division only
  • Market Plan. How will you reach your customer and get the word out?
  • Competitive Analysis. Provide a complete view of who your competition is and how your app is different from theirs.
  • Projections and milestones. For the junior division, you can focus on what your milestones will be for getting the app published and improved. For the senior division, focus on both the financial projections (try to have a 3 year projection) and your production milestones. You can also share your accomplishments, where you are to date with your app, you near future needs, and how much and how you would use the money you’re trying to raise.  Use this final slide to get your message across one last time.

For more information about pitch decks, take a look at this.

Activity

You can start by reviewing your pitch and demo videos and by taking notes on what you would like to get across to the judges before you begin work on your presentation.

Next, we recommend that you view two 2016 Technovation finalist live pitches, and take a look at their presentations. Think about:

  • What stood out about both of these live pitches?
  • What techniques did they use to deliver their pitches?
  • What was effective about their slides?
  • What would you do differently in your presentation, in terms of slide content and delivery?

Team A OOL, 2016

OOL connects would-be volunteers with local organizations that most need help. Here is the presentation deck.

California Coders Loc8Don8, 2016

Loc8Don8 simplifies the process of finding donation centers for a variety of materials. Here is their presentation.

“An entrepreneur is anyone who is willing to risk it all to change the world. You can still be entrepreneurial-minded, even if you are not a CEO.”

–Nathan Gold, The Demo Coach

Deliver a Memorable Pitch

Nathan Gold has delivered over 15,000 presentations and co-authored a book about Giving Memorable Product Demos. He has coached people around the world for high stakes opportunities and funding, and he volunteered to coach our Technovation finalist teams in 2016 as they were preparing for the World Pitch Event. Here was some of his advice to our teams.

First and foremost, you will need to work on standing out because the judges will be hearing pitches from other teams, and your pitch is their primary takeaway.

The Opening, or the Hook

One way to stand out is by how you open your pitch. Here are a few different techniques that you can try in your opening:

  • Question. This is effective, but try not to ask obvious questions. Try to ask the audience a question that will really get them to think.
  • Imagine. For example, ”Imagine for a moment that you are sitting on Mars and staring back at Earth…” Be careful though. Using “Imagine” is okay, but try not to overuse it.
  • Statistics. If you start out with a statistic that is related to the problem you are trying to solve that gets your audience to think, you can grab their attention. But try to find information that is new and interesting, or use some information that people have not heard before so they will be curious.
  • Quote. You can use a good quote by someone famous, or not-so-famous, to encapsulate a point that you are going to bring across to your audience.
  • Story. This is a very effective way to engage an audience. Humans are natural storytellers. People relate to stories, remember them, and retell them. Is there a story you can tell that illustrates the problem you are trying to solve with your app? Why are you passionate as a team about solving this problem? Try to avoid using bullet points and use imagery instead.
  • Value proposition. What is the benefit your users will get when they use your app? Sometimes starting out with your value proposition is a good way to get people engaged. Very basically, you will want to say, “We help X do Y by doing Z.” You fill in the X with who you want to help, the Y with what you do for them, and you fill in the Z with how you do it.

Tip! When it comes to talking about your value proposition, realize that you are probably doing something greater than what you think! Find a way to very quickly summarize what that is.

There are some more examples here, or you can watch Nathan’s webinar from 2016 with Technovation here.

Create Your Presentation

Make a First Draft

Make a first draft of your presentation. You can use PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, or Prezi. Don't worry about formatting when you begin. You can start with a white background and black font on your slides to begin with. Do not get caught up in anything but the information for first version. You could waste a lot of time trying to get it to look good, only to realize that you need to change your message or information.

Remember to keep your time limit in mind. The average person speaks 120-140 words per minute. You can try writing out what you would like to say during your presentation and if it exceeds 560 words, then you will risk going over your 4 minute limit. Remember to boil your idea down to its bare essentials, and focus on piquing the interest of your audience.

Make a Second Draft

For your second draft, add graphics and quotes to reinforce your message, and start focusing in on the visual elements of your presentation. Themes, images, colors etc. will come after the information is set. Find images that show your app and help to tell your story.

Refine your hook, or your opening. The first 10 seconds of your presentation are really important because that is when people decide whether they’re going to listen to the rest of your story or presentation. You will want to use imagery to help get your story across in those first few seconds.

Here is an example of how the information can look in the first draft of the slide on the left, versus the second draft of the slide on the right.

businessweekmarymeekers

Good luck! Here are some other presentation resources that focus on visuals and what some pitch decks looked like for a few startups, to inspire you:

Rehearse

You have created a second draft of your pitch deck and are ready to try it out. It’s time to rehearse and practice pitching in front of different audiences. You can start by pitching to your mentor.

If your team is working with a virtual mentor, don't worry. You can rehearse by video, like Google Hangout or Skype.

Here are some techniques you can practice and use:

  • Stand up straight, relax your shoulders, and take a deep breath
  • Look squarely towards your audience, and try to maintain eye contact throughout your presentation. You may need to glance at notes periodically, but avoid reading them word for word
  • Hold your hands in front of you naturally. When making key points, use your hands for emphasis, pointing to visual aids or raising and lowering them slightly in time with key points
  • Do a dress rehearsal after you feel comfortable presenting, and wear what you plan to wear on the day of your live pitch event

Be sure to have your audience ask you questions, so that you get an idea of what kinds of questions the judges may ask your team. Ask for feedback each time, and incorporate this before you practice your pitch to another audience.

 

“For preparing for the live pitch, I think it's most important to practice a lot to build confidence. I was at a summer program during the weeks leading up to the World Pitch and Allison and I would use Google Hangouts to practice our pitch together, which is a good option if the teams have difficulties arranging meeting times. It's also important to describe the app and all of its functions clearly so that the judges can really understand why it is new/special/exciting.”

–Jennifer John, 2016 Technovation Finalist

Responding to Questions (Q&A)

This informal Q&A part of your pitch could make an impact on your judges when they are considering which team should go on to the next round of judging. You will want to be prepared for this, and will want to ace it. Here are some more tips from Nathan Gold.

  • Maintain control. Remember, your team is in control! Don’t let your team get overwhelmed by questions. It is probably a good idea to have one person on the team decide who on the team will answer particular questions. Did one or two of the team work on the prototype? Then make sure they are the ones answering that kind of question. Did someone else come up with the logo? Allow that person to respond to a question about the logo. Any response should not be longer than about 30 seconds. Slow down, take a deep breath and pause before responding. That will show that you are confident about responding.
  • Listen. Too many times, people think they already know what people will ask, or they are not paying attention to what was asked. You could risk answering the wrong question this way. Don’t just answer the question you want to answer. If you are unsure about the question, you can always repeat it back to make sure you have it right. Also, do not interrupt the person asking the question, even if you have heard it many times before.
  • Don’t get defensive. Even if someone asks you a question that you know you covered in your presentation, please respond in a polite way. The judges have been listening to many presentations and they may not able to retain all the information. If you don’t agree with something the judges say, you can respond by saying, “Yes, and…” instead of “Yes, but…” Saying, “Yes, but...” creates an adversarial situation and negates what they have just said. Show them some respect when you listen to their question and let them know you care about answering it. You want to be dancing, not battling, right? You will see a big difference in how people react to you.
  • Respond to tough questions. There may be times where you are not able to answer a question. It’s okay to say that you don’t know the answer right now, but you should try and build a bridge to something you do know. Here are some examples:
    • I don’t know, however what I can tell you is…
    • I don’t know. Let me put that in perspective…
    • I don’t know. It’s important to remember that…
    • I don’t know. What I want to emphasize is…
    • I don’t know. Here is the key point…
    • I don’t know. What really matters is…
    • I don’t know but the most important issue is…
    • I don’t know. And an interesting question is…
  • Be mindful. How you respond to a questions and criticism matters. For example, if a judge says something very general like, “I think your product is too expensive.” You can say, “I appreciate that you think it’s too expensive. What are you comparing it to?” If you hear what they are comparing it to, you can better answer this comment.
  • Anticipate questions. Make a list of all the questions you think you will get. You can make a video recording of yourself or your team responding and then sit down and discuss whether you thought you responded well or what you could do differently. Here is a list of 40 of the top questions that investors ask during pitches that Nathan Gold has put together on his website. 

Attitude Check

Your team has worked hard, you are understandably tired, and you may be a little worried about your live pitch event. Have you thought about how you will cope with constructive feedback and questions?

Remember to pause and take time to process the questions you receive. By taking a moment to fully listen, checking your immediate reaction, and practicing different ways of responding, you will be able to be in control of the situation. You may also interpret some questions or feedback as criticism. Here is more information on that.

During the pitch event, your team will either be selected to advance to the next stage of judging for the competition, or it will not. Let’s take a moment to think about how you can respond to either scenario.

What if your team lost at school for a sports event and the other team gloated about winning? How would that feel? Not so great, right?

If your team lost, would you storm off of the playing field  or refuse to accept  a second place trophy? Even if it feels good to be angry for the moment, it can have longer term, negative effects. What do you think some of those effects might be?

Whether or not your team wins or loses, we hope you don’t lose sight of all that you have accomplished! Not many people can say that they have programmed a mobile app to solve a problem in their communities! You can hold your head high for all of these reasons and thank all the people who are there on the day of your pitch event to support you, like the judges, your mentors, your family, and your friends.  

Here are more tips on how to cope with winning and losing.

Reflect

Are you getting excited for your pitch yet? We hope so! You have created a presentation, rehearsed, thought of questions that your team may get asked, and are pretty much ready to go. Here are some questions you may want to consider between now and when your team presents live:

  • How is your pitch deck different from your pitch video and demo video?
  • What makes your solution and your team stand out? Why are you passionate about solving this problem?
  • What have you learned along the way and who can you thank on your team for that? Even though you may be trying to spend every last minute perfecting your pitch, we hope that you can take some time out to celebrate each other.
  • Who will you invite to the pitch event?

Additional Resources

Pitch 2: Make a Demo Video

Pitch 2

Make a Demonstration Video

Learning Objectives:

In this module, you will learn...

  • What makes a good demo video
  • How to develop an outline for demo video
  • Practical tips on how to create a demo video

What is a demo video?

A demo video is a product demonstration—you are showing off your mobile app and all its awesome features you created! The demo video should let the viewer experience the app as if they were a user, so they understand how the app works, how they might use it, and how it can help them. You will want to walk them through how to use the app, so they can get started on using it themselves!

“Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.”

–Guy Kawasaki, American marketing specialist, author, and Silicon Valley venture capitalist

Demo Video Requirements

Before you start making your demo video, let’s review the deliverables that you’ll be judged on:

  • Video can be up to 2 minutes long. A demo video should be short—even shorter than a pitch video. It should be able to stand alone and be primarily focused on the features on the app.
  • Clearly demonstrate the functionality of your app. You can get as creative as you want here! Use a variety of methods to tell your story. Some examples are: skits, slide presentations, testimonials from users, or interviews. You might even want to add some text, arrows, or images to the video to clearly demonstrate what you are talking about.
  • Highlight the unique features of your app. Show off all the awesome things you developed. These features will help you stand out from the crowd! If you can show them off in an original way, even better!
  • Focus on the user interface. Many judges will be using this video to understand how your app works and how a user will experience the app, so it’s important to show how and why your app would solve the problem in your community.
    • Show how the user navigates from screen to screen on the app. Judges will want to see that there are no bugs and that the user has no difficulty figuring out how to use the app and navigate through it.
  • The video must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. Your submission should be accessible to the judges through a link on the Technovation submission platform. It should be uploaded and the link should be shared; we recommend using YouTube or Vimeo, but you can use other applications as long as the video can be accessible to the judges. You can make the video private or unlisted, so that only people with the video's URL can see it.

Activity

To get a better sense of the what a demo video is, we’ve added a few videos from previous Technovation seasons below. As you watch them, take note of what you like and want to incorporate into your own demo video! Here are some questions to consider while you watch the examples:

    • How should your video start?
    • How should your video end?
    • What features should you emphasize?
    • What methods should you use to convey your message?

Team AMEKA Safe Guard Driving, 2015

This gives a thorough walkthrough of the app, speeding past tedious footage where data is being entered so more time is allowed to explain the app functionality.

Northgate STEM Unwind, 2014

This video explains its features only using visuals and very little written explanation. This is good if your team is concerned about language barriers for users and judges.

.comPote Active Citizen, 2016

The narration is concise and the video efficiently covers all the app features.

Outline Your Demo Video

Now that you've seen some examples and have started thinking about how you want to explain your app's features, it's time to start putting all the pieces together! As with anything, it's best to make a plan before you start diving into producing your video. Follow the steps below to break the planning process into manageable steps, and set yourself up to make a great demonstration video that will wow judges and users alike!

Step 1: Storyboard.

In order to make a good demo video, you can take a similar approach that you used for your pitch video by creating a storyboard or outline. Decide on how you will walk through and show off your app features. You can try using the Storyboard Creator app or you can use your own method. Do whatever works best for you and your team! Here's an example from Groove HQ.

  • Introduce the app. Quickly demonstrate what the problem you are trying to solve, and how your app solves it. Try doing this in only 1-2 sentences!
  • Introduce the solution your app provides. Explain what your product (your app) does. You should show off the end product after all the coding you did.
  • Prove that it works. Show that your app is functional and provide a demonstration of how it works. Walk through the app's features in the same way that a user would, and describe their functions and advantages.
    • If your app is not complete, that’s okay! Show off as much as you can. You can also present what you plan on building next, or plans for your future features and show what they might look like.
Step 2: Write your script.

Using your storyboard/outline as a guideline, add more information. Write out what you are planning to say, how you will say it, and what will show up on the screen. This document will be the key reference for the rest of your demo video development. Keep in mind, the script is likely to change as you develop more app features!

Tip! Some teams feel more comfortable speaking in a language other than English for their pitch and demo videos. You may do this, but you must provide English subtitles in your video for judges to understand it.

Produce Your Demo Video

Now that you have everything planned, it's time to roll up your sleeves and start making the video! Follow these steps to put your plan into action.

Step 1: Film your video.

Record what you are planning on showing in your video, whether it’s screenshots, screen recording, demonstration, or a combination.

  • Screenshots/screengrabs: Static (non-moving) images that depict what the app will look like on the phone. Make sure your images are high resolution and the viewer can easily see what you are trying to show them.
  • Screen recording: Video recording of the different app functions, which typically has narration. Screen recordings can be done through Screencast-o-matic or just by filming through a camera to show the app in action.


  • Demonstration: Short skit to show how the app is used in life; can include some screen recordings too. More imaginative and relies on storytelling.
    • Tip! Check your video and make sure everything is in focus and easy to see. If it isn’t, try checking your camera and reshooting to get better footage. Don’t be afraid of filming a lot of retakes—it takes time to get it just right!


Step 2: Record your voiceover.

Optional

Narration can be helpful when it comes to video to help describe your app. However, a lot of videos do without narration and even have very little text! It’s up to you to decide. If you do choose to do a voiceover, make sure to use a really good microphone so the sound is clear. Or, you can try using a recorder app on a phone in a really quiet place (closets work well)!

Tip: If your audio is hard to hear or is in another language, try adding subtitles or text on the screen!

Step 3: Edit the video together.

Gather all your footage, sounds, images, screenshots, etc. It’s time to put all the work together! There are a variety of tools that you can use to create your video.

Step 4: Review, edit, and repeat.

You put your video together and now it’s time to refine it. Remember that this video is important to judging, since it is a product demonstration to show the judges how your app can be useful. Keep in mind what kind of messages you are trying to convey and how you want your message to be received by your audience.

You can always ask your mentor or someone outside of your team for a second opinion, since the judges have different backgrounds and you’ll want to be able to get different types of people to understand your message. You can also have them try the app after they watch demo and see if the demo video matches up with what they experienced as a user; ask for feedback on any missing parts not covered in the demo video. For additional help, you can consult the Additional Resources below.

Step 5: Upload your video for submission.

Once you’ve finalized your video, upload your hard work! Just like the pitch video, you can upload in through any kind of application you’d like, but YouTube or Vimeo is preferred. Here are a couple guides that can help:

How to upload on YouTube

Uploading basics on Vimeo

Reflect

Good job! You finished creating a demo video for your app. This is not easy, you should be really proud! The demo app is really helpful when it comes to letting potential users or investors understand your product. You can use this video to show the world what you’ve been able to create, starting from just an idea to a real app!

As you look back on how you were able to create your demo video, think about:

  • Was it hard to envision how you were going to demonstrate your app?
  • Did your video change from when you outlined or storyboarded it? How did it change, and why?
  • Who helped you the most in developing your demo video? Make sure to thank them!
Additional Resources:

Pitch 1: Create a Pitch Story and Video

Pitch 1

Create a Pitch Story and Video

Learning Objectives:

In this module, you will learn...

  • What are the key parts of a pitch
  • How to create a storyboard for a pitch
  • Tips and tricks on how to film your pitch video

What is a Pitch?

A pitch is a form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something. It can be in the form of a video, speech, slide deck, or even a written essay. In Technovation, all teams must submit a pitch video as part of their submission. Some participants might even do a live pitch! Check in with your mentor to see if you will be doing in a live pitch. But, overall your pitch should tell the story of how your app started as an idea and became a business.

A pitch’s purpose is to persuade people to invest in your app and your company, while a demo video's purpose is to showcase the function of your app. You will have up to 4 minutes to make a case for your app in your pitch video. You should cover the 5 W’s + H: who, what, when, where, why, and how in this video. Answering the 5 W’s provide necessary information that convinces people your app will be successful. Don’t be afraid to show some creativity here to stand out from the crowd!

Think back to the Ideation Unit and how you developed the idea for your app. You’ll use some of this information in this video. Your pitch video should be able to answer the 4 problem statement questions and to make it even stronger, we have included a few more elements. Here are the key parts of a pitch:

  • Problem: Identify the problem and community. Give some background and compelling reasons why it is worth solving. You should be able to describe or show the problem you are solving in one or two sentences.
  • Solution: Describe your solution by explaining how your app solves the problem that you previously stated.  
  • Target market: Define who is affected by this problem and give some background on your target market (also known as target customer). Here, you’d want to refer to some facts and figures that you gathered in the Market Research unit.
  • Competition: Explain why your app is the best solution compared to any other solutions. If there are no direct competitors, explain how and why your app will solve the problem. Describe how you did your competitor analysis.
  • Team: Tell us about who is building this business and what role they play. You might even want to explain why the team is passionate about solving this particular problem. Your audience will want to know who is behind all this great work and what motivates them!
  • Financial & Milestones: Briefly review your business model on how you plan on making revenue to support your business and what next steps you are planning. If it is a non-profit, explain how and why you chose that approach.

Activity: Find Inspiration

Below are pitch videos from past Technovation seasons that can help you get started. As you watch them, think about what you like and how you’d incorporate that into your videos. Ask the following questions:

  1. What makes their pitch stand out?
  2. Do they use visuals? Are they well used?
  3. Is their message strong? Is it clear?
  4. Does the team seem knowledgeable? Have they done their homework?
  5. Do they clearly explain why their app solves their problem?
  6. Does the team portray confidence? How?
  7. Does the team make you believe their business will succeed based on their video?
  8. Was their video easy to understand and clearly organized? Why?



California Coders Loc8 Don8, 2016
Clearly defined problem and solution



Northgate STEM Unwind, 2014
Well organized and clear and clear argument that is easy to understand



Dharavi Girls for Change, 2015
Compelling story and illustration of the problem



Nightingale Arrive, 2013
Great narration and explanation of how the app works



Team Ștefănești Apă Pură, 2014
Great intro, smart use of graphics and subtitles



Team Charis Discardious, 2015
Clear enunciation and passion, speaking directly to viewer

Pitch through Storytelling

In order to develop a strong pitch, you will want to tell a story. People respond and grasp a story more easily than a straightforward explanation with figures and numbers. Sometimes it takes showmanship to get your point across. Storytelling is something that gives targeted messaging and emotional power behind your business. Telling great stories relies on eliciting emotions and gives technical information in an elegant way. Here’s a video provided by Accenture that can help you understand what storytelling is:


"Investors invest in stories, not businesses"

–Babak Nivi, Venture Hacks/AngelList

Activity: Storyboard

A storyboard helps develop a strong argument for your app and makes sure you can tell a compelling story in order to convince potential investors to fund your app. It's a tool to help organize your story, just like an outline for a long essay. This will help you organize your thoughts, develop your pitch deck and even your pitch video! The following activity was developed by Brendan Baker.

This activity will require your team to collaborate and brainstorm, so get a space you can work in together with a whiteboard, a large piece of paper, or use this printout. If you are remote from the rest of your team, try an online collaboration tool, like Google Drawings or try a few other options. Here’s a storyboarding app that can also help! Just be sure to set up your template similar to what is shown on this printout.

      1. First you’re going to brainstorm all your ideas in these categories:
        • Core story: overview of the story you want to tell. It should be summarized in a short sentence or two
        • Highlights: 3-5 strong selling points points about your business, so you can show off the cool functions or abilities of your app
        • Hesitations: 3-5 items that investors might worry about if they were to invest in your business, and why your app is still the best solution
        • Notes: any other things that will add to your story

        List all of your thoughts! Write down all the knowledge you have about your app. Fill out the right side of the page as much as you can using the guidelines below. And don’t worry, you can always add to this part later.

      2. To start on your slides, you’ll write a title on top of each box. These slides will cover general topics, like the ones below described by Guy Kawaski, a marketing specialist and venture capitalist. You can always reorder the slides to improve the flow of your story!
        • Problem - identify the issue and make it easy to understand
        • Your solution - demonstrate how you will solve the problem you highlighted (Hint: your app!)
        • Business model - explain how your business will make money
        • Underlying magic/technology - describe the features and functions of your app you developed
        • Marketing and sales - define who your customer is and how you will sell to them
        • Competition - show who are the people you are up against and how you are a better option
        • Team - showcase the people you work with
        • Projections and milestones - give an overview of what you’ve done, what you plan to do, and highlight major things you’ve accomplished
        • Status and timeline - report the latest updates and what you plan to do in the future
        • Summary and call to action - review of what you told everyone and what you want the audience do next
      3. Once you’re satisfied with the order of your slides, move on to draft each of the slide messages. This information will go at the bottom of the boxes. This is the main take away message you want the audience to know after they see this slide. If you need to move the slides around to make sure the flow of the story makes sense, go ahead and switch things up!
      4. Now you’ll want to add content to the slides that will communicate your message clearly. When you develop these slides, remember that the end goal of this storyboarding will be a video. Your slides do not have to end up being just a presentation deck. Your video can include skits, demonstrations, figures, or even interviews. Get creative in how you want you convey your message!

You also can draw rough diagrams or images of what figures you want to add. You want to tell the most concise story possible. By the end your slides should start filling up like this example from Brendan Baker:

Brendan Baker example storyboard

    1. Take a look at all the storyboard slides you created and make sure they are easy to understand for a wide audience. You’ll want to be self-critical—don’t keep anything that doesn’t add to your story or your slides’ message. Ask yourself:
      • Does it make sense?
      • How does it flow?
      • Is the core story being delivered?
      • Are the hesitations and highlights told in an elegant way?
      • Do the different ways of messaging tell the story in the best possible way?
    2. Ask a mentor or someone outside of your team to give you feedback on everything: your flow, the different ways are messaging information, and if it is telling the story you want. You’ll be presenting to a lot of people with different backgrounds, so asking people with different opinions can help you appeal to a wide audience. Remove anything that is unnecessary or extra.

When you are satisfied with your storyboard, you are ready to get started on filming your video! For more tips and tricks on developing a strong pitch, you can check out the additional resources in the reflect section below.

Create a Pitch Video

Once you’ve created your storyboard, you are ready to bring your story to life! Teams who are doing online submissions can develop a pitch video using the directions below.

To get started on your pitch video, you’ll want to first review the pitch video requirements below so you get an idea of what your end product should look like. You might even also want to go back and take a look at some past teams’ submissions to get a better idea of what was submitted before.

Pitch Video Requirements
  • All members of the team are encouraged to speak. Everyone should participate in the filming of this video, so judges can get to know all the team members and their role in the business.
  • Video can be up to 4 minutes long. Pitch videos should be short and straight to the point, but be able to carry its message across.
  • Information can be presented in any format the team wants. You can get as creative as you want here! You can use a variety of methods to tell your story. Some examples are: skits, slide presentations, testimonials from users, or interviews.
  • Cite images and information. Make sure to ask for consent or give acknowledgment to the person who created it. You can learn more about copyright, fair use, and public domain here. If there are people who will be acting in your video, or if you are taking footage in your neighborhood and people are in the footage, please have them sign a release form. Here is a template for a photo or video release form that you can use. Wikimedia Commons is a good place to start when looking for images you can use.
  • The video must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. Your submission should be accessible to the judges through a link on the Technovation submission platform. It should be uploaded and the link should be shared; we recommend using YouTube or Vimeo, but you can use other applications as long as it can be accessible to the public.
 Write your script

Now that you know your video requirements, you can begin working on the pitch script. You can use your storyboard as an outline and start writing on your script. You can always modify and change your storyboard as you develop your script further.

Scripts generally have three main parts:

  1. Hook: You will want to have a strong opening, something that is attention grabbing that makes you pay attention. Is there a story you can tell that illustrates the problem you are trying to solve with your app? Why are you passionate as a team about solving this problem?
  2. Problem & Solution: Present the problem and your solution. Don’t just tell us, but give information to support the problem and solution so it is convincing to the viewer.
  3. Call to Action: You presented an exciting project that you have been working hard on, and what’s next? Let the viewer know what you are planning on doing next, or ask the viewer to do something at the end of your video-- whether it’s invest in your business or join your team.

Once you have a draft of your script, review it and refine it. You might even want a mentor or someone to help you take a look at it. It has to be understood by a wide audience.

Practice, practice, practice!

Rehearse your pitch!

Practice with your teammates and different audiences to get feedback. You want your audience to see you as as knowledgeable, confident, and capable so they can trust that your company is set up for success. You don’t want to memorize your script word for word, since that can come off pretty stale. Here are some presentation tips for you as you practice:

  • Speak clearly and confidently
  • Make eye contact with the viewer or camera
  • Don’t use filler words like "um”, “so”, or  “like"; try pausing or taking a breath instead.
  • Use open body language, large gestures (more tips on body language)
  • SMILE! Be proud of your work

You can also practice with some of the activities provided by Accenture below.

Film your video

Once you and your team are comfortable with your script and know it well, you’re ready to film! For this part, you’ll need to get access to a video camera or video recording device, an audio-recording device, and a computer to edit your video.

When you film your video, keep in mind a few presentation tips:

  • Make sure everyone is loud and clear. Good audio is critical to understanding your pitch. Make sure there is minimum background noise.
  • You can use cue cards to help convey parts of your script and to maintain eye contact with the camera or your audience. Here is more information.
  • Make eye contact with the camera, imagine there’s an audience watching you as you present
  • Don’t chew gum or candy when speaking.
  • Dress for success! Make sure your outfits are appropriate. Avoid wearing busy patterns, since they can look confusing on camera.
  • Pause or feel free to retake some shots-- you don’t have always to do it in one take. You can always edit later.

Videography tips:

  • Shoot using plenty of light so the subject is well lit. Make sure not to film with bright a window or light source behind your subject. This will backlight your subject, turning them into a silhouette on film!
  • Keep your camera or phone stable using either a tripod or flat surface.
  • Shoot videos in landscape mode instead of vertical.
  • Choose backgrounds carefully to not be too distracting (ex: placing items behind someone that would appear coming out of their head in the video).

Think about where you might want to edit to add visuals or use voiceovers to finalize your video.

Edit your video

There are different techniques you can use to create your pitch video. Video editing can take a very long time and will take a lot of edits until you get to your final product. It will help to give yourself a lot of time for this step. You’ll want to revisit this and revise it until you are satisfied with the final product. Remember, the pitch video is one of the most important messages that your judges will take from your project.

Video Editing Resources

Upload your video

Now that you’re done with your video, you are ready to share it with the world!

You can upload in through any kind of application you’d like, but YouTube or Vimeo is preferred. Here are guides that can help:



How to upload onto Youtube



How to upload onto Vimeo

Reflect

Congratulations, you've created a storyboard and pitch for your app! You were able to develop a story, film a video, and produce an awesome pitch video. What an accomplishment! Celebrate with your team and give yourselves some time to think about all the challenges you were able to overcome. Consider the following:

  • Was it difficult to come up with your storyboard?
  • Did the video come out the way you imagined? Why or why not?
  • What challenges did you face while filming? Or editing?

Make sure to upload your video link to the Technovation submission platform.

Here are some additional resources if you're looking for more tips:

Additional Resources:

Pitch 6: Learning Journey

Learning Journey

Pitch 6

This lesson will help you gain points in the Learning Journey part of the rubric.

In this lesson, you will...

  • Reflect on what you’ve learned and your accomplishments on your Technovation journey
  • Write your Learning Journey document

Learn

Learning Journey

Activity

Learning Journey Reflection

Reflection

You're Ready!

Learning Journey

Think back to where you and your team started months ago and everything that has happened as you’ve worked to get  your Technovation project working and completed. You’ve come a long way! Pat yourself on the back!

The judges want to hear from your team to understand what you’ve accomplished too. You want to tell them all about the highs and lows of your project - what new skills you have gained, and what obstacles you have overcome to make your project what it is today. You will write about your journey in 100 words or less. 

As part of your writeup, you will include 2-6 pictures that help to explain the process for the judges. Remember, a picture is worth 1000 words! You can include screenshots of early sketches and prototypes. You may also include user feedback you received and changes you made to your project as a result. Help to tell the story of your journey by adding pictures. 

Here are some examples from past Technovation teams:

Team COLBY, 2021

Team Winnovators, 2021

Note: When submitting images for the Learning Journey Reflection on the Technovation Girls platform, you will be submitting image files, NOT PDF's.

Activity: Learning Journey Reflection

It’s likely that you, your team, and your idea/app/project have changed since you first started this season. Take a few moments to look back and discuss how you and your project have changed. For example:

  • How did you change the project or your ideas after doing user research or testing?
  • How did you change the project or your ideas after doing competitor research?
  • What new technical skills have you learned this season?
  • How has your team grown this season? 
    • Did you have to work together to overcome any challenges? 
    • Have you improved as a team throughout the season? How?

 

After you have discussed, write down which parts of your learning journey you think are important to include in your writeup. Now, select pictures that you think will help to tell the story. You can add 2-6 pictures to your Learning Journey document. Make sure to choose ones that are meaningful to the journey and help to highlight accomplishments you are most proud of.

Note: When submitting images for the Learning Journey Reflection on the Technovation Girls platform, you will be submitting image files, NOT PDF's.

Reflection

Now that your Learning Journey is written, it is time to submit your project. In the next and final lesson, that is just what you will do!

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Pitch 5: Record and Edit Your Demo Video

Record and Edit your Demo Video

Pitch 5

This lesson can help you gain points in the "DemoVideo" lines of the judging rubric and will be one of the most important ways you communicate your app or AI invention to judges.

In this lesson, you will...

  • Record your demo video to show of your project
  • Edit your video to make it engaging
  • Upload your video and add it to your submission!

Key Terms

  • Screenshots/screengrabs - Static (non-moving) images that show what the app will look like on the phone
  • Screen recording - Video recording of the different app functions, which typically has narration

Learn

Lights, Camera, Action!

 

Activity

Record Your Video

 

Activity

Screenshots/Screen Recordings

 

Activity

Edit Your Demo Video

Activity

Upload your Video

Reflection

Thoughts on Filming

 

Lights, Camera, Action!

You are ready to produce, or create, your demo video. Focus on gathering all of the footage that you want in your video. Make sure to also record shots or videos of screens so that the audience can clearly see your app or AI project working.

Because you are limited in the amount of time for your demo video, just 2 minutes, you want to use the time wisely. A lot of your demo video will include screenshots of your app in action, or the data elements of your AI model. 

You also need to explain some of the technical aspects of your project. This can include talking about how a certain block of code works, or how you gathered data for your AI dataset. 

A good portion of this video should include screenshots and/or screen recordings.

Refer to your storyboard and script to make sure you record all the parts you outlined in those documents. It’s alright to record extra video. You will select the best footage when you edit your demo video.

Screenshots/Screen Recordings

You may want to utilize screenshots and/or screen recordings in your video. Here is a useful site that shows you how to screenshot, no matter what platform you’re using! And here are some useful programs for screen recordings that you can use:

  • Quicktime Player on Mac or Windows
  • Screen recording on iPhone
  • Microsoft Stream on Windows
  • Game Bar on Windows
  • Screen Recorder on Android

Remember to decide in which video your footage will go in! The pitch and demo videos are two separate items and should address different parts of your project. 

Editing your Demo Video

Once you’ve shot your video for the demo, let’s jump right into editing your footage. Remember, you have just 2 minutes to convey everything you need to to demonstrate your project and what it took for you to create it.

Refer back to Pitch 4 for tips and inspiration on editing your video.

Activity: Record Your Demo Video

Time to start recording! You’ll need a device to record video and optionally a microphone. Make appointments to record anybody who is not on your team. 

As you record your demo video, don’t forget these requirements.

  • The videos must be uploaded and set to unlisted or publicly viewable when published to YouTube or Vimeo. Judges will not be able to watch your video, if you have not selected one of these options.
  • All members of the team should be shown and speak during the videos
  • Demo Videos are a max of 2 minutes
  • English and/or English subtitles must be included
  • Protect yours and others’ privacy: do not show identifying names, numbers or accounts. You need to have the consent of everyone you show in your video.
  • Cite images and information. Make sure to ask for consent or give acknowledgment to the person who created it. You can learn more about copyright, fair use, and public domain here.

Activity: Screenshots and/or Screen Recordings

Take screenshots and screen recordings of what the app looks like or works on your device. If your project is an AI invention, you may want to take screenshots of your dataset and your model training platform. 

What do you want the viewer to be able to see? Highlight or outline features you want the viewer to see, or zoom in to special parts. 

You should also go over any code you wrote as part of your project. Choose one or two main parts of your project that you worked hard on, and describe what the code does. This can work for either a mobile app or AI project. 

You can decide if you want to include text on the screen or voice narration over your screen recordings when you edit them into your demo video. While creating the recordings, use a finger or an arrow to point to exactly what you want the viewer to look at so they don’t get distracted. If you decide to do a voiceover, record in a quiet place or with a good microphone for clear sound.

Activity: Edit Your Video

Set aside plenty of time for this activity. Keep focused on your app or invention and make sure the viewer understands what you’ve built and how it works.

As always, have your mentor or somebody outside of your team watch your video and get their feedback. You can ask them:

  • Can they understand how the app or AI project works? 
  • Do they understand what you have explained about the technical parts of your project?
  • Have them use the project and tell you if anything important was missing in the video.

Revise your video until you are satisfied with the final product.

Activity: Upload your Video and Check that Others can Access it

Now that you’re done with your demo video, it’s time to upload it to Youtube or Vimeo. Here are a couple of guides that can help:

YouTube

How to upload on YouTube

Video tutorial

Vimeo

Uploading basics on Vimeo

Make sure to publish your video as unlisted or public so judges can judge it!

Then upload your video link to the Technovation submission platform.

Reflection

Wow! You’ve completed both of your videos! Congratulations! Pat yourself on the back. Think about the following:

  • How did your demo video differ from your pitch?
  • Which video was more difficult to produce?
  • What challenges did you face throughout the video making process?
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Pitch 3: Outline Your Demo Video

Outline your Demo Video

Pitch 3

This lesson can help you gain points in the "Demo Video" lines of the judging rubric. It is also the primary way to show the judges what you built!

In this lesson, you will...

  • Review requirements for the demo video
  • Create an outline to plan your demo video 
  • Create a storyboard and script for your demo video

Key Terms

  • Pre-production - planning elements of a video before starting to record
  • Pitch video -  A pitch video’s purpose is to get people excited about your idea. It explains the problem, shows your solution, and gets people excited about the impact this technology will have on the world.
  • Demo video - A demo video's purpose is to show off how your product works. It showcases your project's functionality, how you built it, and how it stands apart from similar apps or AI inventions
  • Storyboard -  A storyboard helps to develop a strong pitch for your project and helps you plan a compelling story to tell about your idea
  • Script - the written words that will be spoken during a video

Learn

Pre-production

Activity

Find Inspiration

 

Activity

Outlining Your Demo Video

 

Activity

Storyboard to Plan Your Video

Activity

Scripting Your Video

Reflection

Preparations

 

Additional Resources

Demo Tips

 

While your pitch video focused on the problem you solved, your solution, and its impact for your users, the demo video is intended to showcase the actual project you built. You can explain what you built, how it works, and how you built it. You will have just 2 minutes to show off your app or AI project in your demo video. In this lesson you will work on the pre-production phase of the video making, or the parts you need to plan before you start to record. 

Let’s review what should be included in your demo video for Technovation Girls.

 

The Demo Video

Goal: The Demo Video is where you show how your project functions and highlight key features.

For Technovation Girls, you will do so by answering the following questions. Depending on the type of project you submit, you will address different points: 

In the demo video, this is your chance to show off your app or invention! Even if you did not get every feature working, you should still be proud of what you did accomplish, and showcase it. It is also your opportunity to demonstrate your technical knowledge.

 If your project is a mobile app, choose a particular component or section of code and explain how it works. Show the judges what you have learned about coding! 

If your project is an AI invention, focus on your dataset and trained model. You can explain where you got your dataset from, what platform you used to train it, and what you did to test it. If you built a physical prototype, talk about the materials you used to build it and how you put it together.

You’ve only got 2 minutes though! Be concise, and plan out your video carefully. Just like with the pitch video, you will create an outline, a storyboard, and a script as steps in pre-production.

Other Requirements

For Technovation Girls, here are some more requirements you should be aware of:

  • Your video should be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo.
  • Your video should be either public or unlisted.
  • If you are not speaking English in your video, you must include English subtitles.
  • If you are speaking in English in your video, English subtitles are still highly recommended. 
  • Pitch Videos should not exceed 4 minutes.
  • Demo Videos should not exceed  2 minutes.

Here is a timeline suggestion to help your video planning process:

Demo Video Sample Timeline

Outlining your Demo Video

The Outline is where you start making a list of all your materials that will help you address the points you need to.  You will answer all questions fully when you complete the outline activity.

Scripting and Storyboarding

Once you have your outline, you can now create your script and storyboard. These two elements are very important in the preparation or pre production phase of your video making. They both help to clearly convey important information and ideas to everyone (including yourself!) involved in the filming process. You can create the script or storyboard in any order you wish, but it’s always helpful to do them both!

You can refer to Pitch 1 for how to create a good storyboard and script for your demo video.

Activity: Find Inspiration

Below are demo videos from past Technovation teams that can help you get started. As you watch them, think about what you like and how you’d incorporate that into your pitch video.

Consider the following questions:

  1. Do you understand how the app or AI invention functions?
  2. Do you understand the steps taken to build or code the project?
  3. Do the future plans for their idea make you excited about its impact on the world?
  4. Was their video easy to understand and clearly organized? Why?

Team Winnovators

Team Colby

Activity: Outlining Your Demo Video

Now that you’ve seen some good examples, it’s time to outline your demo video! 

Here is a worksheet to help you get organized.

Remember to look back on the work you’ve done on previous lessons, they’ll be very useful in helping you figure out what you want your video to look like!

Activity: Storyboard to Plan Your Video

Create a Storyboard

You can either start with a storyboard or script. It depends on whether you think visually or in words. There is no right or wrong order to do this. But they make a good combination to get the message right in what you say and how you say it.

A storyboard will help your team develop a strong argument for your app or AI invention while telling a compelling story. It’s a pre-production tool to help organize your pitch. 

1. Gather the information you have from the categories below (make sure to refer to the judging rubric for your division) and map out how this can fit into the key messages you answered in your outline:

    1. What did you build– whether your project is a mobile app or a physical device, show your project.
    2. How does it work - For mobile apps, demo how a user would use the app. For AI projects, show how someone would interact with your invention.
    3. How did you build it - get into the nitty  gritty of your code or AI model. Walk the viewer through some tricky code blocks or talk about how a particular component works in the app.  If you made an AI project, go into detail about your dataset, and how you trained your model.
    4. Future impact and milestones – show what doesn’t yet work in your project and what you plan to do to add new features

3. You can complete your storyboard with a whiteboard or use an online tool like this storyboarding app 

    1. Make boxes that show the main ideas from what you’ve brainstormed that you want to include in each part of your pitch. It’s a story, so draw the scene with characters, etc.
    2. How can you move the parts around so it is the most compelling?
    3. What hook will you use to draw the viewer in?
    4. Now you’ll want to plan what content for your brainstormed plan that will communicate your project clearly. This video should be more straightforward in how you convey what your project is than the pitch video. Your demo should include visuals of your app or invention, voiceovers, demonstrations, and screenshots of code or an AI training model.  You can still get creative in how you want to showcase your project!

4. Ask a mentor to give you feedback. Remove anything that is unnecessary or extra. Be sure to consider these questions

    1. Does it make sense?
    2. How does it flow?
    3. Is the core story being delivered?
    4. Are you telling the story and the main messages in the best way possible? Does it make people want to solve the problem?

When you are satisfied with your storyboard, it’s time to add the script! 

Activity: Scripting Your Video

The script is where you write out exactly what will be said in the video. If you have already created your storyboard, then you should work from that to fill in the words that will be spoken during each scene, or box, in the storyboard.

Some people prefer to start with the script and then fill in the visuals later. If you prefer to start with the words, use your outline as a starting point. You want to make sure you cover everything you wrote down in the outline. However, you want to make it compelling, so you don’t just want to restate everything in the outline. Consider how you can make it interesting, how you can hook your audience to make them want to listen to your message.

As always, ask a mentor to give you feedback. Remove anything that is unnecessary or extra. Be sure to consider these questions

  1. Does it make sense?
  2. How does it flow?
  3. Is the core story being delivered?
  4. Are you telling the story and the main messages in the best way possible? Does it make people want to solve the problem?

Reflection

You have created your outline for your demo video and written your script and created your storyboard! By carefully  outlining and detailing all the parts of your demo video, you should be ready to record and fit all you have to say in the 2 minute time limit. Make one final check that you have covered all the necessary parts in your video. Hold onto the documents you created in this lesson. You will use them to organize how you record your video . 

Additional Resources: Demo Tips

Here are some resources on creating an effective demo video:

 

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Pitch: Create a Pitch Presentation (Optional)

Create a Pitch Presentation

Pitch (Optional - Archived)

This lesson will help you prepare if you are participating in a live pitch event.

In this lesson, you will...

  • Create a presentation for your pitch
  • Prepare to present your pitch live

Key Terms

  • Pitch deck - a brief and enticing visual presentation used to overview your business plan during meetings with potential investors or customers
  • Value proposition - the benefit your users will get when they use your product

Learn

Live Pitch Basics

 

Activity

Edit Your Pitch Deck

 

Activity

Rehearse Your Pitch

 

Reflection

You're Ready!

 

Additional Resources

Examples and Tips

 

Live Pitch Basics

If you will participate in a regional pitch event or celebration event, your team will pitch live to a panel of judges. If the event is a regional pitch event, one team from the event will proceed to the semifinal round of judging. 

The goal of a live business pitch is to get investors (or judges, in this case) interested enough to want another meeting for more information (or invite you to the next round, in this case). It’s like a movie trailer that highlights the essential ingredients of your business and inspires you to go see the full movie.

Your live pitch can be up to four minutes long and then will be followed by a question and answer section with judges.

Creating a Memorable Pitch

You want to deliver a pitch that will make judges very interested in your business. Pitch expert Nathan Gold has advice for Technovation Girls teams:

“First and foremost, you will need to work on standing out”

One way to stand out from the other teams the judges see is by opening your pitch strategically. Methods include:

  • Question. Ask the audience a question that will really get them to think.
  • Imagine. For example, “Imagine for a moment that you are sitting on Mars and staring back at Earth…” 
  • Statistics. A statistic that the audience has not heard before and is related to the problem you are trying to solve can grab audience attention. 
  • Quote. A good quote can connect your message with audience experience. 
  • Story. People relate to stories, remember them, and retell them. Is there a story you can tell that illustrates the problem you are trying to solve with your app? 
  • Value proposition. Sharing the benefit your users will get when they use your app can be a good way to get people engaged. It is when you share: “We help ___ do ___ by doing ___.”

For more ideas about how to craft a strong pitch, here is Nathan’s full webinar from 2016 with Technovation.

Pitch Deck

A pitch deck, or a brief and enticing visual presentation used to overview your business plan for potential investors or customers, is a great tool to use during a pitch. It’s often created with Google slides, PowerPoint, Prezi, or other presentation tools.

One suggestion by famous venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki who has listened to hundreds of entrepreneurs pitch their companies is the 10/20/30 Rule: The presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes (for you, 4 minutes), and have no smaller than 30 pt. font so people can easily read the slides.

Instead of trying to fit as much information as you can into your pitch because you only have a certain amount of time, focus on only the essential information. Guy Kawasaki recommends making one slide for each of the following topics:

Rehearsing

“For preparing for the live pitch, I think it’s most important to practice a lot to build confidence. It’s also important to describe the app and all of its functions clearly so that the judges can really understand why it is new/special/exciting.”

–Jennifer John, 2016 Technovation Finalist

Make sure to set aside time to rehearse as a team in front of your mentor and others who can give you feedback.

Responding to Questions

This informal Q&A part of your pitch helps judges decide which team should go on to the next round of judging. Here are more tips from Nathan Gold.

Activity: Draft and Edit Your Pitch Deck

If you are pitching at a live event, like an RPE, you can use slides to help share your idea.

Draft your message:

  • Write down the key points you want the judges to take away from your pitch.
  • Before creating your deck, draft out the content you will talk about in your four minutes. Make a draft on a piece of paper or the board before thinking about what you will put on your slides.
  • Ask your mentor for feedback about what you are planning to include.

Draft your slides:

  • Create a draft of the slides that complement what you will say
  • Try to use more than text: images, charts, and quotes can all be powerful tools to show your app and help you tell your story
  • Refine your opening hook. The beginning of your presentation is when people decide if they will like your story or presentation.
  • Ask for feedback from your mentor about your slides

Activity: Rehearse Your Pitch and Prepare for Q&A

We recently heard this from one of our participants, “I will join Technovation Girls but I do not want to pitch.” - can you relate? 

It’s okay to be nervous! The best way to fight your nerves is to rehearse your pitch in front of different audiences and prepare for them to listen and ask questions.

You can start by pitching to your mentor. Then, find different people and larger groups to rehearse in front ot. Make sure to time yourself each rehearsal to stay within the time limit!

Tip: Try recording your rehearsal and then watch it and discuss with your team what you want to improve. 

Try the following when rehearsing:

  • Stand up straight, relax your shoulders and jaw, and take a deep breath
  • Try to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout your presentation. You may need to glance at notes periodically, but avoid reading them word for word
  • Hold your hands in front of you naturally. When making key points, use your hands for emphasis, pointing to visual aids or raising and lowering them slightly in time with key points

Have your audience ask you questions so you can practice for the Q&A. Ask for feedback each time, and incorporate this before you practice your pitch to another audience.

Reflection

You have created a presentation, rehearsed, thought of questions that your team may get asked. You’re ready! Take a moment to reflect: 

  • What do you want to remember right before you walk onto the stage?
  • What have you learned along the way and who can you thank for that? 
  • Who will you invite to the pitch event?

Additional Resources: Examples and Tips

Pitch Presentations from 2019 Semifinalists

 

Interested in extra resources? Here are some more helpful links:

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Pitch 4: Edit Your Pitch Video

Edit your Pitch Video

Pitch 4

This lesson can help you gain points in the "Pitch Video" and "Demo Video" lines of the judging rubric and will be one of the most important ways you communicate your idea and app solution to judges.

 

In this lesson, you will...

  • Edit your videos to make it engaging
  • Upload your videos and add them to your submission!

Key Terms

  • Post production - editing your recorded video and adding any effects, titles, and sound


 

Learn

Post Production

 


 

Activity

Find Inspiration

 


 

Activity

Edit Your Video

 


 

Activity

Upload Your Video

 


 

Reflection

The Final Product

 

Additional Resources

Video Editing Tips

 

Post Production

The last step to finish your videos is called post production, or editing your videos and adding effects, titles, and sound to make it more engaging.

You’ll probably want to cut some parts out and add some screenshots, English subtitles (required if you don’t speak English in your video), narration and maybe some other special effects into the videos. Remember, you have 4 minutes for your pitch video and 2 minutes for your demo video. Keep the rubric that judges will be using in mind so that you can include the most important parts of your story.

 

Editing

You can use many techniques to edit your videos, so you’ll want to prioritize the most important things to do first since video editing can take a long time. If you have additional time you can put extra work into editing. Here are some tips:

Activity: Find Inspiration

Below is a pitch video from a past Technovation Girls team. As you watch it, think about what you like about the editing and what you want to incorporate into your pitch video. 

Consider the following questions:

  1. What makes their video editing stand out? 
  2. What effects did they use to help communicate information?
  3. Is there anything else you would have added to better understand how the app works?

Want to watch other videos for inspiration? You can look here at winning Technovation Girls submissions from the past.

Note: Previous years of Technovation Girls may have different rules, that’s why you’ll see video lengths of different times. For the 2022 Season, you have 4 minutes for the pitch video and 2 minutes for the demo video.

Activity: Edit Your Video

You’ll start with your pitch video, since you should have recorded it by now, and are ready to edit your footage. You’ll come back to this activity for your demo video, once you’ve recorded it.

Set aside plenty of time for this activity. Start by prioritizing the most important edits you need to make to your videos to submit them.

See tips in the Inspiration section about video editing. You can also find more links in the Additional Resources section. You’ll want to:

  • Select your footage
  • Choose a video editor
  • Edit your content
  • Add titles and effects
  • Add English subtitles (if necessary or desired)

Is there anything else you want to do to make your video more engaging? Remember that simple is ok and be careful to not let special effects get in the way of your story. 

Have your mentor or somebody outside of your team to watch your video and get their feedback. You can ask them:

  • What do they understand about the problem and solution?
  • Can they understand how the app works? Have them use the app and tell you if anything important was missing in the video.

Revise your video until you are satisfied with the final product.

Activity: Upload your Video and Check that Others can Access it

Now that you’re done with your video, you are ready to share it with the world. It’s time to upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo. Here are a couple of guides that can help:

YouTube

How to upload on YouTube

Video tutorial

Vimeo

Uploading basics on Vimeo

Make sure to publish your video as unlisted or public so judges can judge it!

Then upload your video link to the Technovation submission platform.

Reflection

Congratulations, you’ve polished your video and submitted your pitch! You should be proud of what you have created. Now you can really celebrate with your team! Take some time to reflect:

  • How did your video change from when you storyboarded it to its final version?
  • What challenges did you face while editing?

Additional Resources: Video Editing Tips

Interested in extra resources? Here are some additional helpful links:

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Pitch 2: Record Your Pitch Video

Record your Pitch Video

Pitch 2

This lesson can help you gain points in the "Pitch Video" lines of the judging rubric and will be one of the most important ways you communicate your idea and project solution to judges.

In this lesson, you will...

  • Record a pitch video to share your idea with the world 
  • Record screenshots and/or screen recordings to add to your video

Key Terms

  • Production - the act of creating, in this case recording video footage for your video
  • B-roll footage - footage that is not of the main subject, possible to edit it into the video later
  • Screenshots/screengrabs - Static (non-moving) images that show what the app will look like on the phone
  • Screen recording - Video recording of the different app functions, which typically has narration

Learn

Lights, Camera, Action!

 

Activity

Record Your Video

 

Reflection

Thoughts on Filming

 

 

Additional Resources

Final Push to Submission

 

Lights, Camera, Action!

You are ready to produce, or create, your video. Don’t worry about editing yet. Focus on gathering all of the footage that you want in your video. Make sure to also record shots or videos of screens so that the audience can clearly see your app working.

In addition to your main footage, you may also want to record some B-roll footage, or alternative footage to include later in your video. An example is footage of a busy street scene that plays while a girl is talking about a traffic problem.

Here are some other techniques that professional videographers use. Hover over each one for more details and links.

Make sure everyone is loud and clear.

Good audio is critical for someone to understand your pitch. Make sure there is minimal background noise.

Make eye contact with the camera.

You can use cue cards to help convey parts of your script to help.

Voiceovers, animations, and visuals can help tell your story.

You will learn more about how to edit your video and add in these items in the next lesson.

Record multiple takes

Film using plenty of light.

Film during the daytime either outside or in a room with a lot of natural light. Make sure that filming outside does not compromise the quality of your audio.

Make sure not to film with bright a window or light source behind your subject. This will make your subject look too dark.

Shoot videos in landscape mode instead of vertical.

Keep your recording device stable using either a tripod or flat surface.

Protect your and others’ privacy. Do not show identifying names, numbers, or accounts.

You need to have the consent of everyone who appears in your video. If there are people who will be acting in your video, please have them sign a release form. Here is a template for a photo or video release form that you can use.

Screenshots/Screen Recordings

You may want to utilize screenshots and/or screen recordings in your video. Here is a useful site that shows you how to screenshot, no matter what platform you’re using! And here are some useful programs for screen recordings that you can use:

  • Quicktime Player on Mac or Windows
  • Screen recording on iPhone
  • Microsoft Stream on Windows
  • Game Bar on Windows
  • Screen Recorder on Android

Remember to decide in which video your footage will go in! The pitch and demo videos are two separate items and should address different parts of your project. 

Activity: Record Your Video

Time to start recording! You’ll need a device to record video and optionally a microphone. Make appointments to record anybody who is not on your team. 

As you record your pitch video, don’t forget these requirements.

  • The videos must be uploaded and set to unlisted or publicly viewable when published to YouTube or Vimeo. Judges will not be able to watch your video, if you have not selected one of these options.
  • All members of the team should be shown and speak during the videos
  • Pitch Videos are a max of 4 minutes
  • Demo Videos are a max of 2 minutes
  • English and/or English subtitles must be included
  • Protect yours and others’ privacy: do not show identifying names, numbers or accounts. You need to have the consent of everyone you show in your video.
  • Cite images and information. Make sure to ask for consent or give acknowledgment to the person who created it. You can learn more about copyright, fair use, and public domain here.

Reflection

Congratulations, you’re getting close to finishing your pitch video! video! In the next lesson, you’ll start work on your demo video. Take a moment to consider the following:

  • What challenges did you face while filming?
  • What recording techniques were new to you? Most helpful for your video?

Additional Resources

Learn from past Technovation participants how they managed the final push making their video and completing their business plan!

 


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Pitch 1: Outline Your Pitch Video

Outline your Pitch

Pitch 1

This lesson can help you gain points in the "Pitch Video" lines of the judging rubric. It is also the primary way to share your work with the judges!

In this lesson, you will...

  • Learn about the requirements for the pitch video and demo video
  • Create an outline to plan your pitch video
  • Create a storyboard and script for your pitch video

Key Terms

  • Pre-production - planning elements of a video before starting to record
  • Pitch video -  A pitch video’s purpose is to get people excited about your idea. It explains the problem, shows your solution, and gets people excited about the impact this technology will have on the world.
  • Demo video - A demo video's purpose is to show off how your product works. It showcases your project's functionality, how you built it, and how it stands apart from similar apps or AI inventions
  • Storyboard -  A storyboard helps to develop a strong pitch for your project and helps you plan a compelling story to tell about your idea
  • Script - the written words that will be spoken during a video

Learn

Pre-production

Activity

Find Inspiration

Activity

Outlining Your Pitch Video

Activity

Storyboard to Plan Your Video

Activity

Scripting Your Video

Reflection

Preparations

Additional Resources

Pitch Tips

Preproduction

You will have 4 minutes to make a case for your app in your pitch video and 2 minutes to to show off your app or AI project in your demo video. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and passion for the problem you are solving!

In this lesson you will work on the pre-production phase of the video making, or the parts you need to plan before you start to record. 

Let’s first go over what should be included in each of your videos for Technovation Girls.

The Pitch Video

Goal: The Pitch Video is where you convince viewers about your ideas.

For Technovation Girls, you will do so by answering the following questions: 

  • What problem are you solving and why is it important to you and the community?
  • How does your problem relate to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals?
  • How does your app or AI project solve the problem?
  • Why is this technology (an app or AI project) the best way to solve the problem? 
  • Are there any similar solutions that already exist? Why is your solution better?
  • What are the potential impacts of your technology? How will ensure that your technology minimizes negative impact and maximizes positive impact?
  • How did you get user feedback on your problem and solution?
  • What were the results of the user feedback?
  • How did you change your project based on your user feedback findings?
  • What future goals do you have for your project?

The Demo Video

Goal: The Demo Video is where you show how your project functions and highlight key features.

For Technovation Girls, you will do so by answering the following questions. Depending on the type of project you submit, you will address different points: 

  • Mobile App
    • What app did you build? How does it work?
    • What are some key features that work successfully? What are some of the critical coding that makes it work?
    • What doesn’t work yet? What future improvements do you have planned?
  • AI Project
    • What AI model did you build and train?
    • What kind of data did you gather to make the model work? Why did you choose this type of data?
    • What invention did you build/prototype? How did you build it?
    • How does your AI invention work? What doesn’t work yet?
    • What future improvements do you have planned?

Now that you know what is required, let's think about how to put it all together as videos. We think this workflow will help you stay organized and say everything you need to:

Step 1) Outline

Step 2) Storyboard OR Script

Step 3) Storyboard OR Script (whichever you didn’t do yet)

Step 4) Plan to record

In this lesson, we’ll primarily focus on step 1, 2, and 3.

The Outline is where you start making a list of all your materials that will help you address the points you need to. There’s many ways to create the list, but here’s an example format you can follow.  You will answer all questions fully when you complete the outline activity. How would you answer the following questions?

Continue to list out all the things you want to address and gather your answers. Look back through all the work you’ve done throughout the season, including worksheets from earlier weeks (like this one from Ideation 8).

Other Requirements

For Technovation Girls, here are some more requirements you should be aware of:

  • Your video should be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo.
  • Your video should be either public or unlisted.
  • If you are not speaking English in your video, you must include English subtitles.
  • If you are speaking in English in your video, English subtitles are still highly recommended. 
  • Pitch Videos should not exceed 4 minutes.
  • Demo Videos should not exceed  2 minutes.

Video Lengths

As you are outlining and planning out your videos, keep in mind the time constraint. While some people might find the time limit difficult, there are lots of reasons why it’s important to keep your video concise.

One major reason is because viewers don’t have unlimited attention spans. Long videos will lose your audience’s interest.

Being able to stay within a time limit also shows your mastery of understanding your project. It’s a useful and noteworthy skill to have!

Here are some timeline suggestions to help your video planning process:

Pitch Video Sample Timeline

Demo Video Sample Timeline

Scripting and Storyboarding

Now that you have your outline, you can now create your script and storyboard. These two elements are very important in the preparation or pre production phase of your video making. They both help to clearly convey important information and ideas to everyone (including yourself!) involved in the filming process. You can create the script or storyboard in any order you wish, but it’s always helpful to do them both!

 

The Script

The script is the written text method of organizing your video creation thoughts. There are a few ways to write a script, but most scripts have these important elements:

PLACE - TIME

This is where the action on the screen happens. Describe what happens on screen and any important movement that should be noted.

CHARACTER NAME

This is the dialogue or exact words that the character would say. 

FADE TO BLACK

Let’s look at the story of Cinderella as an example of how we might use this format:

PALACE EXTERIOR - NIGHT

The clock begins to strike. Cinderella looks away from the Prince and up at the time. She starts to panic.

CINDERELLA
Oh my! Is it that time already? I must go. Goodbye.

PRINCE
Already? But why? We only just met!

Cinderella runs away in a hurry, leaving behind one of her glass slippers.

CUT TO BLACK

The Storyboard

The storyboard is the visual method of organizing your video creation thoughts. It looks very similar to a comic book. You also don’t have to be an artist to make a storyboard either! Creating a storyboard isn’t about drawing really well, it’s just for you to put the image from your mind into the real world so that you and your team are on the same page.

There are a few different ways you can organize your storyboard, but this is the simplest example. Simply have a drawing of major scenes with a description below.

Activity: Find Inspiration

Below are pitch videos from past Technovation seasons that can help you get started (note that prior seasons may have different requirements from the current season, so things like length of video might be different). As you watch them, think about what you like and how you’d incorporate that into your pitch video.

Consider the following questions:

  1. What makes their pitch stand out? Is there a personal story that explains why they care about the problem? 
  2. Do they use visuals? Are they well used?
  3. Is their problem statement and explanation of the technology solution strong? Is it clear?
  4. Do you understand how the app functions?
  5. Do the future plans for their idea make you excited about its impact on the world?
  6. Was their video easy to understand and clearly organized? Why?

Team Uproot

Team CoCo

Team Winnovators

Team Colby

Activity: Outlining Your Pitch Video

Now that you’ve seen examples, it’s time to outline your own videos! Let’s focus first on the Pitch Video. 

Here is a worksheet to help you get organized.

Remember to look back on the work you’ve done on previous lessons, they’ll be very useful in helping you figure out what you want your video to look like!

Activity: Storyboard to Plan Your Video

Create a Storyboard

You can either start with a storyboard or script. It depends on whether you think visually or in words. There is no right or wrong order to do this. But they make a good combination to get the message right in what you say and how you say it.

A storyboard will help your team develop a strong argument for your app or AI invention while telling a compelling story. It’s a pre-production tool to help organize your pitch. 

1. Brainstorm what you want your audience to walk away with from these areas:

    1. Core story: Overview of the story you want to tell. It should be summarized in a short sentence or two; why is the problem important to you and your community?
    2. Highlights: 3-5 strong selling points points - here you can highlight your research, project functionality, user feedback and community impact of your solution
    3. Hesitations: 1-2 items that someone might worry about if they were to invest in your ideas, and why your product is still the best solution. You can highlight future plans and continue demonstrating that you researched your users and competitors.
    4. Notes: Any other things that will add to your story and help the viewer understand and share your passion for the idea

2. Gather the information you have from the categories below (make sure to refer to the judging rubric for your division) and map out how this can fit into the key messages you answered in your outline:

    1. Problem statement– identify the issue and make it easy to understand, include statistics about the issue
    2. Make people care - create an emotional connection with the viewer by sharing why this is an important issue - personal stories are a great way to do this
    3. Your solution - demonstrate how you will solve the problem you highlighted 
    4. Best tool - explain why you chose AI and/or a mobile app to solve the problem and why that tool is best
    5. Competitor analysis - show who you are up against and how you are a better option
    6. Positive impact - how did you take stakeholders into account and make sure your project does no harm
    7. User feedback - explain how your users tested your product and what changes you made based on their feedback
    8. Future impact and milestones – give an overview of the impact in your community and what you plan to do

3. You can complete your storyboard with a whiteboard or use an online tool like this storyboarding app 

    1. Make boxes that show the main ideas from what you’ve brainstormed that you want to include in each part of your pitch. It’s a story, so draw the scene with characters, etc.
    2. How can you move the parts around so it is the most compelling?
    3. What hook will you use to draw the viewer in?
    4. Now you’ll want to plan what content for your brainstormed plan that will communicate your message clearly. Remember that your pitch video can include visuals, voiceovers, demonstrations, figures, or even interviews. Get creative in how you want to convey your message!

4. Ask a mentor to give you feedback. Remove anything that is unnecessary or extra. Be sure to consider these questions

    1. Does it make sense?
    2. How does it flow?
    3. Is the core story being delivered?
    4. Are you telling the story and the main messages in the best way possible? Does it make people want to solve the problem?

 

When you are satisfied with your storyboard, you are ready to record your video! For more tips and tricks on developing a strong pitch, you can check out the additional resources section below.

Activity: Scripting Your Video

The script is where you write out exactly what will be said in the video. If you have already created your storyboard, then you should work from that to fill in the words that will be spoken during each scene, or box, in the storyboard.

Some people prefer to start with the script and then fill in the visuals later. If you prefer to start with the words, use your outline as a starting point. You want to make sure you cover everything you wrote down in the outline. However, you want to make it compelling, so you don’t just want to restate everything in the outline. Consider how you can make it interesting, how you can hook your audience to make them want to listen to your message.

As always, ask a mentor to give you feedback. Remove anything that is unnecessary or extra. Be sure to consider these questions

  1. Does it make sense?
  2. How does it flow?
  3. Is the core story being delivered?
  4. Are you telling the story and the main messages in the best way possible? Does it make people want to solve the problem?

Reflection

You have created your outline for your pitch video, written your script, and created your storyboard! That’s a lot! But it is essential in making sure you are fully prepared when you start recording your video. Make one final check that you have covered all the necessary parts in your video. In the next lesson you’ll record your video. Hold onto the documents you created in this lesson. You will use them to organize how you record your video .

Additional Resources: Pitch Tips

Here are some of our favorite resources for how to craft a great pitch:

Tip: Practice presenting your ideas with an audience. As you continue presenting your idea for feedback or to groups you will continue to build your confidence. It’s okay to be nervous, try to….

  • Speak clearly and confidently
  • Make eye contact with the viewer or camera
  • Don’t use filler words like “um”, “so”, or  “like”; try pausing or taking a breath instead.
  • Use open body language, large gestures (more tips on body language)
  • Smile! Be proud of your work

You can also practice with some of the activities provided by Accenture below.

Check out this video by past Technovation Girls Student Ambassador Zinab Ramlawi

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