Hey everyone, welcome to our Pitch Camp for Tech Demos. This is a quick, one-hour workshop where we're going to help you nail the first minute of your lightning talk for a tech demo. It's inspired by Fast Forward's cool approach to elevator pitches but tweaked for tech demos, especially for you.
If you're a junior developer getting ready for any kind of tech presentation - think Friday demos, hackathons, interviews, meetups, or even bigger stages - this is for you. We're here to help you start strong and grab your audience's attention.
Get to the Point: We'll help you boil down your project to a few punchy sentences that make people want to listen. Hook Your Audience Fast: Learn how to make your first minute so interesting that your audience can't help but pay attention. Feedback is Gold: You'll get to practice your start and tweak it with advice.
Before you come, think about your project and what makes it cool. What's the most interesting thing about it? What's the problem it solves or will solve? What's the most surprising thing you've learned so far? We'll use this to build your opening.
Each person, make a copy of Fast Forward's Pitch Camp Worksheet and fill it out before the workshop.
- [ ] Write a clear, concise, and compelling opening for your tech demo
- [ ] Deliver your opening to a small group
- [ ] Ask for constructive feedback on your opening and implement changes
- Fast Forward's Formula (10 minutes): You will structure your opening for maximum impact.
- Pitch to a Partner (10 minutes): You'll pair up and practice your opening with a partner. You'll get feedback you can use in the next exercise.
- Revise and Review (10 minutes): You'll revise your opening based on feedback and review your worksheet.
- Pitch again (10 minutes): You'll pitch your opening to a new partner and get more feedback.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and review and prepare your completed worksheet pitch. Make sure you have:
- 👋🏾 Your Introduction: Who are you - tell us something about who you are and what has inspired you to work on your product?
- 🤷🏾 Your Problem Statement: What's the problem you're solving?
- 🙌🏾 Your Solution Statement: How does your project solve the problem?
- 🫱🏼🫲🏿 Your Customer: Who's your target audience, customer, or client?
- 💪🏼 Your Team and/or You: Why are you the right person to solve this problem?
- 🤙🏽 Your Ask: What do you need from your audience?
Set a timer for 10 minutes and break into pairs. Each person will pitch their opening to their partner. Keep your eyes on the time and stop talking after 60 seconds.
After you have both pitched, each partner will give feedback on what they liked and what could be improved. Some questions to guide feedback:
- Did you understand what the project was about?
- Should I speak slower or faster?
- What was the most interesting part?
Set a timer for 10 minutes and revise your opening based on the feedback you received. Include a quantifiable metric if you can. Review your worksheet and make sure you've covered all the points.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and pair up with a new partner. Pitch your opening again and get more feedback. Make notes on what you want to change or improve.
Finis! You've completed the workshop. You should now have a clear, concise, and compelling opening for your tech demo. 🎉
- I have completed the Fast Forward Pitch Camp Worksheet
- I have pitched at least twice and received feedback
- I have revised my opening based on feedback
- I have a clear, concise, and compelling opening for my tech demo
To learn more about Fast Forward's approach to pitching, check out their Pitch Camp page. If you have a non-profit project you are working on, sign up for their next workshop. CYF staff have attended many times and found it super helpful.