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08/23/12 | Uncategorized

Some Frequently Asked Questions About Applying To PITCH

Apply to the Women 2.0 PITCH Startup Competition by August 31, 2012 for great prizes!
By Rebecca Lipon (Application & Judges Coordinator, PITCH Competition 2012)

Women 2.0 is actively accepting applications for our PITCH 2012 Startup Competition (deadline: August 31, 2012) and we have received many questions from applicants. We have listened to your questions and feedback and lowered the cost of applying to $50 per startup (normally $100).

Here are the most common questions about PITCH and the answers.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions or concerns – email askpitch@women2.com.

How do I upload my video?

In the Gust application system for PITCH 2012, go to the “Pitch tab” in the application and either upload a pre-recorded video. Or, you can use your webcam to record it then and there.

Please note: if you are uploading a video, it should be below 180 MB in size – this is the Gust file size limit). I highly recommend using WebM or MP4 formats (you can usually compress with video editing software).

There seem to be a lot of sections to the application! Which sections are required?

While some questions in several sections are required, only a small subset of the section is requested (Gust has a default application, which is large, but we only required a small subset of it to be completed). It is actually highly advisable to NOT include additional information because I cannot guarantee the judges will review it.

Answer the required sections, and focus your extra time on making sure you have a great video pitch.

Our judges consistently tell us that is the most persuasive features of the application are: a good video, a talented founding team and a great prototype.

For what kind of financial information are we looking for?

For most early stage startups these numbers will be pretty nominal (they may even be zero, which is fine), but for those who have taken funding, or who have been bootstrapping for a while they may have revenue numbers: a burn rate, monthly revenues, or existing debt.

Due to the fact that our judging panel consists of venture capitalists and angel investors, they want to know the value of the company not just by how much the like your prototype, but also by any debt or financial commitments you have already made, and the success you are already achieving. This document can be as simple as a Word document or spreadsheet indicating debt, revenues, and expenses on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis as applicable (and again, the numbers could be zero).

Please send further questions about the application process and eligibility to askpitch@women2.com.

Submit your completed application to PITCH 2012 by August 31, 2012 here – best of luck!

Editor’s note: Got a question for our guest blogger? Leave a message in the comments below.
About the guest blogger: Rebecca Lipon is a product marketing manager at Synopsys, where she works to make sure the technology for verifying computer chips is state-of-the-art. A passionate advocate for women in technology, Rebecca mentors several San Francisco Bay Area non-profits and sits on the board of Spark SF, an organization promoting equality for women throughout the world. Rebecca is also the lead singer of the funk and soul band Sinister Dexter. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT. Follow her on Twitter at @rebeccalipon.

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