more than you know...

In the beginning, I thought the only time we would "Pitch" an idea towards people was for funding from an investor.  I was wrong.

We've come to the point that every big decision, every new idea, every new direction must be pitched to the rest of the team to help them see what's going on in our heads and where we want to go.This happens in stages.

Last night, I pitched a new idea to the marketing department of GNW.

And I have learned that pitching is not as simple as a gentle discussion.  It's about taking an idea as far as you can (with visuals and demos) and then presenting it.  The purpose is to have them see EXACTLY what you are thinking, so there is no room for  miscommunication.  I believe miscommunication is the ultimate reason why things fail.

Once the idea is refined or approved, it will then be presented to the technical side of GNW.   The reason why has to do with time.  A pitch that is not clear, even if it is a good idea, will ultimately be rejected.  Always.  The first impression of an idea or product is more important than you know. 

Having an entire team on the same page at all times is difficult.  It does not happen over night.  It happens in stages.  But, every stage must be sharp.  If it is done well, the next stage will be reached.

It took me a long time to realize that some things are rejected not because its a bad idea or product..... it's because its presented in such a poor fashion.   (Speaking of poor presentations, it kinda reminds me of high school when I had Roxette or Maria Vidal playing on repeat in my car.  Now, that is a bad first impression.)


It only took us four years to realize that we needed to do a better job of communicating within the company.  The way I see it, I never did learn anything from the days that went as planned.  It was always the days that beat us down and caused us to figure out why things failed. 

A better pitch, a better product, a better team was the result...

Always.