The day after: Peak Pitch report

We would be remiss not to post the results of 'Peak Pitch' after Tuesday's bluster:

Fortunately, our prep paid off early in the day with Emily picking up 5 investor votes (2nd place in a field of about 20-25 entrepreneurs) and Oliver sneaking through with 4 votes (tied for 3rd).

This respectable performance was sufficient to win URSA MAJOR pole position for the 'finals', a grueling pitch-off between the morning's top 3 qualifiers to the event's 50+ attendees, over lunch.

Peak Pitch being a professional and scientific venture fair hosted in Vermont, scoring of the three finalists was to be determined by nothing less than the volume of the crowd's response.

Emily kicked off the proceedings, stepping up to the podium in her ski boots and delivering a fine pitch indeed, even with her right thigh shaking uncontrollably, no doubt from the morning's vigorous skiing. 

The two other eager entrepreneurs then did their best to out-pitch Emily, with #2 doing a decent job IMO and #3 demonstrating rampant abuse of the format by waffling on for 10+ minutes.

The event's mediator then stepped up to podium to poll the audience on who the winner might be, with vocal cheering and cat-calling following after each entrepreneur's name was read out aloud.

Surprisingly - at least to those of us favoring Emily's pitch - the crowd's applause appeared to be pretty much even for all three contestants, leaving the arbiter in a quandary: was this to be a three-way tie?

Apparently not. At that moment, an iPod-toting member of the crowd volunteered his "decibel counter" iPhone app to help determine who the swag-bound winner might be.

So the the three finalist's names were called out again, in succession, and the crowd cheered (or jeered!) for each one, while the scientific reading was taken.

Measured this way, the Big Bear took bronze!

Overall, an excellent day. We had a chance to 'pitch' URSA MAJOR to over a dozen potential investors, gaining valuable feedback and enjoying some laughs along the way.

Thank you again to the event's organizers and sponsors.