Blog
Notes on speaking, measured.
How to sound like you mean it in a pitch, a demo or an all-hands — written by the people who build an app that counts your filler words, and careful about what a number can and can’t tell you.
Rehearsal plan
Demo day in 14 days: a day-by-day rehearsal plan
Two weeks, one behaviour a day, a checkpoint on Day 7 and a graduation take on Day 14. Why the days run in this order, how to do it with a phone and a stopwatch, and what the app adds.
10 September 2026 · 10 min read
Filler words
How to stop saying “um”: trade every filler for a pause
You can’t will an “um” away mid-sentence, because it is usually doing a job: telling a listener you need a moment. Keep the moment and drop the sound: a silence held longer than feels comfortable.
10 September 2026 · 9 min read
Pace
How fast should you talk in a pitch? A band, not a number
Aim for 130 to 160 words a minute, counted from your first word to your last with every pause left in. How to measure yours honestly, set it on purpose, and keep it when the material is new.
10 September 2026 · 9 min read
Eye contact
Eye contact on camera: where to look when you pitch over video
On a call, the person you’re talking to sees your eyes through the lens, not through the face on your screen. Why our target is 60% to 70% rather than 100%, and a setup that makes the lens easy to hit.
10 September 2026 · 9 min read
Q&A
How to answer investor questions: answer, then stop talking
In a pitch Q&A the trouble tends to start after the answer is already finished. Give every answer a shape, bridge the hostile ones without dodging, and pause before you start.
10 September 2026 · 10 min read