Molson Hart

I am of the belief that pitch competitions and startup battles are bad for entrepreneurship. Starting a company is not about winning a pitch competition it’s about building a meaningful business that adds value to your customers.

What bout the “hot takes” from the judges (most of whom have never invested nor started anything) who just spent 2 minutes listening to your pitch and now get 30 seconds to give you a nuanced question or feedback in front of a live audience?! That’s gotta help, right? :-)

With two profitable vibrant growing companies, I am 0 for 6 in pitch competitions. The best company rarely wins. The judges are usually trash. I’d even argue that winning one of those, like early press coverage (particularly personally focused), is a strong COUNTER signal.

IMHO: Pitch competitions are in a category of things that look like progress but aren't.