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Hey {{first_name}}
So I’m gonna just assume you watched the Benito Bowl last night. (If not, GO watch it!)
What you saw was what it looks like when someone knows exactly what they want to say and pays attention to how it lands.
70,000 people and millions watching, and he had everyone leaning in. That wasn't improvised. He knew what mattered to him, what was culturally resonant, and he didn't soften his message. He leaned all the way in.
And you could see it working in real time.
Most founders aren't performing at the Super Bowl, but the same skill applies: knowing what you're trying to say and reading the room while you're saying it.
A lot of us are pitching right now. Talking to investors, potential customers, collaborators.
But here's what I keep noticing: most of us are so focused on getting our pitch out that we're not paying attention to how it's actually landing.
Where did someone's face shift?
Where did they lean in or pull back?
What question did they ask that you weren't expecting?
Where did their eyes light up? … or glaze over?
That's all information.
And most of us are missing it because we're too busy getting through our talking points.
In-person communication is real-time feedback. It's rich. It's immediate. And you can't get it from online metrics. Likes, comments, and shares don't tell you where people got confused or what made them curious.
But if you're not watching for it, you're basically pitching into a void.
Try this once this week: talk through your work with one person and pay attention to how it lands.
Where do you lose them?
Where do they ask follow-up questions?
Where do they seem genuinely interested vs. politely nodding along?
That's the part of your story that needs work. Not the deck. Not the messaging doc but the actual explanation and your ability to read the room while you're giving it.
This is why I'm so focused on building spaces where founders can practice this. Not just talk at people, but talk with them and actually notice what's happening in real time.
It’s exactly what happens at Supper Club founders working through their thinking out loud, in real time, with people who'll push back. Our next NYC Founder Dinner is February 24 in SoHo.
See you soon,
Kelly
If this resonated, forward it to a founder who's in pitch mode right now.
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