8. Close Corporate Deals Faster Without Getting Ghosted: Pilots are NOT the Answer with Ben Kimura-Gross from Catalyne

Make your investor updates the highest-leverage tool to unlock intros, hires, and your next round.In this episode, you get a full, practical breakdown of how to write investor updates that actually work. We cover how to keep them fast and simple, what to include (and what to leave out), how to structure wins, losses, and asks, and how to turn a simple email into a system that builds trust, momentum, and fundraising advantage over time.Why investor updates are one of the most underused growth toolsHow to use updates to activate your investors (not just inform them)The ideal structure: reflection, highlights, metrics, wins/losses, asksHow to balance transparency with confidence when things go wrongWhat changes from pre-seed → Series A and beyondHow to keep updates short, readable, and high-signalWhen and how often to send them (and why consistency matters more than length)How to use updates during a live fundraising round to create momentum and FOMOCommon mistakes: radio silence, overdesign, inconsistent formats, and bloated contentInvestor updates are not newsletters—they are operating tools“Radio silence is a kiss of death” → consistency builds trustInvestors want both wins and problems—and how you handle themShort, structured, and regular beats long and sporadicYour asks are the leverage point—don’t bury themA strong update builds a track record over time, not just a snapshotDaniel Ruben’s article on investor updates (Solvable Syndicate):https://www.solvablesyndicate.comNewsletter platforms:https://www.beehiiv.comhttps://mailchimp.comWriting reference:On Writing Well by William ZinsserFoodTech Weekly newsletter:https://www.foodtechweekly.comSolvable Syndicate:https://www.solvablesyndicate.comLinkedIn:(link in episode description)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms?Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/⁠Scaling Nerds helps science and tech founders master the communication skills behind fundraising, hiring, and growth—so you can scale faster without relying on luck.KeywordsInvestor updates, startup investor communication, founder communication strategy, fundraising strategy, startup fundraising tips, venture capital communication, investor relations startups, startup growth strategy, founder updates, startup metrics reporting, pre-seed startup advice, seed stage fundraising, Series A preparation, startup storytelling, founder transparency, startup email strategy, investor engagement, startup accountability, startup communication systems, scaling a startup, deep tech founders, startup leadership communication

Your voice communicates leadership long before your words do.In this solo episode of Scaling Nerds, Marina Schmidt explores a subtle but powerful communication skill most founders never think about: vocal placement.LinksConnect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Work with Marina via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/⁠⁠Why do some people instantly sound trustworthy, calm, and authoritative — while others unintentionally sound nervous, strained, or less confident than they actually are?The answer often lies in where the voice is coming from in the body.Drawing from vocal training, podcasting experience, and hundreds of founder conversations, Marina explains how founders can use their voice more intentionally when pitching investors, speaking on stage, or leading teams.You will learn how different vocal placements — from head voice to chest voice to belly voice — affect how others perceive your confidence, credibility, and presence.Most importantly, Marina shares simple exercises you can use before an important presentation or pitch to ground your voice and project calm authority.If you are a technical founder who wants to sound as credible as the work you are building, this episode will help you become more aware of the leadership signal hidden in your voice.In This EpisodeWhy the voice of a pilot can instantly calm nervous passengersThe concept of vocal placement and why it matters for foundersThe five common places people speak from: head, mouth, throat, chest, and bellyWhy chest and belly voice create more authority and trustThe difference between speaking loudly and projecting your voiceHow vocal strain and sore throats reveal poor vocal placementA simple breathing exercise to ground your voice before a pitch or presentationWhy smiling slightly while speaking can make your voice sound warmerHow founders can consciously train their voice for leadership presenceYour voice shapes first impressions.Before people process your ideas, they interpret your vocal tone, grounding, and confidence.Authority is often a physical phenomenon.Speaking from the chest or belly creates a grounded vocal tone that naturally communicates credibility.Projection is not about volume.It is about directing your voice so it carries through a room without strain.Warmth can be heard.Even a subtle smile changes the vocal pattern and makes a speaker sound more approachable.Before an important pitch or presentation:Find a private space.Place your hands on your lower back.Lean slightly backward in a gentle backbend.Take slow deep belly breaths.This activates the diaphragm and helps move your voice into a more grounded register.Key TakeawaysPractical Exercise From This EpisodeWho This Episode Is For

Imagine you are about to perform a three-minute startup pitch. You stand on stage, the countdown timer ticking. Precious seconds go by, and as you start talking about your business, you explain who you are. You mention the team — beep, beep — the time is up. What. Already. Well, that has happened to a lot of founders.I can guarantee you, nailing a three-minute stage pitch is not easy, and it’s not something that most of us can just wing. Some of the best practices for preparing a long presentation actually do not apply to a three-minute stage pitch and can even be harmful.Why? Because the margin of error is so thin.In this episode, you’ll find out how many words and sentences you can actually fit into a three-minute pitch, what the four elements are that you absolutely have to include, and how you can end your pitch on a powerful note. The interesting thing is, it’s easier to turn a three-minute pitch into a five-minute or eight-minute pitch than the other way around.It’s better to start with a short version and then add to it, whereas cutting content is really, really tough. So whatever you take away from today, this is the essence of your pitch.Our lovely guest today is David Beckett. David is an international pitch coach who has trained over 2,900 startups and scaleups to win over 490 million in investment. David is also the creator of the Pitch Canvas and author of the books Pitch to Win and Blue Moon Pitch. It was really a blast to talk to him, and I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as I did.Scaling Nerds helps science and tech founders master the essential communication skills of startup growth so you can fundraise easier, attract customers, and scale faster. I’m your host, Marina Schmidt, a communications advisor for founders specialized in AgriFood, biotech, and materials — or put differently, I scale nerds.LinksConnect with David Becketthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbeckettpresentationcoach/Best3Minuteshttps://best3minutes.com/The Pitch Canvashttps://best3minutes.com/the-pitch-canvas/Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Check out ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/#StartupPitchTraining#ThreeMinutePitch#FounderFundraising#InvestorPitchTips#PitchCoachInsights#StartupCommunication#DeepTechFounders#ScienceTechStartups#PitchToWin#PitchCanvasFramework#ScalingNerdsPodcast#StartupGrowthStrategies#StartupSEO#PodcastSEO#PodcastShowNotes#FounderSkills#PitchStructure#StagePitchPreparation#EntrepreneurAdvice

Okay, this was a really, really great episode. Today I'm helping another founder with a life pitch fix, and you are really in for a treat because on the one hand, Strong by Form, the company of today, is absolutely fascinating. And on the other hand, we are also going to be covering so many helpful concepts that will help you improve your pitch and your communication, all while working on a really interesting case study.So to start off, I will just pitch you Strong by Form how I pitch it to friends or random people, right? If you think of a healthy tree, imagine a healthy tree with long branches. It is really fascinating how resilient trees can be, right? Surviving wind and storm. How is that possible? It is actually partially due to the way the fibers of the wood align. Now Strong by Form saw an opportunity here and decided to analyze this and learn from the natural fiber structure of trees to create wood that is as strong as steel or concrete.Now their super wood can be used as the cover, the external layer of cars. Imagine a Mercedes or a BMW just covered with a layer of wood on the outside.Super resilient, but it could also cover skyscrapers or replace the concrete slabs used within skyscrapers. Andreas Mitnick, the founder and CEO of Strong by Form, is, in my humble opinion, sitting on a gold mine of storytelling that can sometimes be pretty hard to grasp as the founder, right? Because there is a German saying: you don’t see the forest due to too many trees.Well, that is exactly what is going on in this episode. You get to witness the process of rediscovering the forest, the big picture, as we, layer by layer, reshape the pitch of Strong by Form from the ground up. You will find that Andre’s excitement and energy truly build throughout the episode.So I would say it really is worth listening until the end.LinksConnect with Andres Mitnikhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andres-mitnik/Check out Strong By Formhttps://www.strongbyform.com/Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Check out ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/⁠Podcast KeywordsScaling Nerds, startup communications, founder communication, science and tech founders, deep tech startups, VC-backed growth, startup fundraising, investor decks, startup storytelling, founder branding, startup marketing, venture capital, thought leadership, media strategy, technical founders, startup growthEpisode keywordsstartup pitch example, Series A pitch example, pitch deck feedback, live pitch coaching, how to pitch investors, startup storytelling example, deep tech pitch, climate tech startup pitch, materials startup, sustainable materials innovation, biomimicry startup, wood stronger than steel, founder pitch training, investor presentation tips, pitch deck strategy, startup communication skills, VC pitch preparation, real startup case study, Andres Mitnik interview, Strong by Form pitch.

 Early-stage founders spend years learning how to fundraise from venture capitalists.But very few ever look beyond the VC sitting across the table.Just like founders need to fundraise from VCs, VCs need to fundraise from limited partners.Who are the guys who give VCs the molah-molah?What are the hidden incentives?And how those dynamics quietly shape fundraising, timing, and pressure.“Everyone thinks they’re pitching one person. They’re not.”Ariel Barack is a Senior Partner and the Chief Executive of Ordway Selections, a private investment office investing primarily in food and agriculture, health, blockchains, and digital assets.As Einstein said, “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”Well, today we will look at the rules of the game, so you can play better than anyone else.This was a very interesting conversation, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.LinksConnect with Ariel Barackhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/arielbarack/Mentioned: Anterra Capitalhttps://anterracapital.com/Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Check out ⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/

Find out how to solve the top 3 issues you may face in corporate sales: .1 not understanding the process, 2. the sale taking way too long, 3. getting ghosted or declined and not knowing why.An absolute must-watch episode for any founder currently hustling for big client deals. LinksConnect with Ben Kimura-Gross:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-k-g/Check out Catalynehttps://www.thecatalyne.com/https://www.thecatalyne.com/Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Check out ⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/Episode Keywordscorporate sales strategy, B2B startup sales, enterprise sales for startups, how to close corporate deals, selling to large companies, startup pilots vs paid contracts, why pilots fail, avoiding getting ghosted in sales, long sales cycle solutions, procurement process explained, selling into corporates, founder led sales, startup business development, enterprise deal negotiation, corporate innovation programs, startup partnership strategy, revenue strategy for startups, Ben Kimura Gross interview, Catalyne startup sales, closing big clients fast.Podcast KeywordsScaling Nerds, startup communications, founder communication, science and tech founders, deep tech startups, VC-backed growth, startup fundraising, investor decks, startup storytelling, founder branding, startup marketing, venture capital, thought leadership, media strategy, technical founders, startup growth.

 Thought leadership. It's a big topic. You may know of Infarm, the vertical farming company that raised $600 Million before going bust after the Ukraine war drove up energy prices and made their business collapse.Regarding their operations can say all you want, the CEO of Infarm was an exceptional fundraiser. But how did he do it?One of my close friends worked for infarm and thats how I found out that they actually hired a full-time employee in charge of supporting the founders with thought leadership.Raising funds requires investors trusting the team, especially the founders. To me, thought leadership is about scaling yourself. Instead of only relying on one-on-one introductions you create ways for people to get to know you and what you are up to.But well... how?Lets explore this in the second half of this conversation with Sarah Rall, Director of Communications at Cherry Ventures.LinksConnect with Sarah Rall:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahrall/⁠Check out Cherry Ventures⁠https://cherry.vc/⁠Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Check out ⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/Episode Keywordsfounder thought leadership, startup personal branding, VC backed founders, how to build credibility as a founder, investor trust building, startup media strategy, LinkedIn strategy for founders, founder visibility strategy, raising venture capital, startup reputation management, executive positioning, venture capital communications, Cherry Ventures, Sarah Rall interview, scaling founder influence, startup storytelling strategy, PR for startups, founder brand building, startup communications podcastPodcast KeywordsScaling Nerds, startup communications, founder communication, science and tech founders, deep tech startups, VC-backed growth, startup fundraising, investor decks, startup storytelling, founder branding, startup marketing, venture capital, thought leadership, media strategy, technical founders, startup growth.

At pre-seed and seed stage, many scientific and technical startups don’t have a comms specialist on board. So pitch decks are puzzled together in endless iterations, website copy is written off the cuff, and the founders just riff in interviews.That may work out fine until the company starts truly scaling and you may face a growing amount of media interest and scrutiny.In this episode you will hear from Sarah Rall, Vice President of Communications and Brand at Cherry Ventures. Based in London, Sarah has faced journalists digging for dirt and media crises, been through the communications journey of a startup all the way to IPO, and supports startups across their portfolio. Cherry’s 2022 fund is 320M large, with 50% of their fund reserved for supporting their founders on their growth journey.In this episode, you will find out what comms pitfalls to avoid on your startup growth journey, including an essential tool for aligning your growingLinksConnect with Sarah Rall:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahrall/Check out Cherry Ventureshttps://cherry.vc/Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠[email protected] use some help with your comms? Check out https://www.wearekinetik.com/Episode Keywordsstartup media crisis, post Series A strategy, startup PR mistakes, crisis communications for startups, media training for founders, scaling startup communications, reputation risk management, handling journalist scrutiny, startup brand alignment, investor relations strategy, communications after fundraising, startup IPO communications, venture capital portfolio support, Cherry Ventures portfolio, Sarah Rall insights, startup narrative alignment, proactive PR strategy, technical founder media skills, high growth startup branding, startup communications leadershipPodcast KeywordsScaling Nerds, startup communications, founder communication, science and tech founders, deep tech startups, VC-backed growth, startup fundraising, investor decks, startup storytelling, founder branding, startup marketing, venture capital, thought leadership, media strategy, technical founders, startup growth.

How can you adapt your pitch on the fly to a potential customer, to an investor, or to a generalist audience? Today you can listen in on a live consulting session where I help a founder crack this question. In this episode, I'm consulting Oliver Siegel, the co-founder and CEO of the deep tech startup Magmatic Bio. Magmatic designs synthetic proteins that separate critical metals from each other. Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠[email protected] help communicating your tech?https://www.wearekinetik.com/Check out Magmatichttps://magmatic.bio/Connect with Oliverhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/siegel-oliver/https://www.linkedin.com/in/siegel-oliver/Episode Keywordslive pitch feedback, startup pitch coaching session, adapting your pitch to investors, customer vs investor pitch, critical minerals startup, deep tech fundraising pitch, cleantech startup narrative, mining innovation startup, synthetic biology startup, separating rare earth metals, protein engineering startup, Magmatic Bio, Oliver Siegel interview, technical startup storytelling, investor ready pitch, pitch deck refinement, science startup communication, B2B deep tech sales pitch, startup narrative strategy, real founder consulting sessionPodcast KeywordsScaling Nerds, startup communications, founder communication, science and tech founders, deep tech startups, VC-backed growth, startup fundraising, investor decks, startup storytelling, founder branding, startup marketing, venture capital, thought leadership, media strategy, technical founders, startup growth.

If your startup needs to speak to very different audiences — investors, corporates, consumers — this episode lays out why that skill matters more than most founders think. How you explain your work changes depending on who’s in front of you, and that can decide whether people actually understand what you do. If you’re selling cookies, fine. If you’re building a complex solution to a complex problem, communication becomes core to the product.In this episode, you’ll hear from Nina Mannheim, previously the co-founder and CPO of Klim. Klim started back in 2019 in Berlin, when “regenerative agriculture” was still a barely known term. The team had to figure out how to make a complicated topic land with groups who had completely different levels of context and completely different interests. Not easy — but they still managed to raise a 22M Series A in 2024.What Klim learned applies far beyond agriculture.00:00 Why stakeholder communication matters00:42 Klim’s origin and early challenges02:23 Business model and stakeholder map03:41 Why consumers still mattered06:26 Building credibility as a tiny startup09:07 Which stakeholder group was hardest12:20 Early communication mistakes with farmers23:45 Tailoring communication for investorsLinksConnect with Steve Molino:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninamannheimer/Check out Klimhttps://www.klim.eco/Connect with the host:⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠[email protected] Keywordsselling complex products, explaining deep tech to investors, how to communicate innovation, startup stakeholder communication, tailoring your pitch to different audiences, B2B and B2C messaging strategy, climate tech startup communication, regenerative agriculture startup, how to raise Series A, investor communication tips, simplifying complex technology, founder messaging strategy, startup storytelling for technical products, credibility building for early stage startups, Nina Mannheimer interview, Klim startup Berlin, climate agtech funding, communicating with farmers and corporates, startup brand positioning, science driven startup marketingPodcast KeywordsScaling Nerds, startup communications, founder communication, science and tech founders, deep tech startups, VC-backed growth, startup fundraising, investor decks, startup storytelling, founder branding, startup marketing, venture capital, thought leadership, media strategy, technical founders, startup growth.