The Diligent Observer Podcast Episode 42: "Just Fix My Pitch Deck" | Power To Pitch Founder Kat Weaver on Why Communication Beats Perfect Decks, Creative Financing Options for Founders, and the “Founder-First” Investment Philosophy
Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:
- Pitch deck ≠ the pitch. So many founders think their deck is the main thing standing between them and funding. It’s about so much more than the deck.
- Corporate grants are legit. I think often about government grants, but have minimized the importance of corporate programs. But these organizations regularly write $10K-$50K checks with no equity dilution – and that is massive for a young business. Plus, the process of applying forms the founder in a powerful way.
- Ghosting sucks – we must be better about this. #1 way to create founder trauma is to never respond.
I explore these ideas and more with Kat Weaver, serial entrepreneur and Founder of Power To Pitch. She built her first company straight out of her college dorm room and successfully exited after scaling with six figures in pitch competition winnings. Her systematic approach to winning 22 out of 23 pitch competitions revealed that most founders fail not due to bad ideas, but poor communication - insights that led her to launch Power To Pitch, where she's now helped founders raise over $50 million in capital. As both an active angel investor and fundraising coach, Kat brings a rare dual perspective on what works (and what fails) on both sides of the investment table.
During our conversation, Kat shares:
- A systematic approach to corporate grants that delivers $10K-$50K in non-dilutive funding within months - including the exact questions these applications ask and why they're a great alternative to government grants for early-stage founders.
- Why grant applications are actually founder communication bootcamp - explaining how the constraint of answering core business questions in 100-character limits forces clarity that transforms how founders pitch to all stakeholders.
- Red flag investor behaviors that signal poor partnership potential - from inappropriate questions to female founders to strong-arming business model changes without collaborative discussion.
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All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.