Shoutout to the awkward guy at the Austin startup mixer who only talked about his app's code

I saw him at the same event six months later, and the change was wild. He went from staring at his shoes to actually asking people about their businesses. The shift happened after he joined a local founder's group that does weekly practice pitches. Now he tells stories instead of listing features. Anyone else seen someone make a total 180 in how they network?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.jenny1mo ago

Totally get it. My first pitch was basically a robot reading a grocery list (I still cringe thinking about it). Practice groups are a lifesaver.

the_mary27d ago

Oh man, that robot feeling is the worst. I remember practicing my intro in a mirror and it sounded like a bad voice assistant. My voice got all flat and I just listed facts. Joining a casual weekly meetup was what fixed it for me. Hearing how other people messed up their own talks made it way less scary. You just need to get used to the sound of your own voice trying to be normal again.

fiona_murphy1mo ago

Isn't it funny how we learn to sound human by practicing with other people first? @williams.jenny, your robot grocery list thing is so real, it's like we all start out talking in this weird formal code. I see it everywhere now, from stiff work emails to those awkward first dates where everyone sounds like a bad job interview. Getting that natural flow back takes a ton of practice in a safe space, which is why those groups are so key. It's basically relearning how to just talk like a person.