Mistakes That Make Investors Nervous, According to a PhD in Pitching

There is no such thing as the perfect pitch. But you can get close by implementing a few research-backed methods to your delivery, deck, and message.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Dr. Eike Gerhardt, who has aPhD in pitching and spent nearly a decade studying the science of startup pitching before starting Autopoiesis Sciences. And he’s joined by Demetri Maxim, co-founder and CEO of Nephrogen, who came in second at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025.

Together, they break down Demetri’s actual Startup Battlefield pitch to unpack what worked, what could be improved, and what research tells us about how investors respond to founders. Eike explains why credibility signals matter, how technical founders can simplify without oversimplifying, and why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch. Demetri shares how he learned to explain complex biotech to generalist investors, how redesigning his deck changed his confidence onstage, and what he would do differently today.

They also explore how body language and authenticity affect a pitch, how investor questions can reveal bias, and how founders can use AI to prepare for difficult Q&A.

They get into:

• What Demetri got right and in his Startup Battlefield pitch

• How to explain complicated technology without oversimplifying it

• The credibility signals investors look for in a pitch

• Why some technical language can actually make founders more credible

• How to decide what belongs in your pitch versus the Q&A

• Why technical details can sometimes make your startup sound riskier

• How body language and authenticity influence investors

• Why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch

• What research reveals about bias in investor questions

• How to use AI to rehearse difficult investor Q&A

• Why there is no single “perfect” startup pitch

• The biggest pitching mistakes technical founders make

Here are the studies mentioned in the episode:

• Kanze, D., Huang, L., Conley, M. A., & Higgins, E. T. (2018). “We Ask Men to Win and Women Not to Lose: Closing the Gender Gap in Startup Funding.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1215

• Figge, P., Graf-Vlachy, L., König, A., Demann, F., & Diessner, M. (2025). “Shades of Grey or Black and White? How Entrepreneurs’ Use of Cognitively Complex Language Affects Investor Funding.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587251347042

• Clarke, J. S., Cornelissen, J. P., & Healey, M. P. (2019). “Actions Speak Louder than Words: How Figurative Language and Gesturing in Entrepreneurial Pitches Influences Investment Judgments.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1008

• Jiang, L., Yin, D., & Liu, D. (2019). “Can Joy Buy You Money? The Impact of the Strength, Duration, and Phases of an Entrepreneur’s Peak Displayed Joy on Funding Performance.” Academy of Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1423

• Chen, X.-P., Yao, X., & Kotha, S. (2009). “Entrepreneur Passion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations: A Persuasion Analysis of Venture Capitalists’ Funding Decisions.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.36462018

• Zhu, L. Y., Young, M. J., & Bauman, C. W. (2024). “Linking Anxiety to Passion: Emotion Regulation and Entrepreneurs’ Pitch Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2024.106421Allison, T. H., Davis, B. C., Webb, J. W., & Short, J. C. (2017). “Persuasion in Crowdfunding: An Elaboration Likelihood Model of Crowdfunding Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2017.09.002Clark, C. (2008). “The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Oral ‘Pitch’ Presentation Skills on Business Angels’ Initial Screening Investment Decisions.” Venture Capital https://doi.org/10.1080/13691060802151945

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Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.