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Episode Summary

If you have to pitch the same product to two totally different audiences, should you use one deck or two?

In this episode of Pick My Brain, Alan Jones is joined by Michelle Chen, founder of Mental Jam, a startup turning real lived experiences of depression and anxiety into cozy, story-driven mobile games. Michelle is preparing to pitch in two worlds at once: to investors who care about venture-scale growth, and to game publishers who care about commercial upside and licensing rights.

Alan breaks down why one pitch is rarely enough, and introduces a simple framework: three decks for each audience. A teaser deck to spark curiosity, a pitch deck to support your live story, and a leave-behind deck packed with detail for later review. They also get tactical about what makes a pitch land: fewer words on slides, stronger emotional delivery in the first 10 to 15 seconds, and building trust by keeping the audience focused on the founder, not the deck.

Michelle also shares the real nerves behind pitching, including stage anxiety and how it impacts performance. Alan offers a mindset shift that helps founders separate their personal fear from the “role” they’re playing on stage, plus practical tips for pitching on video calls. They finish with concrete improvements: shorten the character section, add a clear team slide, and capture customer reactions on video to show emotional impact, not just quotes.

If you’re pitching a product with multiple buyers, fundraising while still building, or struggling with confidence on stage, this episode is a masterclass in making your pitch clearer, shorter, and more human

Time Stamps

02:10 – Michelle’s origin story: from PhD research to startup

04:10 – Why Catalyzer mattered for a migrant founder

05:20 – Two audiences: investors vs game publishers

06:05 – Should you build two pitches? Alan’s answer: yes, tailor

08:05 – The 6 deck framework: teaser, pitch, leave-behind for each audience

13:05 – Ideal slide counts: teaser 3 to 5, pitch 10 to 15, leave-behind as needed

14:00 – Why founders accidentally read slides and lose the room

15:00 – Video call tip: pin the person, not your slides

16:15 – Michelle’s pitch: Mental Jam and Boba Rista

23:15 – Alan’s feedback: scripting, emotion, and the first 10 seconds

26:00 – Handling stage anxiety while pitching

29:20 – Cut words per slide: aim for fewer than 10 words

31:10 – Too many characters: use one or two for investors

31:40 – Add a team slide and show real customer feedback

33:00 – Use video testimonials for emotional proof

Resources Mentioned

🎮 Mental Jam – https://hellomentaljam.com

🎙 Ask Alan a Question – https://speakpipe.com/pickmybrain

🎧 More from Alan Jones – https://www.startupfoundercoach.com

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