Scaling Nerds | Startup PR, Thought Leadership and Storytelling for Startup Founders

Most founders walk onto stage cold. Even Usain Bolt doesn't do that.In this solo episode, Marina shares the exact warm-up routine she uses as a professional moderator — a five-minute ritual that will make you sharper, more confident, and more connected with your audience. Do this before your next pitch, panel, or keynote and you'll be in the top 5% of speakers on stage.The framework: Breath → Body → Mind. Always in that order.👉 Working on your visibility as a founder?Marina helps deep tech founders get seen, heard, and backed — on stages, podcasts, and beyond. Learn more at www. wearekinetik.com or connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/🫁 BREATHStart with 5–10 deep belly breaths to ground your voice and calm nerves. Try a slight backbend while breathing to open the diaphragm. Also try the Physiological Sigh (from Huberman Lab): inhale through the nose, take a short top-up breath, then exhale slowly through the mouth. A few of these settle the nervous system fast.For your voice:– Lip trills: blow air through relaxed lips while going up and down in pitch — stretches your vocal range without straining the cords– Lion & Lemon: alternate between stretching your face wide open (lion) and scrunching it tight (lemon) — activates your facial muscles and makes you more expressive– The Finger Bite: lightly place a finger between your teeth and practice speaking clearly. Remove it and your articulation is immediately sharper. Marina's #1 non-negotiable — especially if you tend to mumble or trail off.🧍 BODYOpen your chest. Get your elbows away from your ribcage. Confident speakers take up space. Do a power pose, shake out your arms and legs, and prime your body to gesture freely. According to researcher Vanessa Van Edwards' analysis of thousands of TED Talks, gestures are the single most consistent predictor of how many views a talk gets.🧠 MINDLast, because you need to be grounded first. Adopt a host mindset: you're here to take care of the audience, not to perform for them. Shift the spotlight from yourself to the room. Ask: how can I make sure they have a good experience?If you can, walk the stage beforehand. Find real faces in the audience. Make eye contact with individuals. You're priming your brain to talk to people, not at a crowd.---Referenced in this episode:– Huberman Lab podcast (Andrew Huberman, Stanford) — the Physiological Sigh– Die Gastgebermethode (The Host Method) — available in German only– Vanessa Van Edwards — TED Talk gesture researchMarina Schmidt is a founder communications strategist and professional moderator. If you're a founder working on getting on stages, podcasts, or using storytelling to grow your visibility — reach out on LinkedIn.Scaling Nerds is ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally, with listeners in 160+ countries.

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.