Danae Shell is the founder and chief executive officer of Valla, an Edinburgh-based AI platform that offers legal guidance and support.
In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A, Shell discusses nightmare pitches and the motivating power of believing in your mission.
What’s your worst pitching experience?
My very first pitch for Valla was a disaster. In our very early days, I managed to get into a pitching workshop hosted by the legendary VC Fred Destin of Stride VC.
Despite literally never having pitched before, I volunteered and jumped up on the stage. Then I made the classic mistake of talking non-stop about the problem. I went on for so long that poor Fred had to interrupt me and guide me off the stage. Mortifying....