Teams focus heavily on slide content, leaving only a single, late-stage rehearsal. This is insufficient because it doesn't allow time to practice and internalize feedback on delivery, tone, and confidence, which are key value drivers for investors.

Effective internal communication requires adjusting the level of detail, or "altitude," for different stakeholders. While an immediate team may need granular task-level updates, partners like sales and leadership often just need high-level results and strategic outcomes (the 30,000-foot view).

Instead of starting with a sales deck or homepage design, write the core company story in a simple Google Doc or script. This forces leadership to align on the narrative itself, separate from the distractions of format, ensuring consistency across all future assets.

Technologists often fail to get project approval by focusing on specs and data. A successful pitch requires a "narrative algorithm" that addresses five key drivers: empathy, engagement, alignment, evidence, and impact. This framework translates technical achievements into a compelling business story for leadership.

Leaders often feel the need to create new metaphors for every presentation. However, audiences require hearing the same core message multiple times to absorb it. The key is to embrace the mantra "repetition never spoils the prayer" and focus on consistently delivering a few key themes.

A product vision won't stick unless it's marketed internally. CPOs should build an internal communications plan using compelling storytelling, multiple formats (video, text), and frequent repetition. This marketing-like approach is essential to rally the organization and ensure the strategy is remembered and acted upon.

Don't wait to synthesize feedback. After each validation meeting, immediately grade the prospect's comments (good, bad, indifferent) and their fit as an ideal customer. Use this rapid analysis to iterate on your assumptions and presentation before walking into the very next meeting, accelerating the learning cycle.

Structure your final presentation by calling out specific problems you learned from individual contributors by name. Then, immediately pivot to show how solving their problem directly contributes to the high-level business objective owned by the executive decision-maker. This makes every stakeholder feel heard and demonstrates their strategic value.

A rehearsal is like a friendly match—a final check. Training is the practice that builds core skills: developing the storyline in managers' own words, coordinating team interaction, and mastering Q&A. Training allows for pausing, analyzing, and iterating on delivery.