"I'm [Name]. I've built a brand for myself as a [professional identity], featuring my Madison tool as a case study in my portfolio."
You are the product. Your tool is proof of what you can build.
Language: always "I" and "my."
"I'm [Name]. I've built a startup called [Tool Name], and I'm presenting as its founder and creator."
Your tool is the product. You are the founder behind it.
Solo founder? "I" is fine. Company framing? Use "we" consistently.
If the audience can't tell which path you're on by Slide 2, you've already lost them.
Practice until you can do it in 11:30. Points are deducted for going over 12.
You have 3 minutes. Use them.
Present one brand story in full. Not a summary. Not bullet points. A story with a beginning, a turn, and a landing.
Path A: A professional journey story that shaped who you are. Path B: The origin story of your tool, or a use case that shows real transformation.
Name the narrative framework you're using and explain why you chose it. This is worth points under Storytelling Mastery (35 points). Don't skip it.
4 minutes. Live. Working. Not screenshots.
Show 2–3 key features. Don't try to show everything. Pick the features that demonstrate your strongest thinking.
Explain the AI and branding methodology behind it. The rubric scores Strategic Thinking at 40 points. The demo is where you prove it.
Demo checklist:
Test it the morning of class. Have backup screenshots ready. Explain what we're seeing as you show it. If it breaks, switch to screenshots and keep talking.
Bonus: Exceptional Innovation (+10 pts). Not given for completing everything well. Given for doing something nobody else did. Bold creative risk that is memorable and professional.
All three must be in place before you present: slides uploaded, website live, demo working. No exceptions.
"Why did you build this?"
Every hiring manager, investor, and client will ask this when they see your work. Not in this class. Out there.
Your presentation should answer it without anyone having to ask. Your story answers why. Your strategy answers for whom. Your demo answers how.
If all three connect, the question answers itself.
The night before: Test your demo one more time. Practice your story 10 times out loud. Get some sleep. Show up ready.