Day XXVI
April the 18th
The day before the last.
The calm before the storm.
The shadows cast by the final stage extended themselves far beyond what the eyes could see. The sun, however much as it my try, could not break the gray clouds that paint the skies. The tension was almost palpable on all of us; the pressure doubled the weight of gravity.
Everyone was smiling, sure, but we could see it on each others eyes, that corroding anxiety that was poisoning mind and body from within. We’ve passed the point of no return and only had the final boss ahead… but the strain was getting too much to handle.
The day, however, started with an attempt at normalcy with all the teams arriving at the college, one after another, for the final day of preparations before the Demo Day. The order of the day was “Pitch”. The last rehearsal for the big day was about to begin and it was time to train the presentations, stage presence and body language.
To help with that, we were glad to welcome back André Gonçalves which, together with our team, was to provide feedback, tips and tricks to the entrepreneurs that accepted the challenge of coming up onto the stage.
Help was asked and help was given.
For a whole day, one after another, all teams made their presentations, were given feedback, re-adjusted, and presented it again. Rinse and repeat over, and over, and over again. Perfect practice makes perfect and they practiced a lot.
A little truce was given at noon for a little lunch break, but it quickly passed and it was training time again.
And lazily, as the loop of presentations was getting closer to the end, the day was steadily giving way to the night and, as always, as they were finishing their work, the teams were abandoning the familiar halls of the college leaving behind an ominous silence.
Less than 24 hours for the presentation of the most important presentation of the retreat.
The final boss is a threatening one, but within reach of every single one of our entrepreneurs.
However, the pressure is huge, the responsibility is even bigger, and no quarter will be give.
The shadows cover the island.
The countdown is over.