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The Founder Showcase is taking applications now for a chance to make your pitch onstage at its event to be held February 1 in Mountain View, California. Any seed or early-stage company less than two years old and with less than $500,000 in funding is invited to apply.

It's free to enter the pitch competition. And members of TheFunded vote to determine who they want to see onstage. The deadline for voting is January 16, so apply now.

As an entrepreneur, you need to have a variety of pitches ready: the short and sweet elevator pitch that you can deliver on a moment's notice, the email pitch that you can send to prospective investors or journalists, the pitch-deck that you have prepped.

And while, sure, many of these pitches can be done electronically - for better, for worse - you need to be prepared for the face-to-face pitch as well (again, for better, for worse).