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References: Pitching, Accountability & What Comes Next

  1. Elevator pitch - Wikipedia - Defines the short, time-boxed pitch format meant to generate interest rather than close a sale, the direct model for this chapter's two-minute pitch and its four-segment structure.

  2. Commitment device - Wikipedia - Explains how publicly restricting one's future options helps overcome self-control problems, the behavioral-economics mechanism behind why this chapter's public commitment converts a private intention into a kept promise.

  3. Peer support - Wikipedia - Covers how people with shared experience provide each other practical and emotional help, the same dynamic this chapter's accountability network and peer accountability rely on after the course ends.

  4. The Art of the Start 2.0 - Guy Kawasaki - Portfolio/Penguin - Originated pitching heuristics like the "10/20/30 Rule" that force radical brevity and clarity, the direct ancestor of this chapter's two-minute, four-segment pitch structure built around a fixed time budget.

  5. Resonate - Nancy Duarte - Wiley - Originated the "sparkline" narrative structure contrasting what-is against what-could-be, underlying how this chapter's problem-solution-evidence-ask pitch arc is built as a persuasive story rather than a list of facts.

  6. 7 Tips to Elevate Your Elevator Pitch - Toastmasters International - Practical delivery tips for a short pitch, including framing an idea as a partnership opportunity and cutting jargon, directly applicable to rehearsing this chapter's two-minute peer pitch.

  7. How to Pitch Your Company - Y Combinator Startup Library - A founder-tested framework for distilling a venture into a few clear sentences and a specific ask, reinforcing this chapter's emphasis on synthesis over sales in the capstone presentation.

  8. Accountability Works If You Do: Five Tips For Finding The Right Accountability Partner - Forbes - Practical guidance on selecting and structuring an accountability relationship, directly relevant to sustaining this chapter's accountability network and peer accountability after Session 4 ends.

  9. Find local assistance - U.S. Small Business Administration - A directory connecting founders to free SCORE mentors, Small Business Development Centers, and other counseling resources, a real-world parallel to this chapter's coaching handoff and post-course support.

  10. Startup School - Y Combinator - A free ongoing course and community offering weekly accountability check-ins and founder matching, illustrating the kind of continuing platform ecosystem this chapter describes as sustaining momentum after a course ends.