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The genius of Norm MacDonald as a performer is he doesn't let himself care what the audience thinks, and this gives him the confidence to act the way he does. Unfortunately, making people laugh and getting people to give you money are two very different things.

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It's the same: successfully giving them the goods and service they want (laughs, a cool website, a web API). Being able to identify what interests them during a conversation is a master skill.

Let me say it another way: if you have a great business idea, tell everyone you can find about it and learn from their reactions/questions what's working in your pitch and not working.

True, the are different, but both require confidence in what you're selling, whether it's a joke or product.

Yes, but investors are known for making quick judgements on teams, they don't have to sit through your presentation if you lose their attention. pg has written that he sometimes makes up his mind in YC interviews within the first minute. The audience in a late night studio has nowhere to go.

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