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This was a good talk but I can't help to think that she should have spent more time working on the business than doing these types of speaking engagements (because she had done quite a lot of them, not just this one).

Though the time spent doing these engagements and preparing, maybe that was worth it for the advertising? Not sure but they don't sit right with me.

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One of the primary responsibilities of a CEO is building (and maintaining) relationships with external parties, such as prospective clients, partners, or even potential employees. Speaking engagements are a great way to do that because it gets you in front of such audiences and helps you demonstrate authority, which builds trust.

So I'd say that she was simply doing her job.

She was involved in a lot more speaking engagements than any of her other on-demand counterparts though.

The story and message was almost same in all those lectures. So, i doubt she put lot of time just preparing for it and moreover it was her story that she was telling, so even less preparation is required.

For people working in christmas, its a good break to have. And i doubt those hours spent otherwise on the startup can could have changed the outcome.

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