Speaking on a Pontoon Boat: What I Learned at Finger Lakes Summit
Sometimes the best stages float. Sometimes, the most transformative ideas do too.
I’ve spoken at the Mexico City Planetarium under a dome of artificial stars. I’ve presented at the Henry Ford Museum, surrounded by artifacts that changed the world. But this summer, my friend Sasha Hoffman handed me a stage I’d never experienced before: a pontoon boat floating on Canandaigua Lake, at the Finger Lakes Summit.
Why the Finger Lakes Summit Is Different
The Finger Lakes Summit isn’t your typical tech networking event. Hosted by Impellent Ventures, with Sasha alongside her co-hosts David Brown and Philip Beauregard, they’ve curated something rare. A few dozen highly curated entrepreneurs and VCs come together not just to network, but to solve real problems in real time. Sometimes, those solutions happen while you’re literally floating.
The Floating Stage: Where Conversation Became Transformation
Picture this: late afternoon sun casting golden light across Canandaigua Lake. Thirty founders and investors in a circle on a pontoon boat. I’m about to lead a LinkedIn masterclass. No slides, no microphone, just real conversation about the platform that has quietly become the most powerful business tool for founders.
What began as a casual discussion on founder-led growth strategies quickly evolved. The energy shifted as people leaned in, hungry for tactics that actually work. By the end, the interest was so high that I ended up repeating the session over lunch. Founders crowded around tables, phones out, taking notes and trading ideas.
Here’s how I break it down.
Strategic Communication: The Framework That Cuts Through Noise
In today’s world, attention is the scarcest resource. Effective founder communication starts with breaking through that noise. This is especially true on LinkedIn. Here are ten go-to hooks I shared that consistently deliver:
“Stop [activity]. It doesn’t work.”
Example: “Stop obsessing over reach. It doesn’t work without relevance.”
“I’m tired of hearing about [trend].”
Example: “I’m tired of hearing about ‘AI replacing everyone.’”
“Here’s what [beneficial outcome] looks like in [specific situation].”
Example: “Here’s what great onboarding looks like in a remote team.”
“The most underestimated [topic] strategy.”
Example: “The most underestimated personal brand strategy? Consistency.”
“The quickest way to [outcome].”
Example: “The quickest way to build executive presence?”
“Try this next time you [scenario]:”
Example: “Try this next time you freeze during a presentation:”
“How to make [topic] work for you.”
Example: “How to make content marketing work when you hate writing.”
“[X] Hacks To [outcome].”
Example: “3 Hacks To Nail Your Elevator Pitch.”
“Make [outcome] happen in [time].”
Example: “Make client referrals happen in 60 days.”
“How to go from [challenge] to [goal].”
Example: “How to go from crickets to clients.”
These aren’t just LinkedIn tricks. They’re principles for cutting through noise in any room, on any stage, or even in the middle of a lake.
That afternoon, one founder tried the contrarian approach right away. Her post challenging conventional wisdom about metrics got five times his usual engagement.
Strategic Positioning: The Golden Rule of Founder Communication
Whatever you create—posts, videos, even comments—remember this:
Stick to the problem you solve.
If you sell software for marketers, talk about marketer headaches. Missed deadlines, wasted budget, team misalignment. Own your lane, completely.
Don’t try to sell. Show up to solve.
Share a perspective, not a pitch. The founders on that boat lived this. They were already doing it in conversation. LinkedIn is just scaling that same energy.
Beat the same drum. Often.
Repetition builds reputation. One summit attendee nodded vigorously at this. “I keep thinking I need to talk about different things,” she said. “But we have current clients who don’t even know the full scope of what we do now.”
The Strategic Timing Advantage
Here’s what most don’t realize. On LinkedIn, the first hour of engagement tells the algorithm if your post is valuable. Want to blow up a post? DM a few friends to comment. Don’t tag them. Message them directly.
Your ideal early engagers? Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) or audience peers. Not always people from your own team. Diversify your circle.
On that pontoon boat, I was surrounded by my ideal audience. Founders facing the exact challenges I help solve. When they engaged with my content, LinkedIn paid attention.
The Overlooked Strategic Assets
Smart founders look for strategic advantages in overlooked places.
LinkedIn Live: Low competition, high authority. The barrier keeps most people away. That’s why you should do it.
Short-form video: Still massively underused. Huge opportunity.
The “What’s Trending” panel: Create a quick video or post tying trending stories to what you do. Instant relevance, algorithm juice.
The Details That Actually Matter
Hashtags: Don’t bother. *The rules around hashtags change often. It used to be three to five. At the moment, I find they aren’t making much of a difference.
Tagging: Be strategic. If you tag people but they don’t engage, LinkedIn buries your post.
Emojis: Use when they help, not for fluff. ✔️ 👍 🎯 work fine. 🚀 only works when it’s earned.
Why Finger Lakes Summit Works
What made these insights stick wasn’t just the lake setting. It was the intimacy and intentionality Sasha creates.
Incredible speakers, yes: Stacy Spikes sharing MoviePass’s turnaround, Marcus Wilson from NOBULL on building cult followings, FanDuel founders on crisis PR, Jack Selby of the PayPal mafia on portfolio building, and Collins Key—a magician and YouTube star known for viral, mind-bending content—breaking down the psychology behind reaching millions online.
But the magic happened in the spaces between. Themed nights like Roaring 20s and Bavarian with fireworks. Curated activities like wine tasting, paleontologist-led hikes, biohacking workshops. Ben Gleib’s hilarious roast. And of course, those floating conversations where real problem-solving happened.
The Ripple Effect
Three months later, I’m still getting updates from founders who were on that boat. Funding rounds closed. Teams hired. Content strategies that actually work. But more than tactics, they found something harder to teach: confidence in their own voice.
When founders feel seen and heard in spaces designed for real connection, results follow naturally.
Sometimes the best stages don’t have microphones or spotlights. Sometimes they just float.
