Differentiation During Virtual Meetings
My upgraded Zoom setup
I've had a number of people ask about my videoconferencing setup over the last few weeks. I’m not quite sure why, but having shared it individually a few times I thought I would document it in case it might be helpful to others.
First, some context. Like many people, the shift to work-from-home during the pandemic threw me for a loop. I usually thrive in in-person settings, feeding off the energy of others and reciprocating with my own energy and enthusiasm. The shift to virtual was hard for a multitude of obvious reasons. One, more subtle challenge: How do I successfully differentiate myself in a sea of Zoom boxes?
In my role as an early-stage venture capitalist I’m selling. A lot. And regardless of whether I’m talking to a founder I might invest in, pitching a prospective LP that might invest in Garuda, or reconnecting with a co-investor that I might collaborate with, one thing is certain: I want to be as memorable as possible. And upon reflecting on calls that stood out among the countless Brady Bunch boxes I encountered throughout the course of my regular days, a solid videoconferencing setup stood out as a common trait.
So, at the end of last year I went about upgrading my setup, naturally taking advantage of the Black Friday and Christmas savings!
The Setup
The big stuff
Camera and Lens: Sony Alpha 7C Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera and Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E: The camera + lens is definitely the big ticket item of the set, and I ultimately ended up here over time. I first got myself a Logitech C920x and used that for over a year (with Airpods). Once I decided to upgrade the system overall, I went the mirrorless camera route with a 16mm lens (note: I also tried a 50mm lens and a 30mm lens but they ended up not working with my setup and how far the camera was from my face). The difference in picture quality between the built-in Macbook Pro camera, the Logitech, and the Sony is striking (I’ve included pictures using each camera below for reference). The improvement has made a major difference in the overall setup.
Mic: Shure MV7 USB Microphone: I don’t hear myself on the other side of a call, so I can’t confirm the improvement in quality. But I’ve received compliments on the clarity of my audio quality on a few separate occasions, which never happened across the many years I used my Airpods or the built-in mic.
Light: Elgato Key Light Air: I happen to have a lot of natural light in my home office, so I don’t use the light that often. But it does a good job of lighting my face at night or on cloudy days.
The Small Stuff
Mic Boom Arm: Samson MBA18-18” Microphone Boom Arm to attach the mic to the desk
HDMI Cable: 4K Micro HDMI to HDMI to connect the camera to the laptop
Cable Management: Hiercool USB-C Hub to manage all the things that need to get plugged into the laptop!
Camera-to-Computer Connector: Elgato Camlink to convert the signal from the camera into something readable by the laptop
Camera Battery Pack: Gonine NP-FZ100 A7III Dummy Battery Continuous Power Supply to ensure I don’t run out of battery while on a call
Other points of note
Background: A good background can really elevate a videoconferencing setup (see countless examples here). I’m luckily have a design-inclined spouse who set up our home office background with specific instructions about the decor (“Don’t touch anything…”) But generally, keep an eye out for your surroundings!
I’m almost a year into the new setup. Positive feedback in meetings suggests that it has made a difference. Has it definitively led to more ‘sales’? Well, I’m certainly not closing sales just because I bought some stuff for a WFH setup. But in a hybrid / remote-first, post-COVID world where I’m almost certainly going to engage with someone on a remote video, I think it was a worthwhile investment.
Thanks to Chris Hutchins, Matt Tucker, and Garry Tan for their help and advice on teleconferencing setups that seriously informed what I ended up doing!
Image Differences Across Cameras
Have you upgraded your WFH setup? Any tips and tricks to share? Reply in the comments!
Appreciate the info. I'm also on a relatively new MacBook Pro(M1 chip) paired with 2nd gen AirPods and really thought my setup was adequate for all the zooms one does these days. Your screenshots have shown me otherwise ;).
Great comparison with all the photos - there is a huge difference. What is the laptop stand that you use?