The challenge with crowdsourcing votes is avoiding users gaming the system. Even a well organized system with this in mind requires tremendous buy in from the

The challenge with crowdsourcing votes is avoiding users gaming the system. Even a well organized system with this in mind requires tremendous buy in from the entire network, such as a vested interest, to avoid popularity contests, two horse races, and troll votes. I agree with your assessment that many times the other presenters will be exceptionally qualified, but as you state about the other judges, they also may not have the deep domain knowledge required to make an informed choice. The most important vote to earn is from your customers, which is why at many of these presentations, traction and market validation still reigns supreme.