Guidance for
giving great
Idea Pitching
@aditforever
#Tips Startup Series
37%IT Startup
still operating
after 3 years
90%Startup failed
The Facts
Lets Pitch!
Attention!
You only have less than 15 minutes to explain everything
#1 explain yourself
in 1st minute
Make it short & sweet
Make it short & sweet
we sell software
we sell hardware
we track underprivileged childs
we help sinner
we prevent child abuse
#2 Answer the little
man
Answer “the little man”
you said :
“we use digital signal processing in our hearing aids”
little man asked :
“so what?”
you replied :
“our product increase the clarity of sounds”
then you elaborate :
“for instance, if you’re at the cocktail party with many
conversations going on around you, you’ll be able to
hear what people are saying to you”
Answer “the little man”
you said :
“we provide 128-bit encryption in a portable device”
little man asked :
“so what?”
you replied :
“It's harder than hell to break into our system”
then you elaborate :
“For instance, if you're in a hotel room and want to have
a secure telephone conversation with your headquarters”
#3 Know your
audience
learn who’re the audiences, what’s important to the them,
visit their website
learn what’s important to the audience
• What are the three most important things you
would like to learn about our organization?
• What attracted you to our idea and convinced you
to give us an opportunity to meet?
• Are there any special issues, questions, or
landmines I should be prepared for in the
meeting?
• How old will the oldest person in the meeting be?
(You'll soon see why you need to know this.)
visit the website
• organization background; vision, mission,
who funded, who founded
• executives; who work there, what their
previous positions, where did they go to
school
• current efforts; what they do, what its
direction
#4 Observe the
10/20/30 rule
ten slides, twenty minutes, 30 point text size
You need to communicate "enough," not everything
The purpose of a pitch is to stimulate interest, not to close a deal.
Tell what your organization does.
#5 Set the stage
If there's no projector when you show up for a meeting, it's your fault.
If your laptop and the projector don't work together, it's your fault. If
the bulb blows out in the middle of your pitch, it's your fault. If you
start slowly, seem disorganized, and look disheveled, it's your fault
the first magic word is “How much of your time may I have?”
#6 Let one person
do the talking
In a pitch, the CEO should do 80 percent of the talking. The rest of the
team (and there should be no more than two others)can present the
one or two slides pertaining to their specific area of expertise.
Important
Things
#1 Appearance
use comfort suit, be yourself but respect to the audience
#2 Voice
speak loud enough, clear, not too fast, show enthusiasm
#3 Body
Language
fair expression, not too much body movement
Some lessons
learned
#1 Invalid
competitive
advantages
"Superior SEO" and "unique features" are not competitive advantages
#2 Lacking an
unfair
advantage
You need one killer advantage no one can beat (because
you might get beaten on everything else!)
#3 No one said
they'd buy it
You don't need statistically significant studies, but it's
astonishing how many blaze ahead before they've found
even a single person willing to give them money
#4 Incorrect
positioning against
the competition
The two faults here are opposites: Believing that
uniqueness means competition doesn't exist, or defining
yourself by the competition instead of constructing your
own message.
#5 No significant
route to customers
If your marketing strategy is to run A/B tests and build RSS
subscribers, you've already lost.

Idea Pitching Guidelines

  • 1.
    Guidance for giving great IdeaPitching @aditforever #Tips Startup Series
  • 2.
    37%IT Startup still operating after3 years 90%Startup failed The Facts
  • 3.
    Lets Pitch! Attention! You onlyhave less than 15 minutes to explain everything
  • 4.
    #1 explain yourself in1st minute Make it short & sweet
  • 5.
    Make it short& sweet we sell software we sell hardware we track underprivileged childs we help sinner we prevent child abuse
  • 6.
    #2 Answer thelittle man
  • 7.
    Answer “the littleman” you said : “we use digital signal processing in our hearing aids” little man asked : “so what?” you replied : “our product increase the clarity of sounds” then you elaborate : “for instance, if you’re at the cocktail party with many conversations going on around you, you’ll be able to hear what people are saying to you”
  • 8.
    Answer “the littleman” you said : “we provide 128-bit encryption in a portable device” little man asked : “so what?” you replied : “It's harder than hell to break into our system” then you elaborate : “For instance, if you're in a hotel room and want to have a secure telephone conversation with your headquarters”
  • 9.
    #3 Know your audience learnwho’re the audiences, what’s important to the them, visit their website
  • 10.
    learn what’s importantto the audience • What are the three most important things you would like to learn about our organization? • What attracted you to our idea and convinced you to give us an opportunity to meet? • Are there any special issues, questions, or landmines I should be prepared for in the meeting? • How old will the oldest person in the meeting be? (You'll soon see why you need to know this.)
  • 11.
    visit the website •organization background; vision, mission, who funded, who founded • executives; who work there, what their previous positions, where did they go to school • current efforts; what they do, what its direction
  • 12.
    #4 Observe the 10/20/30rule ten slides, twenty minutes, 30 point text size You need to communicate "enough," not everything The purpose of a pitch is to stimulate interest, not to close a deal. Tell what your organization does.
  • 13.
    #5 Set thestage If there's no projector when you show up for a meeting, it's your fault. If your laptop and the projector don't work together, it's your fault. If the bulb blows out in the middle of your pitch, it's your fault. If you start slowly, seem disorganized, and look disheveled, it's your fault the first magic word is “How much of your time may I have?”
  • 14.
    #6 Let oneperson do the talking In a pitch, the CEO should do 80 percent of the talking. The rest of the team (and there should be no more than two others)can present the one or two slides pertaining to their specific area of expertise.
  • 15.
  • 16.
    #1 Appearance use comfortsuit, be yourself but respect to the audience
  • 17.
    #2 Voice speak loudenough, clear, not too fast, show enthusiasm
  • 18.
    #3 Body Language fair expression,not too much body movement
  • 19.
  • 20.
    #1 Invalid competitive advantages "Superior SEO"and "unique features" are not competitive advantages
  • 21.
    #2 Lacking an unfair advantage Youneed one killer advantage no one can beat (because you might get beaten on everything else!)
  • 22.
    #3 No onesaid they'd buy it You don't need statistically significant studies, but it's astonishing how many blaze ahead before they've found even a single person willing to give them money
  • 23.
    #4 Incorrect positioning against thecompetition The two faults here are opposites: Believing that uniqueness means competition doesn't exist, or defining yourself by the competition instead of constructing your own message.
  • 24.
    #5 No significant routeto customers If your marketing strategy is to run A/B tests and build RSS subscribers, you've already lost.