Two ways to convey 'the problem' in a frontal presentation Option 1 Option 2 Option 2 FEELS better. (Hit 'reply' and tell me if you disagree) The question is why? What makes it a better communication? The graphics are fancier, but that's only the expression of deeper differences in approach.For example: 1. General vs Situation-Specific. Option 1 creates a reading experience, unadjusted for a frontal presentation.Option 2 gives the speaker room to talk by keeping text minimal, making it easier...
2 months ago • 1 min read
🎵Surfing on a soundwave,Swinging through the stars,Take a left at your intestine,Take your second right past Marson the magic school bus.... 🎵Here's one way to think about your pitch: You are Ms. FrizzleThe investors are your students.And your pitch is an exciting field trip on your magical school bus, where they will discover organisms, locations, new worlds and more as they learn about the wonders of science!If you're not a child of the 90's- this is the premise of the animated television...
3 months ago • 1 min read
I start every new funding round project by asking, 'Who is our target persona?' The first answer is always vague: 'A VC.'Push a little, and I’ll get: 'A US-based VC specializing in healthcare.'"No, no," I insist. "I need a specific name and position." Once I get it, I pull their profile photo and attach it to everything we create—a constant reminder to evaluate things 'through their eyes.' Founders are usually slightly apprehensive about that. I get it. The funding round is an extreme form of...
3 months ago • 1 min read
A few good questions came up this week in my practice and in response to a previous newsletter: Q: Should I pitch the same way to a top tier VC as to a 'friendly' investor? A: Trying to pitch differently to different audiences stretches you thin. 'Managing versions' in your head makes you self-conscious and less present in the moment. A good rule of thumb: aim to be the same person outside and inside any meeting room. The real question is: WHO IS that person? What do they want? What is their...
3 months ago • 1 min read
This is what you think you see This is what you actually see Our high-resolution vision is limited to a small central area of our visual field (~26 degrees), yet we don’t notice it. Why? Because our eyes are constantly moving, making whatever we focus on seem sharp. It tricks us into believing our entire field of vision is high-res, even though most of it is blurry. That bias occurs in our thinking as well Because we are able to think rationally in the areas we chose to focus lots of our...
3 months ago • 1 min read
A startup pitch is a unique situation. Investors walk into the room expecting, in just one hour, to recognize an opportunity that stretches years into the future and demands a massive commitment. They can only see the tip of the iceberg, expecting to be able to grasp what lies beneath. You might think your goal is to make it easy for them: mold your pitch to meet their expectation and fit neatly into their evaluation framework. But it's not 👇 👇 👇 Your goal is to defy expectations. Here's the...
4 months ago • 1 min read
18th century Switzerland: A customer comes into a master watchmaker's shop asking to clean a watch he had bought. As the watchmaker takes the fabulous watch apart, the customer notices an engraving on the back side of one of the balance wheels "Why did you put something there that no one will ever see?" the costumer asks. The watchmaker turns around and says, "God can see it." How did that last line make you feel? What do you think about the quality of the watchmaker's work? The value of his...
5 months ago • 1 min read
"This picture is beautiful." "She’s such a beautiful person." "This was the most beautiful goal of the season!" "This piece of code is truly beautiful." "This is a beautiful solution to a complex heart failure problem." These things seem unrelated, yet they all share the descriptor 'beautiful.' Why? "Pretty" is surface-level—something that looks good but lacks substance. When we call something beautiful, we recognize excellence in context. A beautiful goal isn’t just about looks; it’s about...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Crafting the right balance for your pitch can be challenging. One extreme is pure facts People on this extreme pitch like they're in court, trying to make their argument watertight, fearing any gap will damage their credibility. The downside? This approach demands a lot from the listener, who must catch up with all the details. More importantly, it overlooks the core issue: value. Value isn’t directly inferred from facts. I could give you thousands of facts about a chair, and you still might...
5 months ago • 1 min read