I explore this question in my short, partly visual emails, crafted through my lens as a pitch designer in deep-tech. Join me for insights on effective communication, marketing, design, psychology, and the philosophy of value.
Because you say so?
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If you’re scientifically minded, shouldn’t you question the entire premise of pitching? The idea that you are supposed to TALK people into investing in you. It’s not obvious to me that humans work that way. Don’t get me wrong, language is useful. It made us what we are as a species. But it’s also just noises you make with your mouth. It costs nothing and our subconscious knows it. Look at nature: A female wont "invest" in a mate unless he can present an impressive peacock tail or large set of antlers. Bees perform a waggle dance to signal to their hive mates that a source of nectar was discovered. The richer the storage house the faster they dance. That gives you a sense of our own wiring: we’re tuned for BEHAVIOURAL signals. If I see you energetic and enthusiastic about something, I assume you believe that the goal is truly worth the effort otherwise you wouldn’t be expending all that energy. This sensitivity is useful if you set out to recruit others into your vision, pay attention that what is spoken is but one layer of the communication in the room. Take the typical team slide. What you might think it says: “We’ve assembled a qualified team to solve this problem.” Should they take your word for it? What it actually signals: “This founder was able to recruit and pay strong people - who had other options.” That signal is independent of your words, has a real cost and it's verifiable. An exercise to get you started: Imagine your audience doesn't believe a word you say. Yours, |
What makes people see value in a thing?
I explore this question in my short, partly visual emails, crafted through my lens as a pitch designer in deep-tech. Join me for insights on effective communication, marketing, design, psychology, and the philosophy of value.
A question arrived by LinkedIn, that you might find useful (edited for brevity): Hi Sagi, I’m still an undergrad, but I am already facing a challenge with fundraising for our solar race car initiative. Could you share your most important insight from designing tech investment pitches? Here's the response:Hi Harry, This is a big question but here's a thought to nudge you in the right direction: Think of pitching as answering one core question that investors have. You might assume that question...
Here's a thought experiment. You are a VC. About to start yet another meeting with a startup that reached out. It’s your third today - your seventh this week. After a couple of minutes of small talk, one of the founders connects their laptop and hits “Present.” You lean back in your chair, ready to listen. Now pause. What do you hope happens next? What could the founder say or do that will make you go: "Yes! This is the one. Not the team from the previous meeting. Not one of the other 22 I've...
If pitching feels like hard work, you’re probably trying to make investors agree with your solution. That’s not the optimal way to frame your pitch. Though we often ignore that fact - investors don’t evaluate your solution in isolation; they see many startups. That means that subconsciously, they’re constantly making comparisons. Here’s the thing Being selected is not the same as being agreed with. So, you need to rethink your framing: Imagine that, for the investor, each startup meeting is...