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.
"Should I pitch differently to different audiences?" and more...
|
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 vision for the startup? That's the prep work you truly need to do. Q: I have an unexpected investor meeting with zero time to prepare. How should I present? A: Trust your intuition. Think about it—only a tiny fraction of your decisions are conscious and rational. Almost all are handled by intuition. It’s an automation process you should utilize, not override, particularly when you have to act quickly. "There are undeniable examples where our intuitions deceive us, but that’s because most of the time they do such a very good job. I can show you an optical illusion so good you won’t believe it, but I’ve never heard anyone say, 'From now on, I’ll live my life with my eyes closed.’” Your intuition is already doing the heavy lifting—let it. Q: If not on my solution, what should I focus on in the pitch? A: Try this exercise: Imagine you're a VC investor. You've just finished a meeting with a founder working on Antigen-Drug Conjugates to combat autoimmune diseases (true story). You walk away thinking, "“That was a great meeting! There’s real potential here.” You share your thoughts with a colleague They ask: Why? What made you think that? Is it because you deeply understand the problem of immunosuppression and agree that Antigen-Drug Conjugates are the perfect solution to heal patients and generate substantial returns? Probably not. You don't have the expertise to make that judgment. So, What's your answer? Whatever it is - focus on that. 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.
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...
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...
🎵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...