Who’s got the best problem?


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 is "How can I be sure that this venture will succeed?” (Hence: how do I ensure ROI?) But this is merely a projection of your own mindset.

In the investor’s world your venture is one of dozens they see every month, so their primary question is different: "Why is THIS problem worth solving MORE than all the others I could invest in?"

At first, this feels counterintuitive. This question has little to do with your domain knowledge or technical expertise. Can you even answer it?

Absolutely! But it takes a shift.
You need to step back mentally - to become more mindful in your communication.

Notice:

You’ve left the land of facts. You’re now in the land of values.
This isn’t a STEM question, it’s a humanities one.
And it’s not the engineer in you who can answer - it’s the human.

It might take some practice. But hey, you’ve been a human far longer than you’ve been an engineer.

I hope this provokes your thinking in a useful direction. You can also find some free resources on my site that can help: https://www.rechter.co/resources

Yours,
Sagi

Creativity in Deep-Tech

I share short, partly visual emails, crafted through my lens as a creative director in deep-tech. Join me for insights on effective communication, marketing, design, psychology, and the philosophy of value.

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