How to pitch your startup under 10 minutes
The following startup pitch guide is focused on presentations that need to be done within 10 minutes (or less). It is very hard, and some entrepreneurs master this. But everyone can get better at this with practice.
It's only Tuesday, and I have heard 10 startup pitches in 48 hours. Some are 30-min introductory sessions where we have time to go deeper into the company. Some are shorter, back-to-back pitches. The following startup pitch guide is focused on presentations that need to be done within 10 minutes (or less). It is very hard, and some entrepreneurs master this. But everyone can get better at this with practice.
Effective communication by an entrepreneur is a critical skill to have in entrepreneurship because as an entrepreneurs, you are always in the mode of pitching (to investors, customers, partners, people who potentially care, prospective employees). Sometimes, entrepreneurs feel that investors don't give them enough time and are multi-tasking (I am always taking notes of what you are pitching and jotting down my questions). From our side, a key elements of our job is to hear as many pitches as possible and find the best that match our investment thesis and strategy. I am looking for good (not perfect) pitches that are clear, logical, confident, and rigorous. This first impression is important.
Start with a strong, clear, confident opening (30 - 45 seconds max)
Begin your pitch with who you, why you are here, why you are the right person to discuss the problem your company is solving. Some entrepreneurs would start by saying:" I don't know if you know this market..." Assume the investor has sufficient baseline knowledge and skip this "small talk." It would also be helpful to research the investor before the pitch. In a demo day, it is impossible to do this because you don't know who will be in the audience. The point is, be friendly and then get right in by putting a stake in the ground regarding who you are, why you are here (figuratively). We are eager to hear your pitch!
Introduce your company and what you are building (1-1.5 minutes)
Quickly (but enunciate every word) to introduce your startup by sharing its name, tagline, and concise description of what your company does. Keep it simple, clear, and impactful. For the investor, this is the first introduction to what you are building and what problem you are solving. This part should be a natural "follow"/"build" to "why are you here."
Further explain the problem to enhance understanding of the problem, impact, and value of your solution (1 - 1.5 minutes)
What is the target market, addressable opportunity (footnote source), target user persona, what solution do they have now to deal with this problem, and how is your company solving this problem differently and better?
Show the solution (1 minute)
Explain how your product or service effectively solves the identified problem. We are now in the product and semi-technical discussion. Highlight key product capabilities and technological innovations that speak to the differentiation, moat, and core driver of value for your users. One slide, and it should show your end-to-end product / solution. Leave the product demo and detailed technical discussion for a follow-up 30-min session.
Discuss what has been achieved and how to drive momentum (1-2 min)
Highlight achievements or milestones your startup has reached as well as key things or metrics you are looking to build to continue the momentum. Incorporate your learnings.
Business Model and Go-t0-market strategy (brief mention in short pitches)
How does the company make money today? What is the margin? How do you find customers, how do you expand, how do you manage churn? How much do you spend on marketing? What is the sales cycle?
Team Introduction (20-30 seconds)
Briefly introduce your team on the slide and highlight functional leaders (founding team sales, marketing, engineering, customer success).
Closing statement (10-15 seconds)
End with two closing statements encompassing what you are building and a call-to-action. This slide should have the CEO email address as contact information.