5. The science:
1) elevator pitch
2) the problem
3) the solution
4) market
5) the business model
6) technology
7) competitors
8) marketing plan
9) team
10) milestones / $
6. Slide 1: The Elevator Pitch
the idea, explained in 30 seconds
keep it simple, stupid
#protip: “Alien will be like Jaws in space”
#protip: extra points for confidence
#protip: don’t assume the investor knows things
7. Slide 2: The Problem
what problem are you solving?
who’s hurting?
#protip: the investor is (probably) a human.
Humans have problems. If he knows what you’re
talking about, you’ll connect.
8. Slide 3: The Solution
How does your solution solve the problem you identified?
Does it do it better than everyone else? How?
#protip: Google is Altavista done right.
9. Intermission: Demo
now that the investor knows about the
problem and knows about the solution,
it’s time to show some magic.
#protip: don’t pitch me (or anyone) without an MVP
#protip: demos fail, be prepared (remember Steve Jobs)
10. Slide 4: The Market
size does matter if you are a venture capitalist
#protip: niches are fine, if valuable
11. Slide 5: Business Model
how do you make money?
describe your revenue sources, prioritized by potential
direct: sales, subscriptions, goods
indirect: ads, leads, affiliate programs
#protip: not everyone can “worry about revenue later”
#protip: Andrew Chen’s: The internet wants to be free,
but you need to get paid: bit.ly/revenuemodel
12. Slide 6: Technology
do you have a technological advantage?
is your team made of superstars?
#protip: investors love big tech advantages
#protip: have a secret sauce
13. Slide 7: Competition
who are they? current and potential.
how do you stack up against them?
be real and realistic.
#protip: main differences: complexity,
price point, open vs proprietary
14. Slide 8: Marketing
how does your promotion chain work?
how will you promote your product?
what channels are you going to use?
(pr/email/tv/seo/viral/affil/widgets)
#protip: channel volume, cost, conversion
are 3 key metrics to determine the best
promotion channels.
15. Slide 9: Team
more important than the product itself (see YC)
important: experience, potential, background
#protip: past success matters.
repeat success is easier.
16. Slide 10: Milestones/$
how much do you need?
how will you use this money?
when are you using it?
what are some of the key dates in the project?
#protip: “get real”
17. Well done.
You now have a degree in pitching.
Now for how not to suck at it.