Startup Pitch

Startup PitchMohammad Albattikhi

@MAlbattikhi

Welcome!

• Who’s working on their startup fulltime?

• Who has never pitched their idea before?

• Who’s afraid of sharing their idea?

Mohammad Albattikhi Twitter: @MAlbattikhi

Idea Stealers “Master Plan”

• No body will steal your idea

• A 100% original idea does not exist

• Ideas don’t matter. EXECUTION does


Pitch is an art, not a science


What is a pitch?

A pitch is when you’re briefly talking about your business / idea trying to convince the target audience of the value your providing [and take action]


Pitch Target Audience

Audience The AskInvestor Financial resourcesCustomers Purchase product / service Employees / Co-Founders Join teamSuppliers / Vendors Provide good purchasing termsStrategic partners Share resourcesMedia Think of the business positively


Pitch Progression

Name

Tagline

One Sentence Description

1 – 3 Minutes Pitch“Elevator Pitch”

10 – 15 Minutes Pitchw/ Pitch Deck & Business Plan


Content of a Pitch

• Problem / opportunity (Pain points)• Target market (Who will buy it & why?)• Product / service info (Value proposition)• Market size• Product price & production cost (Profit Model)• Competition and competitive advantage• Leadership team and background (Expertise)• Funding requirement (The Ask)• Killer closing


Simple Pitch

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”

–Albert Einstein


Elevator Pitch Format

My company, ________________________Is developing _________________________To help _______________________________________________________________with_____________________________________

Name of Company

A defined offering

A defined audience

Solve a problem

Secret Sauce


1. Be Specific

• Be clear and specific.• Example:– When you say: ‘A social utility’– Investor will think: ‘a regional gas and electric

company?’

– You should say: ‘an ecommerce site’


2. Defined offering

• No Buzz words• Example:– When you say: ‘Mobile social CRM’– Investor will think: ‘For SMBs in EMEA over HTTP,

AKA SoLoMo-aaS,…?’

– You should say: ‘a mobile application’


2. Defined offering

• No Adjectives• Example:– When you say: ‘A revolutionary service’– Investor will think: ‘Fight the power..?’

– You should say: ‘Backend software’


3. Defined Audience

• Identify Demographics• Example:– When you say: ‘Female Consumers’– Investor will think: ‘So you’re targeting half the

world population? ’

– You should say: ‘Mothers in Jordan between the age 24 to 36’


3. Defined Audience

• Specify your market• Example:– When you say: ‘Arts and musicians’– Investor will think: ‘Jugglers, piano players, and

trained monkeys unite!’

– You should say: ‘Unsigned electronic bands’


3. Defined Audience

• Clarify the buyer• Example:– When you say: ‘Large companies’– Investor will think: ‘You don’t sell to companies,

you sell to people’

– You should say: ‘Purchasing managers at medical device companies’


4. Understand the Problem

• Anyone should be able to understand the problem

• Example:– When you say: ‘Decrease latency across CDN

servers’– Investor will think: ‘I don’t know what this means!’

– You should say: ‘Improve network performance for their clients’


5. Secret Sauce

• Be Specific• Example:– When you say: ‘Easier and faster’– Investor will think: ‘Much better than harder and

slower’

– You should say: ‘With automated ordering of diapers and other common baby products’


Delivery of a Pitch

• Speak clearly (Raise your voice & speak slowly)• Pause and let he information sink in• Tell a story (Not a list)• Provide examples• Use 4th grade language• Relate to the audience• Be enthusiastic (Show passion & energy)


Posture/Gesture during a pitch

• Stand relaxed, confident, and open

• Be careful with….

Hummm Oh yeah?! Parade rest NonchalantToo formal What is this?

Pitch Practice

My company, ________________________Is developing _________________________To help _______________________________________________________________with_____________________________________

Name of Company

A defined offering

A defined audience

Solve a problem

Secret Sauce


Mohammad Albattikhi

Twittter: @MAlbattikhi