5 Pitch Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make, and How To Fix Them Brendan Baker Greylock Partners

Post on 17-Jan-2017

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Transcript of 5 Pitch Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make, and How To Fix Them Brendan Baker Greylock Partners

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5 Pitch Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make, and

How To Fix Them

@brendanbaker

They fail to tell a story.

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This is not bread.

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A Story Arc

“I saw the pain firsthand”

“Pain and response”

“There are millions like

me.”

“So we built a solution.”

“Here’s how the product works.”

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A pitch is a sequence of story arcs

Arc 3: “It’s spreading to a big place”@brendanbaker

Arc 2: “It’s working”

Arc 1: “Pain and Response”

They don’t think at an investor’s level.

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How the world is changing

Company vision.

Execution@brendanbaker

“Why is now the only time this company could be built?”

(“Why is this the only team that could build it?”)

Ask yourself:

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They think a pitch is rational.

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Excitement•…•…•…•…

Hesitation •… •… •… •…

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They try too hard to be credible.

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They can’t cut shit.

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Tell a storyThink at an investor’s levelBe excitingBe uniqueCut shit

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Thank you.

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