Startup Pitching 101 by arjun rai founder + ceo
Feb 16, 2017
Startup Pitching 101
by arjun raifounder + ceo
hint: take notes
What is a pitch?
• Idea• About YOU• Problem• Solution• Market (maybe?)
= 60 seconds MAX
Sitting at Events
• Front Row?– Why? => VIP section, Speaker Section
• Near the Microphone?– First to Ask a Question
• Executive Assistant’s Contact?– Duh, they’re busy
• PR contact?
Steps for Building Relationships
• “Hello!” Phase• Coffee/Feedback Phase– Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Deck
• Drawing Board Phase• Coffee/Follow Up Phase– MVP+, Deck+, Ask for Money/Advisory Role
• Aug/Dec = NO Pitching Months
What to include in your deck
• Pictures Worth a Thousand Words• Phrases (This is that for that…)• Timelines• Logos• “Less is more!”
You!
• Ask the “Why?” questions always– Ex: Why did you do that?
• Be more interested in the investor• Create a quick phrase to describe your
startup– WrkBench.io Example: “Minority Report or
Iron Man for Visual Collaboration
3 Kinds of Investors
• A: Shows up to events and pitches but doesn’t invest
• B: Shows up to events and pitches but may give you a meeting for feedback…most likely working on their own thing
• C: Shows up to events and pitches and runs their own Family Office or Fund. Most likely will introduce you to other co-investors
• Some new funds…simply a joke– research investor backgrounds
A0end Events (Professional and Fun Ones)
• Joe Rubin’s Events at FundingPost.com • Private Equity Forum by Starlight Capital • 37 Angels Events (especially for women in tech) • Rubicon Venture Capital Events • VentureCrush/FirstGrowth Events by Lowenstein Sandler Law Firm • IVY Club (IVY.com for Young Entrepreneurs) • AOL Tech Breakfasts • AlleyNYC Events • Ramon Ray’s Events via Smart Hustle Magazine • Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator Events • See GarysGuide.com for opYons too • Erica Duigan (Angel Investor) Events… • New York Angels Events • Daybreaker Morning Dance ParYes...Trust me • Etc.
• My Events – Dinners for Hustlers… #CoolPeopleOnly – “Stories @ WrkBench” Events
credit: worldvision.org
Women Pitching • Don’t Accept Bar/Hotel Pitch Invitations (#FacePalm)• Always Feel Free to Bring a Friend/Co-Founder• Give Your Email, Not Number
– Email = Professional (Anyone, Friends, Loves Ones)– Number = Very Personal (Friends and Loved Ones)
• If You Feel it’s Turning into a Date and you’re not ok, leave. Meetings should be 30 mins but be the judge of time.
• Join Women Focused or Women Founded Groups– 37 Angels by Angela Lee– Susan Lyne’s BBG Ventures– Findspark.com (young creatives) by Emily Miethner– Spire & Co (formerly Smart Girls Group) by Emily Raleigh– Dreamers / Doers Group by Gesche Haas– WAM Ventures by Veronica Guzman– Etc.
More?
• Networking/Startup Pitching 101 eBook coming soon…
• follow me at @arjunraime for latest news
My Ask
• 3 Goals in 10 Years– Open Hogwarts for Kids in Art/Tech/Entrepreneurship– Start a Jimmy Fallon-Like / Shark Tank Comedy Show
for Young Entrepreneurs– Invest in High School/College Startups– Turn WrkBench.io into the top art driven tech
enterprise to empower creatives around the world…– Space Tech…more on that later
Will you join me? I want to meet the coolest people around. Share the most interesting ideas ever. We as
a society thrive ONLY on human capital.