Pitch preparation 101 v1

Pitch Preparation 101

Know what you want

• Be very clear on what you want the result of the pitch to be.

• Talk to your team beforehand, and know what each person expects.

Set the expectations straight

• Be frank about your knowledge, experience and current situations.

• Deception cannot last long.

• They can see right through bullshit.

Know your stuff

• Whatever role you play, a founder should know his/her product.

• In a pinch, anyone in the team should be able to pitch. Don't depend

entirely on one person!

Know what they do, inside out

• Take time to learn about the company.

• Know the skillsets and profiles of the panel.

• Failure to prepare will hurt, Don't come to a gunfight with a knife!

Be confident, not cocky

• Be proud of what you do, coz if you aren't, no one else will be.

• Dress sharp.

• It's a fine line between confidence and cockiness, tread lightly!

Pitch for the audience, not for yourself

• Make it relatable. Assume very short attention spans!

• Just because something’s in the deck doesn't mean you have to say it.

• Learn to judge the reaction of your audience and tailor the story for them.

Accept when you don't know something

• You are not Google!

• Educated guesses and inferences are okay

• Avoid outright falsehood!

General Tips and TODOs

• Know your deck, inside out.

• Use high contrast on your decks to improve legibility.

• Ensure its readable, even from the back of the room.

• Carry multiple copies of your deck in multiple formats.

• If possible, get to know the stage before hand.

General Tips and TODOs

• Ensure everything works, you don't want to keep the panel waiting.

• Dress sharp, unless you're very sure you can pull off a laid back look.

• Drink water, use restrooms and be generally prepared at least 10 mins

prior to the pitch.

• This is not a test of your language skills, go for clear, easy to

understand language & pronunciation.

If you prepare and perform your best, even a failure is a huge learning

experience.

Above all, stay calm and go for it!

Thank You!Varghese George

@[email protected]