Present and Be Bold
Don’t ever undersell yourself, have something worth saying.
Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to present Enhatch at the NY Enterprise Tech Meetup for the VC feedback event. Besides being an awesome event and a nexus of enterprise tech startup activity in the NYC area, it is was informative to see how other early tech startups pitch themselves. The question that remained on my thoughts after the event was whether founders are paying enough attention to standing out from crowd.
We kicked off our pitch with a pretty clear statement. Enterprise apps suck. Sure, you might disagree with that, but what you cannot say is that it was not provocative. We got some good laughs out of that one and proceeded to demonstrate some of the more ghastly UI’s out there. People came away with a clear picture of the problem we were tackling.
Most of the other pitches were solid and informative as well. But did they leave an impression? Having seen plenty of pitches now in different contexts, it is good to see the overall quality improve and that people are at least practicing before presenting. However in the process of getting the basics down, something gets lost in the translation. In short, they seem to undersell their story.
When I say undersell, I do not mean the vision or traction or milestones achieved. That is all in there with all the great charts and stats needed to support the pitch. Founder have no lack of enthusiasm for talking up the metrics and product. But what is missing is the ingredient that makes the story sound exciting. In essence, they are missing the hook. It’s like getting served steak without the sizzle or watching a comedy without the laugh track or a sporting event without the cheering. It just feels flat.
There is something to be said for coming out swinging. By opening with a provocative opinion or controversial stance or bold prediction. Push an agenda, challenge the common wisdom, or just wow with something wow worthy. Many startups presenting at accelerator demo days often get this right, undoubtedly because they are all competing for attention and capital on that day. Fail to impress during your five to ten minutes on stage, and you might find yourself last in line for investor dollars.
Of course all sizzle can work against you if there is no substance. There is no point in painting the big picture and getting people riled up if you are teetering precariously into hyperbole. Investors will smell the bullshit, and if it is not obvious during the pitch, it will soon come undone soon afterward. Talking a big game only works if you can back it up.
If you got the goods though, it is no time to be humble or timid. Stir things up and be memorable. Remember that if you are pitching investors or customers, they have seen lots of presentations, so you want to make sure they come away with something that jogs their memories and helps them recall how you are different. Be bold, be proud, and make your case as to why you matter!
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