Want to know how to win at a startup pitch event? Watch this

Wondered how to win at a startup pitch?

Normally at pitch events, the person that wins isn’t the best. It’s the person that sucks the least. That sounds harsh right?

Let me break it down for you.

So many pitches are dull and uninspiring. You have about 15 seconds to get attention and intrigue from an investor. After 15 seconds they tend to switch off and think about something else.

You do not want that to happen.

So, why are judges at events?

It’s unlikely an investor is going to find a great startup at one of these events. They’re done for ‘giving back’ and personal PR (let’s be honest, investors aren’t charities, they’re business people).

They don’t really care who wins- it’s not their money. So internalise that the person who sucks the least wins… because they:

Were entertained
What you’re doing is cool and they want to encourage more of that kind of company
Your fundamentals (ie business model) makes more sense than everyone else’s
Everyone was terrible and you were the least terrible (I’m being harsh)

The first one is a little hard to get right. You as a founder want some money and so probably are inclined to dress up and be a bit professional… That’s not really needed. You’re not a banker.

You can be as fun and inspiring as you want, so long as what you say makes sense and your traction is there too.

It may seem risky to ‘put on a show‘ but it’s waaaay better than being boring!

As Dave McClure shouted at the Singapore Premoney conference I organised “Stop being so boring!”

“Stop being so boring!”

Dave McClure

Investors are VERY ok with you being fun. You can be more boring when you aren’t on stage. It’s ok to be a showman!

Rather than me rambling, let’s get to it. THIS is what fun looks like. There isn’t a competition this dude wouldn’t win (unless he was on stage with Slack or something).

THIS is what:

fun looks like
preparation looks like (Look how he checks the clock. In the second video, he ends on 60 seconds on the dot)
confidence looks like
not losing control when you make a mistake (CAQ?) and just rolling with it
how to win at a startup pitch

The crowd’s applause is what a great pitch results in.

There isn’t a competition this dude wouldn’t win (unless he was on stage with Slack or something).

I highly recommend watching this video a few times and pick up how he does what he does. Then apply those learnings to YOUR personality.