TES EduProgram – Pitching 😤

Hi all, hope we’re keeping well.

Here’s what was discussed in the 4th session of TES’ EduProgram; which is a weekly panel that brings on three or four people working in the start-up space, and has them discuss a core pillar of entrepreneurship.

The guests for this event included:

• Robert Halligan, COO of PitchedIt
• Charlie Gleeson, CEO of Zipp Mobility
• Faye Walsh, Founder at WakeUp Capital
• Jake Philipps, Former Ecosystem Development Director at Dogpatch Labs

Here are all the nuggets of information I thought were interesting from the talks !

• Pitching is a developed skill, that takes years of practice to hone and master. Do not feel as if you could never do it.
• One of the main points to cover in your pitch, is where will the business will be in 10 years? Does it really transform and impact everything that is being mentioned, and if so does it truly have that much of a lasting impact or can it be revamped even further?
• There is no such thing as a ‘one pitch fits all’ pitch. It is crucial to tailor your pitch to your particular audience; this especially applies to investors. How well do you know the people you’re presenting to? Are you prepared for any possible question they could ask?
• The most common pitfall of a pitch, which was agreed upon unanimously by the panel, is pitching the features instead of focussing on the big picture. People forget to explain the ultimate result and get down to the weeds of it. Don’t chase the problem.
• When you’re an early-stage company, often the most deciding factor of whether or not you will get funding depends on if you already have traction with customers. This is why knowing your target market inside-out is crucial, as well as being open, transparent and honest.
• Figma is a really good resource to make an ‘MVP’ so people can quickly get the idea.
• Talk to more customers and get more validation before you write even a line of code. If you do it all too early you’re going to have to rip it all apart anyway. It’s incredibly important to keep surveying and to keep asking people what they think of the product (never ask guiding questions too, just be honest with what you’re looking for)
• Chances are your pitch is going to be rejected a lot. So be resilient and never take it personally.
• Being the first is not always the best. Here, the company Bird was given; as they were the first on the market but were still making tremendous losses and trying to figure out what exactly they wanted. There are actually several advantages of not being the first product on the market.
• The most anticipated insights: how to actually get better at public speaking.
  • Literally just practice. In front of a mirror, in front of mates, in front of a camera. Just f***ing do it.
  • Toastmaster was cited as a really good resource for this.
  • Give toasts whenever you can to build your confidence for spontaneity.
  • “If I can get my four crazy aunts to understand what I’m trying to say, I’ve succeeded.
  • It takes self-discipline to keep trying and practising, so just start with something you’re passionate about.
• When pitching, the first 5 second earns you the next 10 seconds, which then earns you the next 30 seconds, and so on. The opening is crucial, as you only have 5 seconds to catch people’s attention. Cut out the weeds and get to the big picture ASAP
• Don’t fall into the trap where people start to ask “Okay okay, we get the problem and solution but what’s the product?”

100% the most engaging talk so far, as many of the given stories and insights were super helpful to a socially anxious person like myself.

Thanks for reading it this far if you did, stay safe 👋🏻