Fourth lecture in a workshop on business model generation and startups. Focuses on how to make a succesful elevator or investor pitch.

1. Business Model Workshop
The Art of the Pitch
Keith McGreggor
Director of VentureLab @ ...

4. the Elevator Pitch
the Investor Pitch
+ what VCs look for...

5. but first...

6. what is the point of a pitch?

7. it is NOT to get them to
“write a check”

8. it is this:
to be memorable
for long enough
so that they want
to meet you again

9. three important points
be interesting
be clear
be relevant

10. the Elevator Pitch
the Investor Pitch

13. “so, what do you do?”

14. Start with a strong opening sentence.

15. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

16. Sounds easy enough?

17. exercise: “so, what do you do?”

18. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something be specific
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

19. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something avoid jargon
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

20. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________ no adjectives
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

21. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone identify them
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

22. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________ be very specific
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

23. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone clarify the buyer
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

24. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem clarify problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

25. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem hint at revenue
with secret sauce
_____________________.

26. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________. why different

27. the Canvas
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationships
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channels
financial
cost structure revenue streams

28. infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams
My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

29. infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams
My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
someone
to help ________________
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

30. infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams
My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

31. My company, _______________,
company name
is developing ______________
something
to help ________________
someone
_____________________
solve some problem
with secret sauce
_____________________.

32. the Elevator Pitch
the Investor Pitch

33. raising money
your point of view
x 40

34. raising money
VC point of view
1000
100
business plans
20 due
presentations 2 funded
diligence

35. the money timeline
$$$
3-6 months 2-4 months 1-2 months
due term
homework pitching legal
diligence sheet

36. about that homework...

37. why a VC WOULD invest
the quality of the team
the size of the market
the amount of traction

38. why a VC WOULD invest
the quality of the team
the size of the market
infrastructure offer customers
the amount of traction activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

39. why a VC WOULD invest
the quality of the team
the size of the market
infrastructure offer customers
the amount of traction activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

40. why a VC WOULD invest
the quality of the team
the size of the market
infrastructure offer customers
the amount of traction activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

41. why a VC WOULD NOT invest
the quality of the team
the size of the market
the amount of traction

42. why a VC WOULD NOT invest
hair on the deal
the quality of the team
no exit in sight
the size of the market
focus of the fund
the amount of traction
who else is in
their own expertise

43. you control you cannot control*
hair on the deal
the quality of the team
no exit in sight
the size of the market
focus of the fund
the amount of traction
who else is in
their own expertise

44. some principles

45. FEW words,
BIG fonts,
LESS complexity,
and LOTS of pictures.

49. 30+ point fonts

50. This text is 12 point
This text is 14 point
This text is 16 point
This text is 18 point
This text is 20 point
This text is 22 point
This text is 24 point
This text is 28 point
This text is 30 point
This text is 34 point
This text is 38 point
This text is 42 point
This text is 48 point
This text is 54 point
This text is 60 point

51. Reading is BAD

53. Critically important slide
• Even though this slide is using a 30 point font, the challenge with
this glorious slide is that it is too wordy.
• People who create slides tend to put every word that they are
going to say on their slides. Although this does eliminate the need
for you to memorize your talk, ultimately this makes your slides
look crowded, wordy, and boring.
• Remember, people can read far faster than you can talk, a typical
ratio of at least 10 to 1. So, by the time you’ve bothered saying this
out loud, your audience has finished reading it and has gone from
paying rapt attention to you to checking their email, browsing
Reddit, and updating their Facebook with a status about the most
ridiculous meeting they’ve ever been trapped in and how they need
a bingo call from somebody - anybody - to help them escape from
what’s sure to be a continual onslaught of poorly conceived slides
such as this.

54. keep it SHORT

55. 20 minutes

56. think of what you are
SAYING + DOING

57. people listen to
7% of what
you SAY
people watch to
52% of what
you DO

59. the Baker’s Dozen

60. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer

61. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

62. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

63. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

64. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

65. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

66. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

67. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

68. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

69. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
CAC << LTV
COST < REVENUE cost structure
financial
revenue streams

70. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
partners value
segments
prop.
resources channel
financial
cost structure revenue streams

71. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer
infrastructure offer customers
activities relationship
My company, _______________,
company name partners value
segments
something
is developing ______________ prop.
to help ________________
someone resources channel
solve some problem
_____________________
_____________________.
with secret sauce
financial
cost structure revenue streams

72. Title Team Overview
Problem Solution Value Secrets
Advantage Strategy Model
Projections Requirements Closer

73. for further reference ...

77. Q &A

78. 75 Fifth St NW, Suite 202, Atlanta GA 30308
venturelab.gatech.edu
@venturelab / @keithmcgreggor
keith@venturelab.gatech.edu