Reflections
In my professional life, I have attended a number of pitches and demos. Very quickly, pitches can become repetitive, particularly if they are similar products. In my experience, one of the biggest annoyances is respect for time. In designing my pitch, I kept time top of mine and aimed to keep my pitch closer to the 5 minute mark, rather than the 8 minute maximum the assignment allowed. And I am proud I was able to succeed at this goal without sacrificing any information or the quality of my pitch.
Another element I have noticed can make or break a pitch is the ability to present a cohesive brand. Some pitches may have inconsistent slides/images/logos. While the product may be great, the lack of a cohesive brand can give potential investors the impression that the product is far from ready for market, the team is not prepared, or the team in place is missing marketing leadership. In designing my pitch, I spent a lot of time refining the brand. All the assets in the elevator, venture pitch, and website are consistent.
Finally, I think it is really important to sell potential investor not just on a company, brand, product, but also on a story or journey. In designing my pitch, I tried to personalize it by connecting my professional experience to the genesis of the product. Further, I end my pitch by connecting investors to the story. Doing so, I think, provides a unique ending that invites investors to participate in something with a bigger purpose than just another investment.
In Assignment 1, one of the pieces of feedback I received was that connecting the company/product to an real individual can appear more credible. For this assignment, I put myself front and centre (which I hate doing). Particularly for a pitch, I do think this lends credibility to the information and strengthens the pitch.
One of the weaknesses of my pitch is in the market and product analysis. The product I am imagining in my pitch does not exist and is quite unique. While there are many indirect competitors, as there are a plethora of onboarding products out there, it was challenging to find credible market projections for this industry and position my product within this market in a persuasive way.
Another element I have noticed can make or break a pitch is the ability to present a cohesive brand. Some pitches may have inconsistent slides/images/logos. While the product may be great, the lack of a cohesive brand can give potential investors the impression that the product is far from ready for market, the team is not prepared, or the team in place is missing marketing leadership. In designing my pitch, I spent a lot of time refining the brand. All the assets in the elevator, venture pitch, and website are consistent.
Finally, I think it is really important to sell potential investor not just on a company, brand, product, but also on a story or journey. In designing my pitch, I tried to personalize it by connecting my professional experience to the genesis of the product. Further, I end my pitch by connecting investors to the story. Doing so, I think, provides a unique ending that invites investors to participate in something with a bigger purpose than just another investment.
In Assignment 1, one of the pieces of feedback I received was that connecting the company/product to an real individual can appear more credible. For this assignment, I put myself front and centre (which I hate doing). Particularly for a pitch, I do think this lends credibility to the information and strengthens the pitch.
One of the weaknesses of my pitch is in the market and product analysis. The product I am imagining in my pitch does not exist and is quite unique. While there are many indirect competitors, as there are a plethora of onboarding products out there, it was challenging to find credible market projections for this industry and position my product within this market in a persuasive way.