As a newly minted Venture Partner I’ve seen a few hundred pitches and pitch decks the past 12 months. While this is nothing compared with some of my peers, I’ve noticed a few clear patterns start to emerge. Patterns which, if founders were better prepared, would significantly increase their chances of securing investment.
It’s worth pointing out that none of the advice I’m about to give is new. In fact there are tons of articles out there listing all the things that should go in a successful pitch. However, coming from a user-centred background, I thought it could be helpful to explain what’s going through an investor’s mind when reviewing your pitch. Because if you’re able to understand the narrative that’s building up in their heads, and can address their questions and concerns before they’ve been expressed, you’ll have a much higher chance of making the right impression.
Setting the Context
Before we jump into the pitch itself, it’s worth setting a bit of context. First off, the most active Partners might see a dozen pitches a week, while their associates — the ones who are tasked with selecting which start-ups get to pitch — are likely to review many more. In fact it wouldn’t be uncommon for a Venture Fund to receive over 3,000 pitch decks a year, of which 150 would be invited in to pitch and maybe 30 make the cut. That’s a lot of pitch decks to sift through.
