Whether you're a creator, leader, or brand champion, it's important to know how to pitch your ideas in a clear and memorable way. This guide runs through our top 10 pitch tips for success and exercises you can do to prepare for your next pitch!

1. Pitching an Idea, Prototype and Startup
Women of Silicon Valley

2. 2
Hello!
My name is Kristen Scheven
CMO at AngelHack
@KristenScheven
Kristen Scheven
#WinTechSeries

3. Pitching as a Lifestyle
For over six years, we’ve launched
● Hackathons
● Virtual competitions
● Accelerator programs
● and Meetups to over 100 cities around the globe.
( = thousands of new pitches each year)
As a female-owned, female-majority company,
we aim to promote an inclusive environment
through the creation of holistic hackers both
inside and out of the Silicon Valley bubble.

4. Why Pitch?
● Leader
● Champion
● Creator
You’re a

5. Anywhere. Anytime.
● In Elevators!
○ But most likely not…
● In Reality
○ 45-Seconds of Small Talk
○ 3-Minutes of Competition
○ 30-Minutes of Opportunity

6. #Goals
● Break down your idea
● Build idea back up in a
- Clear, Simple, Memorable Way
● Pitch said idea with
- Confidence and Tenacity
● Continue pitch growth

7. Pitch Workshop

8. BE PASSIONATE
NUMBER ONE

9. THINK ABOUT YOUR PITCH EARLY
NUMBER TWO

10. KNOW WHO IS PITCHING
NUMBER THREE

11. REST UP
NUMBER FOUR

12. THE GOLDEN POINTS
NUMBER FIVE

13. IMPORTANCE OF NEXT STEPS
NUMBER SIX

14. DON’T MEMORIZE; USE GUIDEPOSTS
NUMBER SEVEN

15. DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE
NUMBER EIGHT

16. ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS
NUMBER NINE

17. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
NUMBER TEN

18. THE HERO’S JOURNEY
PRO TIP

19. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
PRO TIP

20. BUILD A DECK LIBRARY
PRO TIP

21. Breaking Down An Idea
https://beta.techcrunch.com/2015/06/08/lessons-f
rom-a-study-of-perfect-pitch-decks-vcs-spend-an
-average-of-3-minutes-44-seconds-on-them/

22. 10 / 20 / 30 Rule

23. Lean Canvas Model - Exercise

24. Lean Canvas Model - Example

25. Lean Canvas Model - Exercise

26. THE HERO’S JOURNEY
PRO TIP

27. The 5-Act Pitch: Exercise
Turn your pitch into a five act story,
using 30-60 words for each act (Based on 110-150 WPM)
Act 1. We meet our hero.
Act 2. We discover the hero’s problem.
Act 3. Our hero finds their “force”.
Act 4. An army of heroes.
Act 5. The listener becomes the hero.
Adapted from Base Templates Best Pitch Guide:
https://basetemplates.com/pitch-deck-guide/pitching-exercises

28. The 5-Act Pitch: Example
Act 1. We meet our hero
(audience / customer segment)
Zoe is a pug, she enjoys a lavish
lifestyle of sleeping 16 hours a
day, and when she isn’t
sleeping, Zoe is running around
with her cat-pal, Merlin. She also
enjoys watching copious
amounts of Parks and Rec on
Netflix.

29. The 5-Act Pitch: Example
Act 2. We discover the
hero’s problem.
With Zoe the pugs exciting way
of life, she doesn’t have the time
or patience to deal with
unrestful sleep. The problem is,
her small snout causes one big
problem, snoring. And not just
the kind that keeps her owners
awake, but the type or snoring
that wakes her up too.

30. The 5-Act Pitch: Example
Act 3. Our hero finds their
“force”. (product solution / USP)
This problem was wreaking
havoc on Zoe’s sleeping
schedule. That is until she came
across the Pug-tastic humidifier.
This dog-sized, bone-shaped
product created such a restful
sleep that now she has the
energy to finish an entire P&R
season in one day.

31. The 5-Act Pitch: Example
Act 4. An army of heroes.
(market validation / revenue)
Zoe isn’t alone in her canine
search for the perfect night's
sleep. Humidifiers reduce the
risk of infections and helps keep
skin soft and vibrant. Pups all
over the world can dream
peacefully knowing their
happiness comes first.

32. The 5-Act Pitch: Example
Act 5. The listener
becomes the hero.
(call to action / unfair advantage)
Being a pug-expert gives me an
insider advantage to solve this
problem, but I can’t do it alone.
I’m raising $1B to increase our
monthly sales to $1T and hire
two new pug models. Will you
help change the world for pugs
as they know it?

33. The 5-Act Pitch: Exercise
Turn your pitch into a five act story,
using ~30-60 words for each act
Act 1. We meet our hero (audience / customer segment)
Act 2. We discover a problem.
Act 3. Our hero finds their “force”. (product solution / USP)
Act 4. An army of heroes. (market validation / revenue)
Act 5. The listener becomes the hero. (call to action / unfair
advantage)

34. Pitch Growth: Where to Next
● Effective Communication
○ Tone
○ Gestures
● Preferred Environments
○ Intro vs. Extro
● Practice Tools
○ Toastmasters
○ Apps

35. #Winning
● Break down your idea
● Build idea back up in a
- Clear, Simple, Memorable Way
● Pitch said idea with
- Confidence and Tenacity
● Continue pitch growth

36. Questions?

37. 37
THANK YOU!!
@KristenScheven
Kristen Scheven
#WinTechSeries