This document outlines tips and best practices for pitching startups. It discusses developing an effective pitch funnel with different levels of depth for elevator pitches, introductory meetings, and longer presentations. It also covers shaping a startup brand around passion and process, and providing the key ingredients of who, what, when, where, why and how in a compelling pitch. The document emphasizes nurturing a pitch with clarity, passion and momentum to build trust.

1. Pitching & Passion Clinic
Pete Cooper
@pc0
The Start Society

2. THE
START
SOCIETY
@startsoc
#startoz

4. Today
Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em
Pitch Funnel
New Tech Landscape - Disruptor or Server
Shaping Your Startup - Personal vs. Process
Nourishing - Getting real
Ingredients - Meat and potatoes process
Tips, Recap, Wrap
Lots more resources
- Google ‘Pete Cooper Slideshare’
- The Start Society search ‘ecosystem’
- @pc0
- @startsoc
- Join StartSoc

5. Pitch Funnel
3 seconds - name and strap line e.g. elevator
30 seconds - ‘you know how’ pitch short form e.g. elevator, first meet, card
3 minutes - ‘you know how’ pitch long form
30 minutes - 30 seconds plus pitch slide pack (whiteboard backup) eg. board
room
3 hours - 30 minutes plus extended Q& A e.g. investment

6. New Tech
Landscape

7. IT
‘Dedicated Service
Providers’
Digital Creative
Agencies
‘Independent
Service Providers’
Tech Startups
‘Disruptive
Product Providers’
Tech

8. Shaping Your
Startup

9. Idea/Market =
Creative + Rational
Brand =
Creative + Rational
Pitching =
Creative + Rational
Choice: Design
Journey
&
Passion
Choice: Format/Process
Choice: Communications

10. Passion

11. If you don’t love it you might as
well go and work in a grey cubicle
on someone else’s dream.

12. If you don’t love it you can’t win.
Build a team that is inspired.
Get investors to buy in.
Fans not clients.
Media.

13. If you don’t love it -
- Selling is harder
- Long races are harder
- Vision is evasive
- Short term product vs long term
category changer

16. Passion
Means different things to different people.
There is no one answer.
But the signs are unmistakable.
Power: Does it energise you?
Enduring: Do you still care about it the next day, week, month, year, decade?
Heart: Do you feel emotion about it (positive or negative or mixed or complex all
fine - just not neutral or detached).

17. Brand

18. What is branding?
Identity - you/company/product/intertwined
Name
Visual identity
Sound or sound or texture or style ‘palette’
Sensory experience, may vary by channel
Channel - web, mobilecall centre in/out, print, email...

19. The Five Points
Know yourself (inputs/reputation/aspirations)
Brand categorisation (types)
Typical approaches (process/ranking/resources)
Test (good/bad/contextually)
Repeat until happy. Endlessly.

20. Know: Be self aware. We all have a brand already.
Know yourself.
First impressions count?
But what percentage of the world/country/city/room actually
know you?
What are you all about?

21. Know: What you stand for, and what others think.
For example ...
Design, Trust, Value For Money, Values, Sophisticated, Simple,
Minimalist … your turn.

22. Know: Your space, segment, tribe ...
For example ...
Financial planning; Dog toys; Cyber security for Satellites
Handcrafted originals
Trusted advice for tech startups
… your turn.

23. Categorisation: Typical Types
Evocative (e.g virgin/apple - progressive but not conservative)
Invented (e.g. google - unique/memorable but slow uptake)
Experiential (e.g safari/explorer - sensing but becomes common)
Functional (e.g. online-vet.com - self explanatory but not distinctive)

24. Typical Approach: Process Steps
Conceptual Brainstorm / Ideation - no bad ideas
Differentiation/Positioning - by horizons (short, medium, long
term) and by scenario (funded, unfunded etc)
Analyse Competitors
Name Generation & Scoring - at least 10 to 20, ideally 100+
Check availability

25. Typical Approach: Name Scoring Matrix Ranking
Unique/Short/Distinctive
Energy/Reach/Depth/Power
Humanity/Natural/PlainLanguage
Sound/PubTest/
Trademark

26. Nourishing

27. Nourishment
The Real Why -
● Personal Motivation;
● USP/WIIFM
The Real How -
● Clarity (Expert Laser Focus);
● Passion (Eyes wide energy);
● Persistence (Force of nature);
● Perception (Trust)
The Real What -
● Have you done the work?
● Tangible vs. Intangible; Show it!
● Up/Down Brands;
● Momentum

28. Ingredients

29. Pitch Ingredients
Why
Who
What
Where
When
How

30. Why Pitch?
Investment
Talent
Awareness
Partners
Customers
Retention
Product
Business
Investment
Education
Opportunity
Trust - Momentum - Story

31. Who to Pitch?
Investors + Mentors + Advisors
Co Founders
Employees
Prospective Team/Customers/Partners
Partners (e.g distributors, financiers)
Customers
Retention
Product
Business
Investment
Education
Opportunity
Trust - Momentum - Story

32. What
You know how
<problem>
What we do is
<solution>
In fact
<differentiator; memorable; usp>

33. Where to Pitch?
Elevator
Board Room
Peers
Demo Day
Public
Anytime
Retention
Product
Business
Investment
Education
Opportunity
Trust - Momentum - Story

34. When to Pitch?
30 Seconds
3 Minutes
30 Minutes
3 Hours
Product
Business
Investment
Education/Awareness
Opportunity
Trust - Momentum - Story

35. How
Tell em.
Clear voice.
Passion.
Focus
(market, product, product, process,
team/culture).
Momentum.
Story (on brand).
Trust.
Tell em.

36. 100%
Of statistics are numbers

37. Pictures
Help retention and positioning

38. “Well chosen quotes are useful”
- From an expert

39. This is the most
important takeaway
that everyone has to
remember.

40. Today
Tell ‘em what you told ‘em
Pitch Funnel
New Tech Landscape - Disruptor or Server
Shaping Your Startup - Personal vs. Process
Nourishing - Getting real
Ingredients - Meat and potatoes process
Tips, Recap, Wrap
Lots more resources
- Google ‘Pete Cooper Slideshare’
- The Start Society search ‘ecosystem’
- @pc0
- @startsoc
- Facebook
- Join StartSoc
- Client work in business technology
strategy and Tech M&A: Cooper & Co.

41. Thanks!
Contact us:
Pete Cooper
@pc0
The Start Society
Founders helping founders
@startsoc
http://thestartsociety.com
Cooper & Co
Business Technology Strategy
@cooperdotco
http://cooper.co