Startup  Pitching  101  

by arjun raifounder + ceo

hint: take notes

What  is  a  pitch?  

•  Idea•  About YOU•  Problem•  Solution•  Market (maybe?)

= 60 seconds MAX

Sitting at Events

•  Front Row?– Why? => VIP section, Speaker Section

•  Near the Microphone?– First to Ask a Question

•  Executive Assistant’s Contact?– Duh, they’re busy

•  PR contact?

Steps for Building Relationships

•  “Hello!” Phase•  Coffee/Feedback Phase– Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Deck

•  Drawing Board Phase•  Coffee/Follow Up Phase– MVP+, Deck+, Ask for Money/Advisory Role

•  Aug/Dec = NO Pitching Months

What to include in your deck

•  Pictures Worth a Thousand Words•  Phrases (This is that for that…)•  Timelines•  Logos•  “Less is more!”

You!

•  Ask the “Why?” questions always– Ex: Why did you do that?

•  Be more interested in the investor•  Create a quick phrase to describe your

startup– WrkBench.io Example: “Minority Report or

Iron Man for Visual Collaboration

3 Kinds of Investors

•  A: Shows up to events and pitches but doesn’t invest

•  B: Shows up to events and pitches but may give you a meeting for feedback…most likely working on their own thing

•  C: Shows up to events and pitches and runs their own Family Office or Fund. Most likely will introduce you to other co-investors

•  Some new funds…simply a joke–  research investor backgrounds

A0end  Events    (Professional  and  Fun  Ones)  

•  Joe  Rubin’s  Events  at  FundingPost.com  •  Private  Equity  Forum  by  Starlight  Capital  •  37  Angels  Events  (especially  for  women  in  tech)  •  Rubicon  Venture  Capital  Events  •  VentureCrush/FirstGrowth  Events  by  Lowenstein  Sandler  Law  Firm  •  IVY  Club  (IVY.com  for  Young  Entrepreneurs)  •  AOL  Tech  Breakfasts  •  AlleyNYC  Events  •  Ramon  Ray’s  Events  via  Smart  Hustle  Magazine  •  Entrepreneurs  Roundtable  Accelerator  Events  •  See  GarysGuide.com  for  opYons  too  •  Erica  Duigan  (Angel  Investor)  Events…  •  New  York  Angels  Events  •  Daybreaker  Morning  Dance  ParYes...Trust  me  •  Etc.  

•  My  Events  –  Dinners  for  Hustlers…  #CoolPeopleOnly  –  “Stories  @  WrkBench”  Events  

credit: worldvision.org

Women  Pitching  •  Don’t Accept Bar/Hotel Pitch Invitations (#FacePalm)•  Always Feel Free to Bring a Friend/Co-Founder•  Give Your Email, Not Number

–  Email = Professional (Anyone, Friends, Loves Ones)–  Number = Very Personal (Friends and Loved Ones)

•  If You Feel it’s Turning into a Date and you’re not ok, leave. Meetings should be 30 mins but be the judge of time.

•  Join Women Focused or Women Founded Groups–  37 Angels by Angela Lee–  Susan Lyne’s BBG Ventures–  Findspark.com (young creatives) by Emily Miethner–  Spire & Co (formerly Smart Girls Group) by Emily Raleigh–  Dreamers / Doers Group by Gesche Haas–  WAM Ventures by Veronica Guzman–  Etc.

More?

•  Networking/Startup Pitching 101 eBook coming soon…

•  follow me at @arjunraime for latest news

My Ask

•  3 Goals in 10 Years–  Open Hogwarts for Kids in Art/Tech/Entrepreneurship–  Start a Jimmy Fallon-Like / Shark Tank Comedy Show

for Young Entrepreneurs–  Invest in High School/College Startups–  Turn WrkBench.io into the top art driven tech

enterprise to empower creatives around the world…–  Space Tech…more on that later

Will you join me? I want to meet the coolest people around. Share the most interesting ideas ever. We as

a society thrive ONLY on human capital.

Reach out!

arjun@wrkbench.io

@arjunraime / @wrkbench