Pitch #LikeYouMeanIt: A Founder's Guide to Storytelling Success

Undoubtedly one of the bravest and most challenging professional endeavors, founding a startup is difficult because it requires wearing many hats, overcoming constant uncertainty, and convincing others to believe in your vision.

Public speaking only comes naturally to some, yet investors expect founders to condense a complex idea into a captivating story, convince skeptical investors of a massive opportunity, and deliver it with passion and perfect timing.

Crafting a clear message that resonates with investors and demonstrates traction and market potential (despite limited resources) is exceptionally difficult for the big-idea thinker. Founders must be steady and composed while answering tough questions about finances and competition.

Alternatively, a phenomenal pitch can secure the funding to turn big dreams into big paydays. Strong messaging and urgency ignite investor enthusiasm for a lucrative market opportunity, build trust in your team's capabilities, and position your startup for explosive growth.

Design Like You Mean It is proud to be a Mentor for the current class in the Techstars Boulder accelerator. Twelve weeks later, the Techstars Boulder finale is here! Ahead of the Demo Day pitching event on June 6, we're sharing our pitching tips, so that every founder can pitch #LikeYouMeanIt.

Here’s how to tell a compelling story with your startup pitch:

• Emotional Connection: Establish an emotional connection to the problem you're solving to capture your audience's attention immediately. There are different ways to connect emotionally, and the problem you are solving should determine your approach. Whether through a human story, compelling data, or the market opportunity itself, hook your audience on the pain point you're addressing and the rest of the pitch is that much easier.
• Barriers to Solution: Identify the key challenges that prevent this problem from being fully addressed. Present the barriers as concise bullet points to establish a foundation for your solution's features. Effectively positioning your barriers will set you up to knock them down with the product you are creating.
• Solution Showcase: Highlight your solution's core functionalities, emphasizing their direct connection to the previously identified barriers. Focus on what truly matters to users, avoiding an overwhelming presentation of features; your audience needs to hear what's truly important about the product. A cohesive approach strengthens your product story, showcases the value proposition, and clarifies your competitive edge.
• Business Opportunity: A clear problem and strong solution doesn't guarantee a successful business. Clearly articulate your path towards a viable company. Emphasize any existing traction to bolster your growth potential.

People typically think of pitching as giving a slick presentation, but it's more about storytelling than slides. You need to bring your audience along on a journey with your story and make them feel like they will miss out on something big if they don't say yes.

To learn more, watch this TED Conference video from Investor and teacher Mar Hershenson, which highlights that the secret to successfully pitching an idea is to tap into your audience's fear of missing out (FOMO).

We look forward to celebrating this massive milestone with all the remarkable Techstars alums, mentors, program partners, and community supporters. And excited to see our friends at Verifi and Knoway Labs take the stage. On behalf of the entire DLYMI team and my co-founder, Michael Dusing, we wish the best of luck to the 12 participating companies pitching their ideas at #demoDay. ??