Crafting a pitch that can’t be ignored

VCs and media reporters are overwhelmed with pitches, which means that crafting the perfect one and connecting with a reader in the few seconds you have their attention is critical.

So what do you do to prep a pitch that can’t be ignored and/ or deleted? To answer that question, we asked Mike Butcher, Editor-at-Large of Techcrunch who have probably read more pitches than any other journalist should ever be expected to. Mary Glazkova set down with Mike on the topic during our annual Deep Tech Night which the Untitled Ventures holds during Web Summit in Lisbon.

We’ve highlighted a few tips from the conversation, below, including getting the empathy right, and how to reach out to a reporter and VC reps.

1. Do not pitch people on Instagram!
   Apart from email, Mike Butcher gets pitches via Whatsapp, Telegram, LinkedIn, Facebook messenger and even Instagram. We know cases when startups send pitch decks via social media. Let’s go back to a more outdated way of contacting journalists and VCs, shall we? Maybe phone calls go a bit too far, but email is where it’s at. Social media is a great way to make connections. But it is not for sending paragraphs of text and presentations.
2. Master your storytelling!
   As a startup, developing your storytelling skills is crucial. “Don’t start your pitch talking about your solution. The problem is much more interesting,” Mike says. “Name the problem first, then share a story of how you came up with a solution.” And don’t get bogged down in the details. “Nobody cares where you are from”, he added. “It doesn’t matter anymore. VCs are over this. What matters is what you are doing. Location is dead.” But don’t say you have an AI startup — everybody does nowadays, hello! Deeptech is verticalized now. So tell what vertical you are in and how you are doing it better (well, with the help of AI, yes).
3. Remember, you are important!
   If you are a mom of two or looking after somebody full-time, or you just can’t get from your bed for any reason — your talent demands that reporters and VCs are gonna listen to your terms. Talent is unpacking. You can now dictate your terms and use your skills building databases or a startup, managing a team or creating designs from home. You can now easily connect with any VC or media, you don’t need to have a London address or a Delaware company to get on a radar. Just remember the first two paragraphs!