Somebody Chose Your Colors. Make It You.
Every deck has a palette whether you picked one or not. Two colors used consistently read as a company; a template's defaults read as a first draft.
· 2 min read
Thoughts
Building things on the internet — apps, experiments, and what they taught me.
RSS
If It Needs Eleven-Point Type, Cut It
Small type on a slide isn't a design problem, it's a decision problem. If the text has to shrink to fit, you haven't chosen what matters yet.
· 2 min read
The Tech Is Part of the Pitch
On a video pitch, your setup is being judged alongside your company. Rehearse the camera, the light and the screen share the way you rehearse the words.
· 2 min read
Two Founders, One Voice
Co-founders pitching together often correct and interrupt each other into a draw. Decide who owns which part before the room, and hand off on purpose.
· 2 min read
Word-Perfect Until the First Question
A memorized pitch survives exactly until someone interrupts it. Know the material well enough to answer out of order, not well enough to recite.
· 2 min read
Dress So Nobody Remembers What You Wore
Your clothes can't win a pitch, but they can spend the first ninety seconds talking over you. Dress to match the room so the room can hear the company.
· 2 min read
The Champion Nobody Actually Calls
Having a "champion" inside an investor group only counts if you've actually reached out to them — an unclaimed advocate is just a name you're hoping will save you.
· 2 min read
Why Some Investors Know More Than You Do
In any room of investors, only a handful truly understand your industry — pitch to the majority who don't, but find the few who do and turn them into your champion before you present.
· 2 min read
Angel Investors: Why Backgrounds Matter More Than Titles
Angel investors come from wildly different backgrounds and risk tolerances, so pitch to the majority in the room, not the two experts who already get it.
· 2 min read
Expensive Money: Why Equity Costs More Than Loans
Investor money often looks cheaper than a loan because you don't pay it back monthly — but a percentage of your company at exit can cost you far more than any interest rate ever would.
· 2 min read
Why Your Ask Number Shouldn't Be a Guess
The dollar amount founders ask investors for is often picked on instinct, like a lottery number — but it should come from the math of what equity actually costs you.
· 1 min read
The One-Pager That Isn't
A one-page investor summary that runs three pages has already failed — the value isn't the format, it's the discipline of deciding what didn't make the cut.
· 1 min read
The Sentence Nobody Can Finish
If you can't finish "we make…" in under 12 words, your pitch isn't ready — the one-liner isn't a tagline, it's proof you understand your own business.
· 1 min read
The Elevator Pitch Isn't for Closing
An elevator pitch exists to earn a second conversation, not to close a deal on the spot — trying to sell in thirty seconds usually kills the sale.
· 1 min read
The Close Door Button
Most elevator close-door buttons aren't wired to anything. Neither is asking for a commitment at the end of a pitch. No company has ever been funded the day it presented — so stop asking for the check and start asking for Thursday.
· 1 min read