Why Investors Don’t “Get” Your Pitch — And How to Fix It

You’ve built a unicorn. Or at least, you know you have. But when it comes time to pitch it, people just nod and say, “Interesting.”

One founder told me even other scientists need 30 minutes to understand what they do. That’s a problem.

If investors don’t get it in under 90 seconds, they’re not opening their wallets.

Let’s talk about why—and how to fix it.

1.🧠 Know what your audience actually wants to hear

Many founders pitch the product. What investors need is the bigger picture: problem, market, momentum, and people.

Heather Caouette put it plainly:

“Before you go into the conversation, you need to know what they’re trying to get out of it—and what would speak to them.”

You're not just showcasing your science. You're showing them why it matters, and why it will win.

2.🧍♀️ Don’t just pitch the product. Pitch yourself.

You are the company’s greatest asset—and potential risk. So if you don’t show up with presence, clarity, and self-awareness, investors won’t buy in.

I shared this truth during our conversation:

“Investors are not just looking at your plan—we’re looking at how healthy your company is… Are you having fun? Are your people sticking around? That tells us everything.”

Show you can scale the business without breaking the team.

3.🧪 Translate the Science

You can’t expect investors—or buyers, for that matter—to live in your lab. One thing Heather and I both agree on: founders live and breathe their solution too deeply to notice when they’re losing people.

So take it back to Warren Buffett’s golden standard:

“If your data and matrix can’t be understood by your grandma, your pitch isn’t ready.”

We call it the “Grandma Test.” It works.

4.🚩 Acknowledge risks (and competitors)

This one separates mature founders from amateurs.

No market? No competition? No problems on the horizon? Heather flagged this as a red flag for investors:

“If there are no competitors, that means you haven’t done enough market research.”

It’s not about perfection—it’s about preparedness.

5. 🎭 Let your personality show

You’re not a robot in a lab. You’re a builder, a visionary, a real human with quirks and confidence. Heather made this point loud and clear:

“Let your quirks show. Show who you really are.”

Because confidence isn’t just about vision. It’s about showing people you can lead others through uncertainty.

6. 🛠️ Practice for every buyer type

You never know if you’ll pitch a visionary, an operator, a data head, or someone completely unpredictable. So you need message flexibility baked into your delivery.

Here’s how I frame that challenge:

“The more you can ask the right question, the more you can feed the answer into that conversation.”

Great communicators don’t just talk. They listen—and adapt in real time.

If you’re still stuck in “they don’t get it” territory, you’re not alone.

But the fix isn’t another version of your slide deck. It’s a shift in how you tell the story.

Let’s make your brilliance understandable—and investable.

🎧 Related episodes you would also enjoy

1. Ep 121 — Navigating Capital Fundraising in Health Tech: Strategies for Success: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-health-tech-capital-fundraising-strategies-sabrina-p6e1c?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_series_entity%3BplyJXbTtSwSvxs6raOG0Xg%3D%3D

2. Ep 104 — Financial Freedom for Founders: Expanding Beyond Traditional Funding with Ben Utley: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/financial-freedom-founders-expanding-beyond-funding-sabrina-leqlc?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_series_entity%3BplyJXbTtSwSvxs6raOG0Xg%3D%3D

3. Ep 117 — The Conference Chessboard: Winning Moves for HealthTech Leaders with Shawna Smith and Sabrina Runbeck: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/conference-chessboard-winning-moves-healthtech-sabrina-nuryc?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_series_entity%3BplyJXbTtSwSvxs6raOG0Xg%3D%3D

About Sabrina Runbeck, MPH, MHS, PA-C

Sabrina helps growth-stage health tech founders amplify their profits and visibility with a capital readiness approach powered by PulsePoint Path’s 12-seat advisory board. After more than a decade in surgery and neuroscience, she’s become a trusted voice for investor-aligned strategy and founder clarity.

Her podcast “The Provider’s Edge” ranks in the top 5% globally, and her clients have been featured in top media while raising capital with confidence. Sabrina is also the host of the HealthTech Showdown, a game show where innovation meets visibility.

★ NEXT STEP ★

Ready to turn your pitch into a magnet? Let me write it for you. 👉 PulsePointPath.com/Pitch-Workshop

Need executive clarity now? Let’s create your growth blueprint in under 5 hours. 👉 PulsePointPath.com/Call-Sabrina