How to pitch a VC (from Dave McClure)
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This document provides guidance on pitching startups to venture capitalists (VCs). It recommends including the following in a pitch: a 30-second elevator pitch, a product demo or "money shot", information on the market size and potential, revenue models, proprietary technology, competition, marketing plans, the founding team, and how funding would be used and what milestones it would help achieve. The document emphasizes keeping the pitch brief, memorable, and focused on problems, solutions, and business metrics rather than jargon or projections. It also stresses the importance of practicing and being prepared to demo the product successfully.
![[Pardon The Blatant Commercial]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/howtopitchavc-paris-june-2010-100621081212-phpapp02-131009130840-phpapp02/85/How-to-pitch-a-VC-from-Dave-McClure-3-320.jpg)
![[ The Money Shot ]
• http://Jing.com
• http://ScreenCast.com
• http://Flickr.com
• http://YouTube.com
• http://Scribd.com
• http://SlideShare.com
Demo
Screen Shots
Video
• PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
• demo will FAIL -- have a backup (screenshots, local video, interpretive dance)
• expect to be interrupted](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/howtopitchavc-paris-june-2010-100621081212-phpapp02-131009130840-phpapp02/85/How-to-pitch-a-VC-from-Dave-McClure-13-320.jpg)
![[ The Money Shot ]
• http://Jing.com
• http://ScreenCast.com
• http://Flickr.com
• http://YouTube.com
• http://Scribd.com
• http://SlideShare.com
Demo
Screen Shots
Video
• PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
• demo will FAIL -- have a backup (screenshots, local video, interpretive dance)
• expect to be interrupted
and remember:
• The Script is NOT your Slides – The Script is the FACE of your Audience](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/howtopitchavc-paris-june-2010-100621081212-phpapp02-131009130840-phpapp02/85/How-to-pitch-a-VC-from-Dave-McClure-14-320.jpg)
How to pitch a VC (from Dave McClure)
- 1. How to Pitch a VC aka “Startup Viagra” Dave McClure Founders Fund, Master of 500 Hats Paris, June 2010 dave@500hats.com / @DaveMcClure
- 2. Essential Elements of your Pitch • Elevator Ride (30-sec quick pitch) • The Money Shot (demo) • Size Matters (market) • Nice Number$ (customers + revenue) • SuperHeroes & RockStars (your team) * note: the above are teaser images… they don’t really mean anything; they’re just here to capture your attention.
- 3. [Pardon The Blatant Commercial]
- 4. Dave McClure 2001-2009: • Startup Investor: 500 Hats LLC, Founders Fund • Tech Marketing: PayPal, Simply Hired, Mint • Advisor, Angel Investor: 40+ Startups • Conf. Organizer: Web 2.0, O’Reilly, Startonomics • Stanford Visiting Lecturer: Facebook, Startup Metrics 80’s & 90’s: • Entrepreneur: Founder/CEO Aslan Computing (acq.) • Developer: Windows Apps / SQL DB Admin • User Groups: E-Commerce, Internet, Client-Server • Engineer: Johns Hopkins ‘88, BS Eng / Applied Math GEEK, CODER, ENTREPRENEUR Blogger, StartupAdvisor Internet Marketing, Angel/VC Investor
- 5. Professional Investments (43 deals, 2008-2010, ~$3M) fbFund REV 22 incubator deals ($850K) FF Angel 21 seed deals ($2M)
- 6. Personal Investments (26 deals, 2004-2010, ~$400K) LinkDex oneforty Networked Blogs MyGeng o Votizen Postling EcoMom SiteJabb er Graphicly WePayPlancast Recurly
- 7. 10 Slides to an Awesome Pitch 1. Elevator Pitch 2. The Problem 3. Your Solution 4. Market Size 5. Business Model ($) 6. Proprietary Tech 7. Competition 8. Marketing Plan 9. Team / Hires 10. Money / Milestones Demo Goes Here Teaser Image Goes Here
- 8. 10 Slides to an Awesome Pitch 1. Elevator Pitch 2. The Problem 3. Your Solution 4. Market Size 5. Business Model ($) 6. Proprietary Tech 7. Competition 8. Marketing Plan 9. Team / Hires 10. Money / Milestones The Money Shot: Demo Screen Shots Video Demo Goes Here Teaser Image Goes Here Business Metrics (NOT Revenue Projections) Cu$tomer Testimonial$ “This Shit Rocks.”
- 9. 1. The Elevator Pitch (only 30 sec!) • Short, Simple, Memorable: – “What, How, Why.” • 3 key words or phrases – “Mint.com is the free, easy way to manage your money online.” • No expert jargon… just KISS. Remember to Have Fun (….when you pitch ------> )
- 10. 2. The Problem • What is The Problem? … Make it Obvious. – “Ouch. Yeah, I have that too…” • Who has it? • “Painkiller not Vitamin” • also see blog post: “Your SOLUTION is not my PROBLEM”
- 11. 3. Your Solution • Great Products & Companies do 1+ of 3 things: – Get You LAID (= sex) – Get You PAID (= money) – Get You MADE (= power)
- 12. 3. Your Solution • Great Companies do 1+ of 3 things: – Get you LAID (= sex) – Get you PAID (= money) – Get you MADE (= power) • Describe why your Solution: – Makes your customers Happy – Does it better, different than anyone else • “NICHE to WIN” (Customer Case Study can also go here)
- 13. [ The Money Shot ] • http://Jing.com • http://ScreenCast.com • http://Flickr.com • http://YouTube.com • http://Scribd.com • http://SlideShare.com Demo Screen Shots Video • PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! • demo will FAIL -- have a backup (screenshots, local video, interpretive dance) • expect to be interrupted
- 14. [ The Money Shot ] • http://Jing.com • http://ScreenCast.com • http://Flickr.com • http://YouTube.com • http://Scribd.com • http://SlideShare.com Demo Screen Shots Video • PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! • demo will FAIL -- have a backup (screenshots, local video, interpretive dance) • expect to be interrupted and remember: • The Script is NOT your Slides – The Script is the FACE of your Audience
- 15. 4. Market Size • Bigger is Better • Top Down = someone else reported it – Forrester, Gartner, Your Uncle
- 16. 4. Market Size • Bigger is Better • Top Down = someone else reported it – Forrester, Gartner, Your Uncle • Bottom Up = calculate users/usage/rev$ – Avg Txn = $X – Y customers in our market – Avg customer buys Z times per year – Market Size = $X * Y * Z annually = a big friggin’ # – Market growing @ 100+% per year
- 17. 5. Business Model (How Do You Make Money?) • Describe Top 1-3 Sources of Revenue – Prioritize by Size or Potential • Common Revenue Models: – Direct: ecommerce, subscription, digital goods – Indirect: advertising, lead gen, affiliate
- 18. 6. Proprietary Technology / Expertise • VCs *really* like unfair advantages: – BIG market lead – experienced team – “superior” technology
- 19. 7. Competition (why you’re better *or* different) • List *all* competitors • Show how you’re better… … or at least different if not better or different then -> “NICHE TO WIN”
- 21. 8. Marketing Plan • PR • Contest • Biz Dev • Direct Marketing • Radio / TV / Print • Telemarketing • Email • SEO / SEM • Blogs / Bloggers • Viral / Referral • Affiliate / CPA • Widgets / Apps • LOLCats … how do you get customers & distribution? lots of channels & decisions… choose a few:
- 22. 8. Marketing Plan • PR • Contests • Biz Dev • Direct Marketing • Radio / TV / Print • Telemarketing • Email • SEO / SEM • Blogs / Bloggers • Viral / Referral • Affiliate / CPA • Widgets / Apps … how do you get customers & distribution? lots of channels & decisions… choose a few: 3 Things That Matter / To Measure : 1. Volume 2. Cost 3. Conversion
- 23. 9. Team People that get VCs Hot: • Geeks with deep tech experience • Entrepreneurs who have sold companies • Sales/Marketing who bring in customer$
- 24. 10. Money, Milestones • How Much Money? – 3 Budgets: Small, Medium, Large • What will you do with Capital? – New Hires (Build Product) – Mktg & Sales (Get Customers / $$$) – Ops & Infrastructure (Scale Up)