Raising seed? Your MRR and ARR forecasts are a waste of time
It’s common for angel investors to ask for three or five-year projections. That’s ridiculous for most early-stage startups – how can you develop forecasts without any data to extrapolate? The majority of pre-revenue decks that we see make this mistake. They include a hockey stick graph where they’re making millions in year three, but what’s […]
Investors aren’t interested in founders with Productitis – think problem not solution
Founders that focus on features don’t get traction. We affectionately call this “Productitis” and it’s the easiest way to throw away your development budget. The problem is, after years of thinking about an idea, the product’s already built in a founder’s head and there’s no limit on feature creep. They are obsessed with a specific […]
How do I start my pitch? Top tips from industry experts
We spoke to three industry experts to discuss how startups can open their pitches with a bang, demonstrate traction and get investors engaged. Lucy-Rose Walker, Misadventures in Entrepreneuring Keep it concise “A pitch isn’t just about 140 carefully crafted words, it makes you question if you fully understand every detailed element of your business and […]
Three points your pitch needs to cover to win over angel investors
Knowing exactly what investors want from your pitch is difficult, particularly when you’ve only got 90 seconds (or less) to present a convincing case. We’ve highlighted three key sections that investors will expect you to cover and the information to include in each one. 1. Traction Traction is essential. Anyone can have an idea, but […]
We’re helping 3,000 startups get investment-ready in 2021
The Pitch is on a mission to give 3,000 startups the support they need to secure investment this year. We’re launching a hybrid programme of online learning and live semi-final events to give founders the network and support they need to raise funding. We wanted to share what we have planned for 2021 and how […]
Building an app? It’s essential to use analytics from day one
You’ll spend months or, more likely, years building your app. Making countless decisions along the way with the intention of building the best possible version of your idea. So when you launch it, there’s a tendency to think that it’s finished. Time to sit back and watch the users roll in. Right? In reality, that […]
A guide to finding a mentor for your startup
A mentor is someone who can give advice and share their experiences. They’re normally unpaid and work voluntarily, and can be hugely beneficial for startups looking for guidance. Looking for a mentor is daunting, especially if you don’t have a strong network, so where do you start? Think about what you want from a mentor […]
How Khaleelah Jones fought investor bias to build her business
Khaleelah Jones is the founder of award-winning boutique agency Careful Feet Digital and recently launched tech startup Dime. We spoke to Khaleelah about starting her own business, meeting investors and using the lessons she’s learnt building an agency to launch a digital product. What made you decide to start a business? I got my first […]
What investor John Stapleton looks for in businesses
After founding his first business while studying at university, John Stapleton now has over 30 years of experience in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses. Starting with New Covent Garden Soup, John has since built several consumer-led businesses around the globe, including Little Dish. We’re excited to announce that he will be one of The Pitch […]
The dos and don’ts of creating marketing personas
Trying to discover the most effective ways to market to your customers isn’t easy. Where do your audience spend time? What medium would they respond to best? Creating marketing personas will help you to become more informed about the interests, challenges and motivations of your target audience. This will help you to refine your marketing […]
