3 Tips for Startup Meetings and Pitches

by Sarah Khogyani

David Weekly met up with our startup teams this week for one-on-one mentorship sessions. The teams pitched their ideas, and received plenty of valuable advice. After which, David let me in on three general things to remember when pitching business ideas.  

1. Make your idea easy to understand.

“Don’t make me try to guess what your company is,” Weekly emphasizes. In fact, the most effective ideas should be explained in one sentence, if not three words. Listeners don’t like feeling confused, and so communicating clearly and directly helps you move onto more productive discussions. 

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2.  Have a conversation.

Rehearsed presentations are awkward in meetings. If you’re talking to one or two people, be personable. You should know your pitch well enough to talk about it naturally. This will both engage your listeners make your pitch interactive. 

3.  Ask questions.

In order to get the most out of a meeting, ask for what you need. Whether that is an email contact or just simple advice, most people who meet with you are willing to help.

David Weekly is a Founder of Hacker Dojo, a non-profit community center aimed at providing programmers in the SF Bay Area a place to collaborate and innovate. A seasoned entrepreneur and coder, David regularly advises early-stage tech companies.