1.
TOP TIPS FOR
PITCH WRITING
Leading advice from experts &
pitch competition winners
10

2.
“Use this as an
opportunity to refine why
you exist and how you
make your customer’s life
easier. Not only will this
result in a compelling
pitch, but it will be a
motivating reminder of
the very reason you
embarked on your
entrepreneurial journey.”
Tip #1
START WITH THE 'WHY.'
G L E N N E L L I O T T
CEO of PractiFI
PitchComp winner, 2017

3.
“I look for founders with
a relevant personal
connection and unique
capabilities for the
mission their company
is on, as well as unique
technology and insight
into a large potential
addressable market.”
Tip #2
SHARE YOUR MISSION.
A I L E E N L E E
Founder and Partner
Cowboy Ventures

4.
“We’re looking for entrepreneurs who
are ‘thinking big’ and who have bold
plans to go after large market
opportunities. Big ideas, especially
when tied to a broader sense of
mission and purpose, have the power
to inspire both financial capital and
human talent, the two key ingredients
for building a business.”
Tip #3
PAINT YOUR VISION.
J O S H S T E I N
Partner, DFJ

5.
“Pitch decks shouldn’t
have 500 slides. Your
slides should guide the
audience in a five-
minute journey. Give
me a reason and keep
me looped in. Don’t
drag it out.”
Tip #4
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
S C O T T K I T U N
CEO, Technori

6.
“Never lose sight of who is
listening when you’re making
a pitch. Your vision can be
flawless, but it also has to
matter to the person hearing
it. Make sure that you’re
hitting hard and fast on what
matters most to your listener
— and, of course, speaking
their language.”
Tip #5
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.
L E Y L A S E K A
EVP, AppExchange

7.
“A great pitch tells a story
about the problem you are
trying to solve, how you will
solve it and why you are
the right team to do it. But,
most importantly, it should
convey the passion the
entrepreneurs have for
their idea.”
Tip #6
CONVEY PASSION.
S C O T T R A N E Y
Partner, Redpoint Ventures

8.
“A perfect pitch inspires hope in
what’s possible and a belief in
what’s achievable. And it doesn’t
matter if the objective is massive
or minuscule—it just has to be
important.”
Tip #7
BE INSPIRING.
S T E V E J A C O B S O N
CEO & Co-Founder, Appinium
Dreampitch Finalist, 2016

9.
“Just in the process of
continually getting
feedback from people,
you get a feel for what
people react to, and it’s
not always what you
expected would be the
thing that would get
someone to nod his or
her head.”
Tip #8
GET FEEDBACK.
T E D B R O W N
CEO & Co-Founder, Digital Onboarding
Dreampitch Winner, 2017

10.
“You have to anticipate
difficult questions and
have the answers ready
— or at the very least,
demonstrate that you
are in the process of
searching for the
answer.”
Tip #9
ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS.
N A T A L I E K A M I N S K I
CEO & Founder, goBaby

11.
“I’m drawn into pitches that have an
authentic quality to them, and are
delivered in a way that shows the
founder lives and breathes their
company. It’s also prudent to
highlight your traction without
sugarcoating or embellishing, since
most investors can see through
smoke and mirrors relatively easily.”
Tip #10
DON'T SUGARCOAT.
A R L A N H A M I L T O N
Founder, Backstage Capital

12.
NOVEMBER 7, 2017: Pitch your way to $250K
Apply now for an opportunity to participate in #Dreampitch at #DF17
APPLY BY OCT 1: go.appexchange.com/Dreampitch-DF17