Do You Want To Learn The Right Way To Pitch Investors To Raise Your Angel Or VC Funding?
Zero to Pitch: How to develop a killer investor pitch and pitch deck
Zero to Pitch is designed to provide CEOs with the techniques and skills you will need to effectively pitch your company to prospective investors. I will guide you, step by step, slide by slide, so you have a dynamic pitch and presentation that gets investors excited about your company.
Click the link below to Apply to Zero to Pitch:
I’ll never forget how nervous I was before presenting to a VC for the first time. I was an EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) at a VC fund based in San Francisco, and my co-founders and I were going to give a dry-run presentation to Dave and Alain, the two VC partners I was working with.
We were driving up from the peninsula to the fund’s office in the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It’s about a one-hour drive from my house, give or take, depending upon traffic.
We were about halfway through the drive when I realized that I had left my computer (with the presentation on it) at home.
“Do you have a backup of the presentation on a stick?” I asked “Jim,” my co-founder.
Fortunately, Jim had the backup I had given him, so we continued on to San Francisco.
When we got to the VC fund’s San Francisco office, I told Dave and Alain that I had forgotten the pitch. Alain looked at me, smiled and said, “It’s just us, Brett.”
Oh god, and our pitch? To put it mildly, it sucked.
There was way too much text. And we got way too much into the details.
For example, my co-founder, John, said to me, “We need to show them (potential investors) how everything functions at the transistor level.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “From what I’ve seen as an EIR, that will go over the heads of investors.” Then, I continued, “But, if you want to do it that way, then go for it. We’ll learn whether you’re right or not.”
We included the detailed engineering description in our pitch. We got to the engineering section of the pitch, and Dave, my mentor at the VC fund, said, “That’s way too much detail. You’re going to lose everybody if you do that.”
I wish I knew then what I know now.
Dave said to me, reassuringly, after we completed our pitch, “Everyone’s pitch sucks at first. You’ll get better.”
Over the next several weeks, our pitch deck went from horrible to adequate. Then, over the next several months, it went from adequate to really good.
But I had an advantage that you’re not likely to have. I was getting expert coaching and guidance from a venture capitalist on how to make my pitch better.
Plus, as an EIR, I was watching other CEOs pitch to our partnership. It was obvious, after sitting through enough pitches, why some companies got funding and other companies didn’t get funding.
To get funding, you need to learn how to pitch the right way.
The road to getting funding is usually never easy. In my case, we were raising our initial funding in the worst possible funding environment ever, the Great Recession.
The bar was really high, and, making matters worse, we were building a semiconductor company. To say it nicely, semiconductor investments were no longer a hot area for VC investment any more. We were rejected by 63 investors before the 64th investor stepped up.
We’d made it through the gauntlet of raising money, but just barely.
I have helped CEOs like you raise funding rounds between $50,000 and $150,000,000. Recently, I was talking with a CEO that was working with me. I asked Ray, “What did you do before you worked with me?”
“I just tried to put a deck together on my own,” he said.
“What else did you try?” I asked him.
“I looked at pitch decks on the internet, and I tried to use these as examples,” he said. “The problem was I couldn’t get my deck to fit what they were doing.”
“How did you practice presenting?” I asked.
“I didn’t,” he said.
If any of this fits your experience, don’t worry. You’re just like everyone else. Even better, there is a solution to help you develop a dynamic pitch deck. We’ll get back to this in a bit.
But for now, let’s get back to my story...
As I said, my deck got much better, and so did how I presented my deck. Once I learned what investors wanted in a pitch deck and how they wanted the information presented to them, I was like a blind man that could now see.
Pitching investors not only became easier, it actually, as hard as it is to believe, became fun.
The change in the way investors reacted to our pitch changed dramatically. Suddenly, we were getting invited for second and third meetings with investors. Soon enough, we inked a deal for $12,000,000 in funding. We were the only semiconductor company in the Silicon Valley to raise Series A funding that year. That’s how tough it was.
Introducing Zero to Pitch
I created Zero to Pitch so you don’t have to experience the pain I went through raising money.
Zero to Pitch is based on my experience successfully raising over $100,000,000 in venture capital and private equity funding. Zero to Pitch is also based on my experience helping CEOs raise rounds between $50,000 and $150,000,000.
Zero To Pitch is designed to provide you with the techniques and skills you will need to effectively pitch your company to prospective investors. In Zero To Pitch you will pitch your company to me, and you will get feedback on your pitch from me multiple times.
You’ll learn how to prepare and present your pitch deck the right way:
- You’ll learn the information you need for your pitch deck
It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But determining the information that belongs in your pitch deck is deceptively hard.
After all, you’re not putting together a 39 page business plan. You’re putting together a 8 to 10 slide pitch deck.
I learned the hard way about what belongs in a pitch deck. My original pitch decks were horrible. There was way too much information that overwhelmed our audience and got in the way of telling our story.
I’ll teach you how to avoid these mistakes in Zero to Pitch.
- You’ll learn what doesn’t belong in your pitch deck
As I said, I put way too much information in my original pitch deck. But I learned quickly the right amount of information, and the depth of the information that belonged in a good pitch deck.
Your job is similar to that of a good movie editor. I’ll teach you what to cut out of your pitch deck, so your pitch packs the maximum punch.
- You’ll learn how to get potential investors attention fast
The classic mistake I’ve seen too many CEOs make is they take way too long to get to the point. That’s a recipe for an investor passing on investing in your company.
The reality is you’ve got maybe seven seconds to get an investors attention. That’s why your first slide is the most important slide in your deck.
I’ll teach you how you can get an investor to want to invest in your company based only on your first slide.
- You’ll learn how to properly sequence your pitch deck for maximum effect
Your pitch deck is telling the story about you and your company. Just like any good story, you want the story of your company to build.
Done right, a properly sequenced pitch deck anticipates and answers your investors questions in the order they expect.
Done wrong, an improperly sequenced pitch deck brings up more questions than answers, causing investors to pass on investing in your company.
- You’ll learn how to properly prepare for investor meetings
A great pitch deck is just part of what’s necessary to score an investment.
I’ll teach you the tips and tricks I learned about how to properly prepare for your investor meetings.
- You’ll learn all my best presentation tips that have helped me raise funding
Do you know what the rule of four is?
Do you know to use your movement to emphasize a key point?
Do you what poor man's animation is?
These are just some of the tips you'll learn about how to put together a killer pitch deck and presentation that will help you raise money.
I’ve pitched investors hundreds of times, raising over $100 million in venture capital and private equity in the process.
Think of your presentation like a movie, and your words and presence are the soundtrack to the movie. I’ll teach you how you can add significant value with how you present your company.
How you’ll benefit from Zero to Pitch:
You’ll get the benefit of all my experience raising money and helping CEOs with validated business ideas raise money.
I will guide you, step by step, slide by slide, so you have a dynamic pitch and presentation that gets investors excited about your company.
After completing Zero to Pitch, you’ll have a complete pitch deck that will give you the knowledge and tools to raise funding.
Course details for Zero To Pitch:
Actionable content that you can immediately use:
I will teach you, slide by slide, and section by section, how to put together and present a killer pitch deck.
- Eleven Modules on how to build and present your pitch deck that you can watch and review on your own schedule. Plus…
- Three pitch days. You’ll get to pitch me three times! You will get my direct feedback on your pitch, and a video recording of your pitch. Plus…
- Lifetime Access to the Private Facebook Group. I will be in the Private Facebook Group every day to answer your questions. Plus…
- New! I Will Answer Your Questions During Weekly Zoom Office Hours. Consider this your time to ask me anything, real time, 1:1, forever! Plus…
- Your own personal video of your three pitch days! There’s no better way to improve than watching a video of your pitch with my feedback.
I will teach you, slide by slide, and section by section, how to put together and present a killer pitch deck:
- Introduction Slide/Executive Summary
- Team Slide
- Market Slide
- Technology/How It Works Slide
- Product Roadmap Slide
- Competitive Analysis Slide
- Go To Market Strategy/Business Model Slide
- Financials Slide
Pitch Day Number One
- You’ll pitch your first slide/executive summary to me. This is the most important part of your pitch deck because you win or lose based on this section.
- I’ll give you actionable feedback
Pitch Day Number Two
- You’ll pitch your first slide/executive summary to me again. This is the most important part of your pitch deck because you win or lose based on this section.
- I’ll give you actionable feedback
Pitch Day Number Three
You’ll pitch to me again. Except this time, it will be your whole pitch.
You’ll get my constructive feedback.
By the end of the program:
- You will have an awesome pitch deck
- You will get my honest and direct feedback on your deck
- You will understand how to pitch your company in one slide
- You will understand how explain how your company’s product works to any investor
- You will learn how to provide a competitive analysis that helps explain who you’re competing with and why you’ll win
- You will learn how to explain your roadmap so it doesn’t look an afterthought
- You will learn how to present your team slide (a common problem is CEOs regularly take 10 to 15 minutes to present this slide which kills their momentum) in less than two minutes
- You will learn the right way to present your financial information to investors
- You will learn how to properly prepare for investor meetings
- You will learn what should be in slide deck and what should be in your backup slide deck
The Resource Center:
Resource #1: You’ll get expert coaching and feedback on your pitch deck and pitch:
You'll be able to review your pitch deck with me, and you'll be able to present your whole pitch to me too.
You’ll get my honest feedback on how you can improve your pitch and pitch deck.
Resource #2: Zoom Office Hours:
Every week during the course, I will have office hours using Zoom. This was a huge hit with my first group of Zero to Pitch students.
You get lifetime access to office hours. By the way, the office hours are one student at a time, and the information shared is confidential.
You can ask me anything you want. It doesn't have to be about Zero to Pitch.
Resource #3: You’ll be held accountable:
I’m going to hold you accountable to get your work done. Besides me, you’ll be surrounded by a like-minded group of students that are pushing towards the same goal that you are.
Resource #4: Lifetime access!
Yes, that's right. You get lifetime access to all the material in Zero to Pitch and to me. Let's say you've successfully raised your funding, and you're ready to raise your next round of funding.
You can go through the material Zero to Pitch again as a refresher. And you can sign up for office hours to ask me any questions you'd like.
Zero To Pitch Is Designed To Deliver Results:
The goal of Zero To Pitch is really simple. I want you to complete this program with a dynamite pitch deck and presentation that will help you raise money.
"Zero to Pitch and Brett helped us quickly put our business plan and pitch into the more laser-focused lense that investors expect and to better tell our full story succinctly. Despite not being in our industry, Brett got into our value drivers and pushed us in some ways that’s been very helpful. Hearing and engaging with peers wrestling with similar questions was also very helpful; it caused me to rethink how to bring various parts of our story to life better." Brandon M. Founder and CEO of a FinTech Start-up
Testimonial:
“I recently completed the Zero to Pitch workshop with Brett. I found it very helpful in developing a really good Pitch Deck for our new startup.” Michael Warshall, Founder and CEO, Emotion
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will I get your feedback on my pitch deck?
Yes! You’ll get my honest and direct feedback on your pitch deck.
I’m not located in Silicon Valley. How do I participate in Zero to Pitch?
All you need is an internet connection to participate in Zero to Pitch. All of the material is available online, the pitches are conducted on Zoom.
You can go through Zero to Pitch at your own speed.
How is Zero to Pitch different from other coaching programs?
The thing that makes Zero to Pitch so effective is its live interactive format.
The best way to learn how to pitch and present your company to investors is to actually pitch your company. And that's what you'll do in Zero to Pitch.
The course material comes from my own experience raising over $100 million in venture capital and private equity, and the work I have done helping CEOs raise rounds between $50,000 to $150,000,000.
You'll get my direct feedback on your pitch deck and your presentation.
How many people can enroll in Zero to Pitch?
An unlimited number of people can enroll in Zero to Pitch. However, your experience in Zero to Pitch is personalized because you will pitch your company to me, one on one. And my office hours are 1:1.
Are there Office Hours?
Yes, I have Office Hours on Zoom every week during the course. And, Office Hours are confidential. You get lifetime access to office hours with Zero to Pitch.
Who will teach the material in Zero to Pitch?
I will teach the material in Zero to Pitch.
“Brett presents his courses in a clear, logical and straightforward way. As start-ups, we often look at the world from the bottom up while Brett’s focus is the other perspective; how will others see what we are doing and will they easily understand why. I particularly enjoy the common sense approach with no spin. Always reliable, eager to help, insightful based on experience, Brett has guided and nurtured participants to understand how to put all the pieces together, and to keep working on it to make it better. Passionate, he truly wants you to succeed. Highly recommended.“ Alex Babauskis