TSP009 | Paul Grossinger – How To Make Your Pitch A Winner
Posted by John Livesay in podcast | 0 comments
Listen to the podcast here
Episode Summary
Paul Grossinger is an entrepreneur and angel investor and shares some key insights as to what makes a successful pitch. He truly believes practice makes perfect and tells the audience to always keep practicing no matter how many speeches you have given. He also tells future entrepreneurs not to push the investor too hard from the beginning. Investors need to build a relationship first before they will invest in you and your company.
Key Takeaways
- 01:30 – How did Paul go from journalism to being an investor?
- 05:24 – Paul pays attention to the team and why they’re a right fit for that company.
- 10:20 – Paul likes to really get to know a company well before investing.
- 16:00 – You have to be confident in your delivery when you’re pitching. Practice, practice, practice!
- 22:40 – What are some common pitching mistakes startups make?
- 27:20 – Paul doesn’t always like to go by the book, but recommends a few of his favorites which are Drive by Dan Pink and Purpose Economy by Aaron Hurts.
Tweetables
[Tweet “The most successful entrepreneurs we see are ones that have a deep understanding of their market.”][Tweet “Carve your own path”]
[Tweet “You have to have confidence in your delivery. You have to practice your pitch delivery at least 50-100 times.”]
[Tweet “There is no exception to practicing.”]
Links Mentioned
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Drive by Daniel H. Pink
Purpose Economy by Aaron Hurst
Want the Transcription?
Share The Show
Did you enjoy the show? I’d love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!
- Click this link
- Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork
- Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section
- Click on ‘Write a Review’
TSP005 | Andrew Ackerman – How Meerkat Got Funded
Posted by John Livesay in podcast | 0 comments
Listen to the podcast here
Episode Summary
Andrew Ackerman is the Managing Director for DreamIt Ventures. He was the COO of Bunk1.com and shares some insight on how he pitched people within 30 seconds or less. Andrew also talks about how Meerkat got started and what it takes to get the attention of a potential investor.
Key Takeaways
- 02:40 – Andrew talks about Bunk1.com
- 09:20 – Don’t pitch everything, just pitch enough so your customer asks you more.
- 17:15 – The one skill that’s critical for an entrepreneur is empathy. Put yourself in the investor’s shoes.
- 18:35 – Andrew breaks down the different viral levels a company can fall under.
- 24:05 – Andrew talks about Meerkat.
- 27:10 – Help an investor understand what makes your company special right off the bat.
- 31:10 – Reach out to Andrew via email with a warm introduction and a clear subject line.
Tweetables
[Tweet “Don’t pitch everything, just enough to get them to lean forward.”]
[Tweet “It’s important for people to realize that just ’cause you’re in love with something doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to pursue.”]
[Tweet “Meerkat is an overnight sensation two years in the making.”]
Links Mentioned
Mastering the VC Game by Jeff Bussgang [book]
Andrew Ackerman runs DreamIt’s startup accelerator program in New York. Serial entrepreneur, former investment manager at a family office, and recovering management consultant. Follow at @AndrewAckerman and @DreamItVentures.
DreamIt is one of the top accelerators in the world, having helped launch 178 companies since 2008 including SeatGeek, Meerkat, LevelUp, Adaptly, Parsely, Elevate, Cloudmine, Biomeme, et. al., who have collectively gone on to raise $270M and who are worth over $810M.
DreamIt is currently accepting applications for the DreamIt Health Philly program starting in July. Application deadline May 1:
http://dreamit.com/apply/
Want the Transcription?
Share The Show
Did you enjoy the show? I’d love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!
- Click this link
- Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork
- Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section
- Click on ‘Write a Review’
TSP004 | Andrew Medal – From Prison To Angel Investor
Posted by John Livesay in podcast | 0 comments
Listen to the podcast here
Episode Summary
Andrew Medal has a remarkable story on how he went from a prison inmate to becoming a serial entrepreneur. He talks to John about how he became an Entrepreneur magazine contributor, his charity work with Last Mile, and shares some insightful tips on how entrepreneurs can get investor interest without any experience or a working prototype.
Key Takeaways
- 02:15 – Andrew talks about how he got his job working for an angel investment firm.
- 05:20 – What’s considered a great pitch versus a bad one?
- 09:10 – Andrew talks about the charity project he’s involved with called Last Mile.
- 16:35 – Mistakes are an important part of an entrepreneur’s journey. Don’t give up on taking chances and risks.
- 21:30 – How can entrepreneurs raise money without a working prototype?
- 28:30 – Andrew recommends people read The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Tweetables
[Tweet “Paint a picture to #investors. Become the #Picasso of Pitches.”]
[Tweet “There’s a lot of first time entrepreneurs that don’t have experience, so explain to your investors why you’re the right team.”]
[Tweet “Just because you’ve made a mistake, doesn’t mean you should stop dreaming.”]
[Tweet “No matter what we’re doing as entrepreneurs, if we’re learning in the process, we’re growing and we should never stop learning/growing.”]
Links Mentioned
http://buzzsumo.com/
http://www.invisionapp.com/
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
AndrewMedal.com
@AndrewMedal
Want the Transcription?
Share The Show
Did you enjoy the show? I’d love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!
- Click this link
- Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork
- Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section
- Click on ‘Write a Review’