Startup Pitching: Start with your Bio
There are so many online resources to help you develop the perfect pitch deck for investors. Many of us know Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule, and venture capital firms, such as Sequoia Capital and NextView Ventures, provide templates and advice for you. And I can’t argue against doing exactly what a particular VC wants to see.
However, I would like to make the case for something that is not commonly advised by investors: start your pitch deck with your bio.
Those who know me personally know that I am big fan of Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures. I originally got the idea from him, which can be viewed here, and I’ve been advocating it for a lot of founders ever since.
I’ll keep this short and sweet.
Why start with your bio?
Establish Immediate Credibility
VCs and angel investors see so many pitches that they all tend to blur together. You need to grab their attention and establish credibility quickly. One way to do this is to give them a great reason to listen to you.
If you’re a former NASA employee who has an undergraduate engineering degree from Stanford and a PhD from MIT, let them know as early as possible. Maybe you sold your last company for $500M? Mention that too. The beginning of a pitch is no time to be modest.
Note: If you have co-founders, include them too.
The Same Principles are Used for Public Speaking
Before you can convince an audience to accept anything you say, they have to accept you as credible.
Ever hear of the three pillars of public speaking? Ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos means credibility, and public speakers are taught to establish ethos in the introduction of a speech. Why should a pitch deck be any different?
More on ethos, pathos, and logos here.
The Power of Starting with Your Bio
I had coffee with a San Francisco tech entrepreneur last week, and I gave her this advice. She has an incredibly impressive resume; she has an engineering PhD from one of the top universities in the country, and she worked for the Department of Defense.
It was the first time she received this advice, and she seemed a little skeptical. Then, she realized how investors’ eyes lit up whenever she mentioned her accolades in the past. Obviously, it benefited her before and I hope she’s doing it while she’s fundraising.
Bottom Line
Starting a pitch deck with your bio is not common advice in the startup world, but it can be very effective. Hey, if Mark Suster advocates it, it can’t be that crazy, right? Public speakers use the same principles to immediately establish credibility, and this may be able to benefit your pitch.
