The 5-question method to build a winning startup elevator pitch. | VC & Startup Jobs.
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Deep Dive: The 5-question method to build a winning startup elevator pitch.
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How to use Reddit to grow your startup — a lesson from a $1M SaaS founder.
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📜 TODAY’S DEEP DIVE
The 5-question method to build a winning startup elevator pitch.
Every founder dreams of that perfect elevator pitch - a 30-second ride that ends with millions in funding. While this movie scenario is unlikely, crafting a compelling elevator pitch is crucial. It's often your startup's first impression on potential investors, setting the stage for future conversations. A well-honed pitch can open doors, even if it doesn't immediately open wallets. So polish that pitch - you never know when you'll need it.
There are lots of articles surfing on the internet but still, many founders struggle to create elevator pitches for their startups. So in today’s writeup, I am going to share a “5 Question framework” that can help you to create an elevator pitch.
Also, many founders believe that they just need to have one elevator pitch and they can impress anyone. But this is not true, I believe you need to have multiple versions of an elevator pitch like - The emotional benefit version, the Success story version, the pressing call to action version and the version where you reference competitors. I will share more ideas on how to create each version of an elevator pitch. So let’s deep dive into this:
What is an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch won’t get someone to invest in your company, but it’s going to whet their appetite and get you in the door. It’s thirty seconds long. That’s the usual “rule” given for elevator pitches. You’ve got 30 seconds to share an enormous amount of information about the company.
Your elevator pitch isn't about speed-talking; it's about impact. Every word should count. This brief but powerful message isn't just for investors - it's the essence of your company's identity. It'll shape your website's "About Us" section and become the go-to description for everyone in your organization, from the CEO to the newest intern. Think of it as your startup's movie poster: a quick glimpse that tells your whole story and leaves people wanting more.
One of the most common questions that every founder has is - “How long should an elevator pitch be? Do I really only have 30 seconds?”
Look, nobody's gonna time your pitch with a stopwatch. If it takes 31 seconds, no biggie. But here's the thing: you can pack a lot into 30 seconds if you're smart about it. If you're rambling on, it might be time to tighten things up.
Now, rules are made to be broken, right? Take Tesla. Their pitch is longer, but damn if it isn't effective. Elon Musk might be in hot water lately, but the guy knows how to sell an idea. Some folks can keep you hooked for a full minute and leave you sold.
But let's be real - not everyone's Elon Musk. The 30-second thing is just a guideline, not a hard rule. What matters is nailing your audience, the situation, and your startup's value. That's the secret sauce.
So why bother with elevator pitches? Simple. They force you to boil down your big idea into something snappy and memorable. It's like a first impression for your business - make it count!
Why elevator pitches are such a big deal?
First off, it's all about grabbing attention. You've got this killer idea, right? The elevator pitch is how you make someone else go "Whoa, tell me more!" in just a few seconds.
It's not just for impressing investors, though that's a big part. Think bigger. Remember how Steve Jobs lured John Sculley away from Pepsi with that line about changing the world? That's the power of a great pitch.
Your elevator pitch is like your secret weapon. It's how you stand out at crowded conferences, how you snag those first crucial customers, and how you get top talent interested in joining your team. Hell, it's even what makes your LinkedIn profile pop.
The key thing? It's gotta work on people who've never heard of you before. That's where it differs from your pitch deck. It's your first impression, your hook, your "here's why you should care" moment.
5 question framework to create an elevator pitch -
To re-iterate, the five basic pieces of information that will be contained in an elevator pitch are:
Who you are
What you do
How you do it
Who you do it for (i.e. the customer) and
Why now (the urgency of your idea)
And then, sitting on top of this is the need to make it accessible to the listener. This means you need to assume that they’re not aware of your business, or anything about the sector that you’re in.
Here's a great example of this. Here’s a pitch that was proving unsuccessful for a startup:
“I work on nanotechnology to deliver medical therapies to targeted cells.”
It has all five of the elements of an elevator pitch in there. It covers:
Who you are (a medical science company)
What you do (medicine)
How you do it (nanotechnology innovation)
Who you do it for (people who need medicine)
Why now (it improves the delivery of medicine)
Now, technically, it hits all the marks. But let's be real, unless you're deep into nanotech, your eyes are probably glazing over already.
So they went back to the drawing board and came up with this: "We are using the manufacturing techniques of the computer industry to make better vaccines."
Boom! Way more accessible, right? It's less jargon but packs a bigger punch. It's the kind of thing that makes people go, "Huh, tell me more."
And get this - that new pitch? It landed them an investment from the Bill Gates Foundation. No joke.
The takeaway? Keep it simple, make it interesting, and for the love of all that's holy, don't assume everyone knows what the hell you're talking about. Your grandma should be able to get the gist of it, you know?
While building an elevator pitch, start by asking yourself these four questions:
Who's your audience?
What's bugging them?
How are you fixing it?
How'll they know you've helped?
Now, here's a neat trick. There's this formula you can use to get started:
"You know how [your people] struggle with [their problem]? I've got [your solution]. It helps them [the benefit] so they can [their goal]."
Let's say you've got this cool gadget that helps people find their lost stuff. Your pitch might go something like:
"Ever been late 'cause you can't find your keys? Happens to tons of folks. I've made this nifty Bluetooth thingy that helps you find lost stuff in seconds. Makes mornings way less stressful, ya know?"
But here's the deal - don't just copy-paste this. Make it your own. Tweak it. Play with it. The last thing you want is to sound like every other startup out there.
Oh, and a pro tip? Don't BS your numbers. Investors can smell that a mile away. Stick to the facts you know are solid. It'll make you sound way more legit.
Remember, this is just your starting point. You'll want different versions for different situations. Keep it fresh, keep it real, and most importantly, keep it you.
Why You Need Different Elevator Pitches
Your elevator pitch shouldn't be one-size-fits-all. Having multiple versions lets you tailor your message to different situations and audiences. Here are a few types to consider:
The Emotional Appeal: Focus on how your product makes people feel. This can be powerful for early customers and marketing.
The Success Story: Once you have clients, share real-world examples of how you've helped them. This proves your value.
The Urgent Call-to-Action: Sometimes you need to push for immediate interest. Craft a version that creates a sense of urgency.
The Competitor Comparison: If you're entering a market with big players, explain how you're similar but different. "We're like X, but for Y."
The One-Liner: Have a super-short version ready for quick encounters or social media.
Remember, context is key. The pitch you use with an investor in an actual elevator will differ from the one you give after a conference presentation. By preparing various approaches, you'll be ready to adapt on the fly and make the most of every opportunity.
📃 QUICK DIVES
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We have curated 30+ investors’ contact databases. Some of these lists we found online, others we painstakingly curated with the Venture Curator team. We’ve double-checked everything to make sure it’s accurate, and we hope it makes your fundraising journey easier.
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I hope this will be useful in your fundraising journey. You can also check out our previous write-up on fundraising on our archive page.
2. How to use Reddit to grow your startup — a lesson from a $1M SaaS founder.
If you're a regular reader of this newsletter, you’ve seen us talk about Reddit lead-generation strategies for B2B founders.
Recently, I came across a founder who scaled his SaaS to $1M in revenue just by using Reddit. No ads. No cold outreach. Just smart, consistent community work. And I think there’s a lot to learn from how he did it.
Here’s the basic idea: Reddit is where people go when they want real answers. Not AI-written blog posts. Not polished sales pages. Just honest, human opinions. And now, because Google pushes Reddit posts to the top of search results for all kinds of long-tail queries, being active there can get you huge visibility — if you do it right.
Some interesting points he shared:
Reddit shows up high in Google search results for niche terms. So when people Google something like “best CRM for freelancers Reddit” — the top result is often a real conversation, not a company page.
AI tools are trained on Reddit data. So your helpful comments and posts might eventually influence what tools like ChatGPT say when someone asks for recommendations.
Users are actively searching for help — and often append “Reddit” to their Google search to avoid sponsored junk.
The founder didn’t show up spamming links to his startup. He started slow:
First, he found relevant subreddits where his target customers were already hanging out (with at least 50K+ members)
Then he spent time commenting, upvoting, and learning the tone of the community
Only after building karma and trust did he begin to post — and a few of those posts ended up with over 1M+ views
He used tools like f5bot to track keywords across Reddit — like pain points, competitor names, and industry-specific phrases. That way, he could jump into discussions right when people were asking for help. These weren’t cold leads — they were people in the middle of making buying decisions.
When it came to posting, he followed a simple rule: Give 95% value and 5% plug.
That means no hard selling. No direct links. Just useful, personal insights — and only mentioning his product when it made sense.
Here are the types of posts that worked well for him:
Relatable posts: sharing a mistake or lesson he learned
Guide-style posts: like the one I’m referencing here
Conversation starters: asking a smart or thought-provoking question
Story posts: walking through a behind-the-scenes moment or customer win
And always — write like a real person. Reddit has a sixth sense for BS. You try too hard to sell, and you’re ignored (or banned). But if you genuinely help people, they will check your profile, ask for your product, or even invite you to share more.
Honestly, I think this is one of the smartest early-stage growth plays for technical or solo founders right now. If you’re building something for a niche audience and want real users and feedback — Reddit is where the conversations are already happening.
3. Framework: Copy that Converts.
Attention spans aren’t getting shorter.
People are just getting better at making decisions about whether they want to keep paying attention or not.
They might only consider your product for a split second before they decide.
Your landing page, social media content, or ad needs to hook them right away and then hold their attention each step of the way towards a conversion.
Here’s how to improve it:
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