Nobody Understands Your Pitch (Sorry!)
VP Ruth Morris dives into the do's and don't's of a successful pitch
If you’ve ever shared your pitch and been met with polite nods and blank stares—you’re not alone.
At the MTLC Innovation unConference, Scott Kirsner—with the assistance of Danielle Duplin, Sung Park, & Brent Willess—led a candid and hilarious session called Nobody Understands Your Pitch (Sorry!). Founders, investors, and storytelling pros came together to tackle a hard truth: most startup pitches miss the mark.
Not because the ideas are bad. Because the message gets lost—too long, too vague, or too focused on what you do instead of why it matters.
Here’s what stood out (and stuck with us):
Lead with the Hook, Not the Backstory
You’ve got 10 seconds to grab someone’s attention. Use them well. A great pitch starts with something sharp—an unexpected stat, a question, a shared frustration. If you open with a timeline or a tech spec, people mentally check out. As one speaker put it, your pitch should evoke an emotion, not a nap. Surprise them. Make them care.
Think Bumper Sticker, Then Build
The best pitches follow a rhythm:
Bumper sticker: A sharp, memorable line.
Expansion: What you actually do.
Proof: A quick example or early win.
Promise: Why it matters and where it’s going.
Close: A line they’ll repeat when someone else asks about you.
Match the Moment
Your pitch should flex depending on where you are—on a stage, in an elevator, at a barbecue. A hallway version shouldn’t sound like a demo. Keep it short, human, and conversational. Share just enough to spark interest and leave room for questions.
Make It Easy to Repeat
A strong pitch is one that someone else can retell. The goal is not just clarity—it’s transferability. Your story needs to be simple, memorable, and grounded in emotion. People don’t remember feature sets. They remember how you made them feel.
Be Specific. Really Specific.
Avoid jargon. Don’t say “next-gen solution” or “revolutionary platform”—say what it actually does and why it matters. One Toast founder nailed it early on by asking: “Ever go out to dinner, only order water, and still split the check evenly?” Everyone got it. That’s why it stuck.
Lead with the Problem
Investors repeated this over and over: What problem are you solving, and why are you the one to solve it? If that’s not clear in the first minute, you’ve lost them.
Practice Without Sounding Scripted
The best pitches feel natural, not rehearsed. Try them out at coffee shops, team meetings, and yes, barbecues. If someone understands it, remembers it, and maybe even repeats it, you’re getting somewhere.
And if you’re still getting blank stares? Now you know why.
These insights came from a session at MTLC’s 2025 Innovation Unconference.