The 411 On Startups ™

Follow @theStartup411

  • ANGELS 411
    • Angel Investing Statistics
    • Angel Primers
    • Common Deal Mistakes
    • Expected Returns
    • Founder Salaries
    • How Groups Work
    • Net Worth Allocation
    • Tax Incentives
  • ENTREPRENEURS 411
    • Common Mistakes
    • Dilution Through Exit
    • Employee Option Grants
    • Executive Summaries
    • Exit Strategy
    • Finding Angels
    • Founders Syndrome
    • Fundraising
    • General Primers
    • Gust / Angelsoft
    • Hiring The Team
    • Investor Presentations
    • Milestones/$$ to Raise
    • Money Finders
    • Pitching
    • Stealthy or Not
    • Technology Transfer
    • Type of Investors
    • Types of Entrepreneur
  • FUNDING SOURCES
    • Angel Groups
    • Angels
    • Bank Loans
    • Family and Friends
    • Funding Sources Overview
    • Grants
    • Revenue Based Financing
    • SBA Loans
    • Strategic Investors
    • Super Angels
    • Venture Capital
    • Venture Leasing
    • Web/Micro Loans & Crowdfunding
  • LEGAL/CORPORATE STUFF
    • Advisory Board
    • Board Of Directors
    • Founder Agreements
    • Get the Right Attorney
    • Legal Stuff Primers
    • License Agreements
    • LLC or C or S Corp?
    • Non-Disclosure Agreements
    • Patents and IP
    • Restricted Stock
    • Selling Stock — SEC Rules
    • Stock Options
    • Stock Terminology
  • NON-PROFIT CATALYSTS
    • Creating A Startup Culture
    • Economic Development
    • Incubators / Accelerators
    • Organizations
    • Venture Forums
  • OTHER
    • GOOGLE GENERIC SEARCHES
    • LIST OF LISTS
    • TOPICAL
  • PLANNING
    • Business Models
    • Business Planning Software
    • Business Plans
    • Financial Plans
    • Financing Plans
    • Marketing Plans
  • STARTUP MEDIA
    • Blogs
    • Books
    • Podcasts
    • Presentations
    • Videos
  • TAKING THE MONEY
    • Capitalization Tables
    • Convertible Notes
    • Due Diligence
    • Funding Documents
    • Preferred Stock
    • Private Placement Memorandum PPM
    • Term Sheets
    • Valuation
  • Uncategorized
  1.  
  2. ENTREPRENEURS 411
  3. Investor Presentations
  4. How To Avoid Making A Bad Pitch – WSJ
« Survey on Founder Dilution
Echoing Green | Social Change Starts Here | Social Entrepreneurs »

How To Avoid Making A Bad Pitch – WSJ

23 Apr 2009   | Investor Presentations

Tags: investor · pitching

LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
  • http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/04/09/how-to-avoid-making-a-bad-pitch/

All venture capitalists have probably experienced a bad pitch from an entrepreneur. But a couple years ago, the team at Canaan Partners heard a real sleeper. No, we mean, a real sleeper.

The chief executive and vice president of sales for a start-up company visited Canaan’s Menlo Park, Calif., office. Just as the CEO was hitting his stride, really driving home the reason Canaan should invest in his company, a deep, nasally sound vibrated across the conference table. The VP of sales was taking a snooze.

It probably goes without saying, the company failed to attract funding from Canaan. Falling asleep in the middle of a pitch is a rare and extreme example of what not do when speaking to venture capitalists, but there are plenty of common mistakes that can be avoided.

>>> READ MORE at:
  • http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/04/09/how-to-avoid-making-a-bad-pitch/
« Survey on Founder Dilution
Echoing Green | Social Change Starts Here | Social Entrepreneurs »

Popular Posts

  • Milestones – Biotech Startup Milestones – Venture Capital Deliverables
  • Spreadsheet for creating a startup financial plan
  • BizPlanIt Virtual Business Plan
  • Writing an Effective Business Plan — Deloitte & Touche LLP.
  • Discount or cap? A spreadsheet that shows what happens when a note converts.

© 2023 The 411 On Startups ™ — All Rights Reserved.