A 10-second Pitch

Your 10-second elevator pitch describes your company in 3-7 of the simplest words possible.

Create a concise 3–7 word elevator pitch that conveys your company’s essence, ensuring clarity for investors and a broad audience.
 
Focus on simplicity, inviting language, and a maximum length of 80 characters.
 
Whether emphasizing the product, user benefits, or a relevant comparison, aim for a clear and compelling introduction without overwhelming details.
 
Length: Maximum 80 characters (approx. 3 – 7 words)
 

Example: Book rooms with locals rather than hotels.

Whether you start by defining your product, highlighting user benefits, or drawing a useful comparison, prioritize making that aspect of your story exceptionally clear.

Avoid the pressure to include every detail about your company; instead, provide readers with a straightforward entry point.

Transform a Bad Pitch into an Effective Pitch

Check for these mistakes:

    1. Could you further simplify? Iterate until you can’t replace a single word with a clearer and simpler alternative.

      DO THIS

      “We deliver groceries to customers in their homes.”¹

      Every word has a reason to be in this elevator pitch.

      NOT THAT

      “We are a next-generation, AI-based resolver of grocery needs”

      A human wouldn’t speak like this in everyday conversation.
    2. Are you using industry jargon? If you’re using industry-specific terms, find new ways to say the same thing so that industry outsiders understand as well.

      DO THIS

      “Curing cancer in dogs”²

      Advanced technology, but a simple pitch. The clarity and emotional appeal of this pitch captures the curiosity of a broad audience.

      NOT THAT

      “Cost-effective CAR-T cell therapy for dogs”

      Accurate but less accessible to the broader investor audience that would otherwise be interested.

    3. Say it out loud. Does it sound conversational? Avoid words like disrupting, revolutionizing, groundbreaking, and innovative.

      DO THIS

      “Portable personal gym that fits in a suitcase.”

      Simple and specific; tells you exactly what the product does.

      NOT THAT

      “Innovative home fitness equipment. Budget & storage friendly.”

      How exactly is it innovative?

    4. Test your readability: Copy and paste your tagline ideas into a readability checker (like Readable) to see what grade level they score. Readability scores aren’t everything, but they can help point you in the right direction. Aim to score at a 7th grade level or below.

      DO THIS

      “Book rooms with locals rather than hotels”

      4th grade readability

      NOT THAT

      “A revolutionary booking platform set to overtake the failing hotel industry”

      14th grade readability.
    5. Remove your company name. It already shows up on your company card.

      DO THIS

      “Where good ideas grow”

      NOT THAT

      “Silicon Prairie is where good ideas grow”

    6. Remove extra metrics. Describe only what you do. Your metrics and stats get their moment to shine in your Business Highlights campaign page section.

      DO THIS

      “Portable camp stove for cats”

      NOT THAT

      “Portable camp stove for cats. 40% MoM Growth!”

Test Your Elevator Pitch By Asking For Feedback


Write your 10-second elevator pitch in an email or text to a friend who doesn’t know what you do.

Then ask them to write what your company does in their own words.

Hey (friend’s name),

Testing our one-liner before we start fundraising with it:

(Company name) is {10-second elevator pitch}.

Could you write back in your own words what you think my company does?

Thanks!

Remember you’re testing the written version of your pitch, so do this with email or text.

If your friend needs to ask clarifying questions, then keep working on it.