Lancer sa Startup débute par une idée.. Une idée que tu vas venir pitcher devant une foule en délire le vendredi soir du prochain Startup Weekend !

Le Pitch Fire, c’est simple. Tu as 2 Minutes pour exprimer :

• Une intro : Qui es-tu et en 1 phrase le titre de l’idée.
• La problématique : La partie la plus importante. Tu dois captiver ! Essaye de raconter une histoire pour illustrer le problème ?
• La vision : Comment tu vas changer le monde  ou pas..
• Ressources : De quoi as-tu besoin pour lancer ton idée ?

Quelques conseils de plus?

On a demandé à un expert du pitch quelques conseils pour vous.

John Lewis est professeur à HEC Paris et coach sur certains StartupWeekend.

John Lewis on How to pitch :

John gave us all the keys to a perfect pitch :

“At the beginning of StartupWeekend, the audience is invited to present an idea for other Weekenders to participate.  Of the 3 weekends I have attended, about one third choose to pitch an idea.  Based on those pitches, participants vote for their favorite pitch and the number of ideas are reduced to about ten.

Pitching your idea at StartupWeekend is different than pitching your idea to an investor or a client.  You are (usually) pitching an idea that is in its earliest stages.  Your goal is to get people interested in turning that idea into a company.  You have a little more than a minute to create excitement about your idea and you.

You are a very important part of the equation.  Would you like to work for free, under very tight deadlines and a crushing workload for someone you did not like?  Probably not.

You need an idea worth exploring and a leader (you) worth following.  We all want to be part of success.  Show everyone how your idea is a great and will be successful.  In your one minute pitch state the name of your idea, what it does and your target market.  Be confident, speak clearly and with volume.  If you are not proud of your idea, why should I follow?

You should prepare a one minute pitch and a three minute pitch.  If there are a lot of people that want to pitch, we have to reduce the allotted time.  Be prepared for the change. And of course, you should practice your pitch.  Use the mirror, your friends and even your mother.  Be a nuisance with the pitch so that you can recite it with vim, vigor and enthusiasm.

I have noticed some characteristics of winning pitches.  First are the points above:  confident delivery of a clearly thought out idea.  Another big advantage is a uniquely identifiable spokesperson.  The winners of ideas tend to be recognizable.  It could be the way they dress, a t-shirt with their idea name, an anecdote that is funny, a prop they carry on stage.  Creativity is the key.

The winners tend to be confident.  Maybe it is false confidence and they have me fooled.  Most likely, the confidence comes from doing research into the idea before the weekend.  Come with an idea where you have a deep understanding and express that in your pitch.

The final point:  don’t come alone.  The people with the winning ideas usually bring a few converts with them.  It really helps if you can convince a friend or two to sign up to the idea and StartupWeekend.  As you lobby for votes after the pitch, which do you think would be more successful:  hunting votes by yourself or as part of a team?

StartupWeekend is a great place to improve your pitching ideas with people in a similar predicament.  You will get impartial and instant feedback on your idea and delivery.  If you do not win, work with another team and improve your skills for next time.
In a follow up post I will identify some of the traits of ideas that become customer seeking companies.”