Startup Studio, the Workshop Series is designed for entrepreneurs including CEOs of early-stage ventures, founders, cofounders and CXOs.
We live in a world where 15-second videos and 140 characters are the norm. You should have a pitch that fits within this framework.
Two-sentence Pitch
The two-sentence pitch is also referred to as the 12-second pitch. I like to use a baseball analogy of a 2-seam fastball. The pitch is a natural pitch with control and has the speed of a fastball but with more movement at the end.
First
The first sentence is a full, yet brief summary of what your company does or provides. Similar to a typical fastball.
Second
The second sentence sets your product or service apart from your competitors’ products or services. The second sentence is important for early-stage ventures as potential investors and potential partners will likely place you into a category or compare you to another venture or another established company. It is better that you provide them with an appropriate and preferred reference versus having them think of their own, which you might not prefer.
Template
For [target customers] who [have a need or demand], our [company or product name] is a [product category] that [offers a key].
Unlike [competitor or alternative], we [are superior in a significant way]
Example: Slack
Slack is a cloud-based collaboration tool for teams, bringing all your communications together into one simple place to make your working life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive. Unlike other messaging apps, team conversations are organized into channels, as Slack allows you to easily share documents by simply dragging and dropping them.
The two-sentence pitch also serves as the start of the elevator or high-concept pitch.
Startup Studio: curriculum + practicum + shared experiences
Image credit: CC by Minda Haas Kuhlmann