Let me tell you something I see all the time.
At almost every pitch event I attend, there are usually one or two founders who end their pitch with a QR code.
It leads to their website, their product page, or even a special offer:
“Scan here to try it!”
“Join our beta!”
And it makes me upset - because I know what’s coming next.
The investors in the room - me included - might glance, maybe even scan it out of curiosity.
But mentally?
We’ve already moved on to the next pitch.
Because we’re not there to become customers.
We’re there to find our next unicorn.
That’s our job. That’s our purpose. That’s our focus.
So yes - we might try your product later if we fit your ideal customer profile.
But that’s a bonus, not the point.
In that moment, we’re not judging how it feels to use it - we’re judging how it grows as a business.
And that’s a completely different conversation.
The Common Confusion: Pitching to Investors Like They’re Customers
Many founders fall into the same trap - they treat their investor pitch like a sales pitch.
They focus on features and design.
Because that’s what they’ve learned.
It’s great when a founder walks me through the customer journey - I want to see the problem, the pain, and the path.
But only so I can judge whether it’s realistic, repeatable, and scalable.
I don’t need to be the customer.
I just need to believe there are many customers who will buy - consistently, profitably, and with room to grow.
That’s the difference.
When you try to sell me the product, you pull me out of my role as an investor.
You make me think like a buyer - not a backer.
And that’s the fastest way to lose my focus.
Speak Investor, Not Customer
Here’s what the best founders understand:
Investors and customers have completely different triggers.
When pitching investors, focus on:
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The business model — how money flows and multiplies
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The go-to-market — how you win customers repeatedly
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The margins — how much you keep
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The timing — why now
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The defensibility — why you stay ahead
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The team — why you’re the ones to pull it off
Because that’s what investors listen for.
That’s what makes us lean forward.
You don’t have to sell us the product - you have to prove that others will buy it.
And that you can make that purchase repeatable, predictable, and profitable.
Confidence isn’t saying “try it.” Confidence is showing that thousands already have — and you know how to reach thousands more.
The Bottom Line
Your investor pitch is not a sales pitch.
Selling kills investor trust.
Investors aren’t there to experience your product - they’re there to see if you can turn that product into a machine that grows.
That's all for today.
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See you next week!