For the past 17 years, I’ve listened to tens of thousands of pitches. Investor pitches, yes - but also sales presentations, internal updates, boardroom discussions, and early conversations with customers.
And there’s one moment that almost always determines how the rest of it goes.
You feel it before you can name it.
Something shifts.
Someone says something unexpected.
A number that didn’t quite add up.
A story that landed closer to home than you were prepared for.
And without really noticing, you stop doing whatever else you were doing.
You stop scrolling.
You stop multitasking.
You start listening.
That moment is the hook.
And it's not just for investor pitches. It applies everywhere.
It's the attention grabber you need in every presentation, every sales call, every important conversation you'll ever have.
Any time you need someone’s attention - this is the moment that decides whether you have it or not.
If you want people to listen - truly listen - this is non-negotiable.
Where It Usually Goes Wrong
Most founders, most presenters, most professionals start wrong
They open with background.
With context.
With “Let me tell you a bit about us” or “Before we dive in…” or “My name is… and I’m going to talk about…”
None of that information is wrong.
It’s just badly timed.
And by the time they get to the good stuff?
Their audience is already gone.
They’ve mentally checked out.
They aren’t rude or disengaged.
They’re just overloaded in a world of infinite distractions.
Their phone is nearby.
Their inbox is full.
Their brain is already running three parallel tracks.
Thinking about their next meeting, their lunch plans, or that email they forgot to send.
You've lost them before you've even begun. And you might not even realize it until it's too late.
And that’s when you start fighting uphill for the rest of the presentation.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
The first 30 seconds of any presentation isn't about conveying information.
It's about earning the right to be heard.
It's about making someone decide, consciously or not, that you're worth their attention.
Many people treat the opening like a warm-up. Something to get through before the “real” content begins.
That's a mistake.
The opening is the content.
It’s the moment where your audience decides whether you’re worth listening to.
Everything else depends on that decision.
Immediate impact: You lose attention in the first minute. Even if you recover, you're now fighting an uphill battle to re-engage an audience that's already mentally wandered.
Long-term effect: Your message doesn't stick. People remember how you made them feel, and "bored" or "uninterested" isn't the impression you want to leave.
Hidden cost: You never know what you're missing. The investor who would have leaned in. The client who would have said yes. The opportunity that slipped away because you didn't grab attention when you had the chance.
Missed opportunity: Every presentation without a hook is a presentation where you're competing with everything else in the room - and losing.
The Solution: Crafting a Hook That Works
A great hook does one of three things: it surprises, it creates tension, or it establishes immediate relevance. Sometimes all three.
Surprise them. Open with something unexpected. A counterintuitive fact. A statement that challenges what they think they know.
When the brain encounters something unexpected, it pays attention.
Create tension. Open with a problem, a conflict, a gap between what is and what could be. Tension creates curiosity. Curiosity keeps people listening. They need to know how this resolves.
And if you make it into a personal story that creates emotion - it becomes unforgettable.
Establish immediate relevance. Open by speaking directly to something your audience cares about. Their problem. Their world. Their stakes.
When people hear something that's about them, they listen.
How to Apply This (Today)
This is what I tell founders before any important moment.
Cut the filler - it’s boring
Whatever you planned to say in your first minute, remove it. Very often, the real hook is hiding in minute two.
Test it out loud
Say your opening and listen to your own reaction. If it wouldn’t make you look up, it won’t work on anyone else either.
Make it about them
Your audience doesn’t care about you yet. They care about their problems, their risks, their world. Start there.
Earn their attention first.
The Bottom Line
The hook isn’t a trick.
And it’s definitely not a nice extra.
It’s the foundation.
Every word you speak in those first moments shapes whether anyone truly hears what comes next.
Attention is a choice.
Your audience will choose to give it to you - or not - in the first moments you speak.
A strong hook will get that attention.
A weak one will lose it in a heartbeat.
Your Next Step
It's time to audit your opening.
Take whatever presentation, pitch, or important conversation you have coming up.
Look at your first 30 seconds.
Apply the hook test: does it surprise, create tension, or establish immediate relevance?
If not, rewrite it.
Today.
That’s all for today.
See you next week.