How to prepare a project presentation for investors
For two months, we, the Comindwork project, held 11 presentations for investors. Three of them - during a personal meeting and at a meeting of the Ukrainian club of business angels, UABAN , the other 8 - within the framework of ISDEF , the forum of independent software developers. Useful experience. At first the presentation was in 10 slides. Now there are 4 of them. As the English say, "Less is more", that is, "less is more."
I will not say how I actually prepared. I will say how it was necessary :)
Information online abound. For example, I already wrote about this when I first started, in a post about the 10-20-30 formula. To start, you should rely on the opinion of those people whom you trust in the issue of presentations and venture investment. For me, Paul Graham’s How to Pitch to Investors check text was very helpful as reference points.
Imagine that the entire presentation will consist of a single phrase. What is this phrase? And now, about generosity: from two! Which second phrase will interest almost as much as the first?
That's all. The whole presentation, no matter how long it is, is sticky phrases. That is, memorized phrases that are interspersed with stories and numbers. Definition phrases that distinguish your product and your business show innovation in both.
')
The only way to generate these phrases, and generally learn to talk about your product - pitch everybody , that is, talk to everyone. It is worth training where possible. The Internet, by the way, provides incredible opportunities for this: you can send out a summary of your project to dozens of people who may agree to help you, read a resume and make comments. That's exactly what I did :)
The second thing that was necessary for me personally, as a former techie, is the ability to keep track of time and the ability to simultaneously be in contact with the audience and with your presentation plan. Here the only thing that helps is test presentations. We were going to the whole team, and I trained on the cats :)
Meeting formats can be completely different. I had a presentation from 3 minutes to 20, once it was almost an hour (for a Ukrainian investor, probably for an Estonian it could be even longer). It is worth understanding the exact format, and find out exactly what people are waiting for you at the meeting. Having spent an hour studying the information on an investor in advance, you will already go as a friend, and not waste precious time.
For example, at one of the meetings the investor was a Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, who, as it turned out, was writing his dissertation on semantics. And we had to use this word in the presentation! :) We immediately went to science, and were beaten in full.
I will say it again, because it is not in most checklists. Bring along a copy of the project summary for each meeting participant. It is good if this is one page of text with large fields - it is so convenient for students to write notes while you are talking! And most importantly, they will have material proof of your existence. Plus, the next day there will be a reason to remember this wonderful project.
There are probably no uniform recommendations here. Some investors were well versed in technology, and from one phrase understood the essence of the project. Some, on the contrary, have long demanded details of the solution. So I will tell you which option I came to. My 4 final slides were very simple:
The problem that the project solves. The main outline of the narrative, as in the bad Hollywood films: the problem; victims of the problem; the decision . The task is to make the listeners feel this problem themselves and so that they want to solve it. Mastery, and only!
There are already actually marketing differences of your product from competitors. If there is a prototype, or a working solution, let them know about it! The picture is much better understood than the points of the text. If you, of course, do not make synchrophasotrons.
Estimate the market in advance in the number of potential consumers, and in the volume of payments that they are willing to spend. Both metrics are equally important. And will be severely inspected at the presentation.
Despite the fact that the business model will certainly change, and both parties, both investors and entrepreneurs, know this, the story of the business model is a chance for the presenter to show himself as an entrepreneur. That the numbers are not alien to him. There are three main business models:
1. Advertising model
2. Subscription and additional services
3. Transaction Fees
Honestly, whatever I came up with for my project, well, very competent partitioning. Any of my models fall on these three vectors.
All that concerns money. Under what investment is sought, for what purposes, what is now the status of the project. Sales model, marketing model, P & L, break-even point. Understand why you need money - and bring it to the investor.
That's it, the meeting is over. Do not be lazy to call or write again to the people who were at the meeting. And remind yourself and thank them for their time. After all, the purpose of the first meeting ... right! make a second appointment! :)
I will not say how I actually prepared. I will say how it was necessary :)
Learn more about how to prepare.
Information online abound. For example, I already wrote about this when I first started, in a post about the 10-20-30 formula. To start, you should rely on the opinion of those people whom you trust in the issue of presentations and venture investment. For me, Paul Graham’s How to Pitch to Investors check text was very helpful as reference points.
Clear phrases + exact numbers
Imagine that the entire presentation will consist of a single phrase. What is this phrase? And now, about generosity: from two! Which second phrase will interest almost as much as the first?
That's all. The whole presentation, no matter how long it is, is sticky phrases. That is, memorized phrases that are interspersed with stories and numbers. Definition phrases that distinguish your product and your business show innovation in both.
')
The only way to generate these phrases, and generally learn to talk about your product - pitch everybody , that is, talk to everyone. It is worth training where possible. The Internet, by the way, provides incredible opportunities for this: you can send out a summary of your project to dozens of people who may agree to help you, read a resume and make comments. That's exactly what I did :)
The second thing that was necessary for me personally, as a former techie, is the ability to keep track of time and the ability to simultaneously be in contact with the audience and with your presentation plan. Here the only thing that helps is test presentations. We were going to the whole team, and I trained on the cats :)
Learn more about investors.
Meeting formats can be completely different. I had a presentation from 3 minutes to 20, once it was almost an hour (for a Ukrainian investor, probably for an Estonian it could be even longer). It is worth understanding the exact format, and find out exactly what people are waiting for you at the meeting. Having spent an hour studying the information on an investor in advance, you will already go as a friend, and not waste precious time.
For example, at one of the meetings the investor was a Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, who, as it turned out, was writing his dissertation on semantics. And we had to use this word in the presentation! :) We immediately went to science, and were beaten in full.
Prepare handouts
I will say it again, because it is not in most checklists. Bring along a copy of the project summary for each meeting participant. It is good if this is one page of text with large fields - it is so convenient for students to write notes while you are talking! And most importantly, they will have material proof of your existence. Plus, the next day there will be a reason to remember this wonderful project.
What to talk about
There are probably no uniform recommendations here. Some investors were well versed in technology, and from one phrase understood the essence of the project. Some, on the contrary, have long demanded details of the solution. So I will tell you which option I came to. My 4 final slides were very simple:
1. Project Objective
The problem that the project solves. The main outline of the narrative, as in the bad Hollywood films: the problem; victims of the problem; the decision . The task is to make the listeners feel this problem themselves and so that they want to solve it. Mastery, and only!
2. The essence of the decision
There are already actually marketing differences of your product from competitors. If there is a prototype, or a working solution, let them know about it! The picture is much better understood than the points of the text. If you, of course, do not make synchrophasotrons.
3. Market, competition, business model.
Estimate the market in advance in the number of potential consumers, and in the volume of payments that they are willing to spend. Both metrics are equally important. And will be severely inspected at the presentation.
Despite the fact that the business model will certainly change, and both parties, both investors and entrepreneurs, know this, the story of the business model is a chance for the presenter to show himself as an entrepreneur. That the numbers are not alien to him. There are three main business models:
1. Advertising model
2. Subscription and additional services
3. Transaction Fees
Honestly, whatever I came up with for my project, well, very competent partitioning. Any of my models fall on these three vectors.
4. Offer for investor
All that concerns money. Under what investment is sought, for what purposes, what is now the status of the project. Sales model, marketing model, P & L, break-even point. Understand why you need money - and bring it to the investor.
Follow-up!
That's it, the meeting is over. Do not be lazy to call or write again to the people who were at the meeting. And remind yourself and thank them for their time. After all, the purpose of the first meeting ... right! make a second appointment! :)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/41521/
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