The 9 Ps of Pitching for Money – Part 2: Prepping for the Pitch

1. People

Early-stage investing is 80% about the people and 20% about the product. Why? Because in the early days, no one can say for sure if your idea will work. But a smart, gritty, adaptable founder? That gives them confidence.

So if you want to raise money, start networking like crazy. Learn everything you can about who you’re pitching to. Who are their mutual connections? What’s their background, their philosophy, their fund cycle? You’ve only got a short window to make a connection, so use every advantage.

2. Process

Fundraising is a process. It takes time. Realistically, plan for six months from "let's raise" to money in the bank. And that’s if things go smoothly.

Start with 12 months of cash runway before you begin. You never want to be negotiating from a place of desperation. When the investor knows you’re almost out of cash, they’ve got leverage—and that’s not where you want to be.

Also, fundraising is massively distracting. You’ll be meeting, emailing, prepping decks, following up. It can slow down the business. So do it as few times as possible.

3. Product

If you’ve got a working prototype—great. But don’t expect to spend much time on it in a live pitch. Pick one or two killer moments to demo. And please, have a video backup. Live demos fail. Wifi drops. Projectors break. Don’t risk your whole pitch falling apart because your app won’t load.

Also, if you need to present slides, make sure you test the setup. Bring every adapter under the sun. Nothing kills momentum like people squinting at a shared laptop screen.

4. Pitch Deck

Short and punchy. Max 12 slides. Here’s a solid format:

1. Cover Slide – Company name, logo, one-liner.

2. Exec Summary – Snapshot of everything that follows.

3. Team – Who you are, why you're the ones to do this.

4. Problem – What pain are you solving?

5. Solution – Your product/service, key benefits.

6. Why Now? – Timing, tech, market shifts. Your moat.

7. Market – TAM, SAM, SOM. Focus on the niche you can dominate.

8. Traction – Proof you’re onto something. Revenue, users, letters of intent.

9. Business Model – How you make money. CAC vs LTV.

10. Go-to-Market – How you'll grow.

11. Competition – Who else is out there? What’s your edge?

12. Tech – Especially important if it’s a key differentiator.

13. Roadmap & Use of Funds – What’s next?

14. The Ask – How much, for what, and who’s in so far.

    
    

Yes, that’s more than 12 slides—cut or combine depending on your story.