Knowledge Lab.
Expert talks, competition pitches and practical notes for your next pitch.
Pitch & Storytelling
Explain your idea clearly and make your pitch memorable.
How to Pitch to a VC
David S. Rose explains what an investor needs to learn about a founder during a pitch, with practical advice on credibility and presentation.
Pro notesThe Secret Structure of Great Talks
Nancy Duarte analyzes memorable speeches to show how contrast, audience perspective and a clear call to action can strengthen a presentation.
Pro notesPitching: How to Craft a Compelling Storyline
Theresa Lina Stevens introduces a Why / What / How framework for helping an audience understand the problem before presenting your solution.
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How to Pitch Your Startup
Kevin Hale explains how to communicate a startup idea clearly and concisely to an investor.
Free notesPitch Competitions
Watch real competition pitches, product demos and questions from the judges.
geCKo Materials — Startup Battlefield 2024 Final
A hardware startup presents its adhesive technology on the TechCrunch final stage, with a live demonstration and judges’ questions.
Pro notesSalva Health — Startup Battlefield 2024 Final
Watch Salva Health present its portable screening device in the TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 final, followed by questions from the judges.
Pro notesKorion Health — Hult Prize 2024 Winning Pitch
Watch the Hult Prize 2024 winner deliver its four-minute pitch and answer judges’ questions at the Global Finals in London.
Free notesXatoms — Hult Prize 2024 Final Pitch
A four-minute clean-technology pitch followed by judges’ Q&A, recorded at the Hult Prize Global Finals in London.
Pro notesRice Business Plan Competition — 2021 Elevator Pitches
Compare 54 student startups delivering 60-second pitches in the official Rice Business Plan Competition recording. A collection of short pitches, without judges’ Q&A.
Pro notesSlush 100 — The 2024 Finals
Compare three finalists presenting live on the Founder Stage at Slush 2024 in Helsinki. This is the official finals replay.
Pro notesOASYS NOW — Slush 100 2024 Winning Pitch
Focus on the Slush 100 2024 winning team in this company-published recording. The full video runs about 15 minutes; the pitch itself is around five.
Pro notesivWatch — Startup World Cup Virginia 2024
A compact stage pitch by ivWatch CEO Gary Warren at the 2024 Virginia regional competition. This clip focuses on the presentation rather than judges’ Q&A.
Pro notesPitch Decks
Build a deck that tells the right story.
Make a Great Pitch: The 10/20/30 Rule
Guy Kawasaki offers a compact framework for keeping a live pitch deck readable and leaving space for discussion.
Free notesThe Pitch Deck That Shaped All Pitch Decks
Slidebean examines influential early pitch decks and explains why their context matters before founders borrow the structure.
Pro notesWhat Is Total Addressable Market (TAM)?
Steve Barsh joins Slidebean to explain market sizing, common TAM mistakes and how to build a market-size slide from customer and pricing assumptions.
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How to Make a Pitch Deck for Investors
A practical walkthrough of pitch deck structure: what to include, how the sections connect and how to adapt the deck to its audience.
Pro notesFundraising
Understand the process before you start raising.
Fundraising Fundamentals
Geoff Ralston gives an extended introduction to organizing a fundraise, choosing investors, handling meetings and returning focus to the business.
Pro notesHow to Cold Email Investors
Michael Seibel explains how to write a short investor introduction that describes the company, its progress and a clear next step.
Free notesEnergetic Fundraising
Peter Diamandis shares a short story about asking for support, recognizing useful noncash help and leaving a fundraising conversation with a clear next step.
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How Startup Fundraising Works
Brad Flora explores common fundraising myths, drawing on his experience as a founder, angel investor and YC partner.
Pro notesInvestor Q&A
Prepare for the questions that come after your pitch.
The Real Reason Female Entrepreneurs Get Less Funding
Dana Kanze shares research on how investor questions can emphasize growth or risk, and how founders can respond without losing sight of the opportunity.
Pro notesWhat Investors Want
Jeff Epstein explains how venture investors assess risk, traction and milestones, helping founders prepare evidence for investor questions.
Pro notesQuestions Going into the Pitch
In just over two minutes, Kate Mitchell explains the questions behind an investor meeting: market opportunity, company potential and whether the idea stands on its own.
Free notesFounder Lessons
Learn from the people who have built before you.
The Single Biggest Reason Why Start-ups Succeed
Bill Gross compares startup experiences and argues that timing deserves more attention. A short prompt for testing the evidence behind your “why now” slide.
Free notesHow to Talk to Users
Gustaf Alströmer explains how founders can find users, ask useful interview questions and learn from prototype sessions.
Pro notesHow to Build Product as a Small Startup
Michael Seibel shares a simple product-building process for small teams: choose priorities, assign ownership, ship and test.
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