Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Would You Give This Former Hacker Your Money? On the new episode of "Elevator Pitch," our investors need to contend with some serious trust issues.

By Mackenzie Truman

Key Takeaways

  • Keep your pitch as simple and jargon-free as possible.
  • Make sure you hit on how your product or service makes peoples' lives better.
  • Invest in customer research — to expand future sales, you need to know who is buying now.

Tech entrepreneurs face a particular obstacle: how do you explain your complex solution to a complicated problem in simple terms that all investors can understand?

It isn't easy — but nothing is easy when you sign up to appear on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. This is the show where entrepreneurs have just 60 seconds to pitch their company to a board of investors in the hopes of landing a life-changing investment.

One tech founder wows the board with his 60 seconds but leaves some heads a bit scrambled. "I need the fifth-grade explanation of that pitch!" laughs Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan. Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, agrees: "You're not the only one feeling a little lost — he managed to fit more buzzwords into that minute than I've ever heard before."

Can he overcome this hurdle, plus the small question of whether or not he has a criminal background? Find out by watching the new episode of Elevator Pitch!

Some takeaways from this week's episode:

  • Lay off industry jargon as much as possible. Explain your business as if the person you are talking to has minimal knowledge of your field.
  • Make sure you make it clear exactly how your business will make customers' lives easier — and how it is different from your closest competitors.
  • Invest time and resources in marketing research and analytics. In order to grow your business, you want to know exactly who your customers are and how best to reach them.

Season 10, Episode 6 Board of Investors

  • Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, master of scaling
  • Kim Perell, CEO of 100.co, serial entrepreneur and investor
  • Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan

Season 10, Episode 6 Entrepreneurs

Zach Barney, founder of Mobly, a mobile sales tool that quickly scans and enriches leads, records contacts, and logs activity directly into the user's CRM.

Rick Deacon, founder of Interlock, a suite of DeFi cybersecurity products to protect consumers and enterprises.

Alexandra Baker, founder of In the Kitchen with Alexandra and their condiment Pikliz (pronounced "pick-lees"), a pickled slaw native to Haiti and the West Indies.

How to Watch

Amazon Business presents season 10 of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch with support from State Farm. New episodes stream on Wednesdays on Entrepreneur.com. Follow Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch on Facebook, YouTube and IGTV.

Mackenzie Truman

Entrepreneur Staff

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Social Media

Stop Chasing Algorithms — Here's How Creators Can Take Control of Their Content and Monetize on Their Own Terms

Social media platforms promise creators visibility, but the real challenge lies in relying on algorithms for income.