Perfecting the Pitch

Great advice from Venture Capitalists on what they look for - and what turns them off.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204456604574201093794396418.html

In brief:

• Modesty Doesn't Pay: introduce all your relevant experience upfront, and allow other members of the team to do the same.
• Tell it to Mom: Explain all the assumptions on which the plan is based; explain it like you would explain it to your mother; focus on how a solution to a problem makes $; practice so a pitch lasts an hour (incl. questions); 12-to-20 slides + hard copies.
• Don't play with the numbers