Pitch Brief — Inner West Startups + Tech (IWST)

The short version

Our pitches aren't pitches in the usual sense. There's no stopwatch, no deck required, and nobody's scoring you.

You'll sit down with a Pitch Host and have a conversation in front of the room. They'll ask you questions, you'll answer them, and between the two of you the audience will come away understanding what you're building and why. At the end, you get to make an ask.

That's it. If you can explain your idea to a friend at the pub, you can do this.

Why we run it this way

Traditional pitching filters for a particular kind of person — the ones who are comfortable talking at a room for five minutes straight. That's a narrow filter, and it's got very little to do with whether the idea is any good or whether the founder is any good.

A conversation is easier to give and easier to listen to. It's also more useful, because the Pitch Host can stop and unpack the bit the audience didn't follow, instead of everyone politely nodding through a slide they didn't understand.

So: if you've been putting off pitching because the idea of it makes you a bit ill — this is the format for you.

How it runs on the night

(Timings are indicative — your Pitch Host will confirm on the night.)

first thing 

Pitch Host introduces you and your startup

30 seconds

You give the quick version — what it is, who it's for

2 - 5 mins

Q&A with your Pitch Host

1 min

Your ask

Roughly 5 minutes all up. It'll go faster than you think.

What to prepare

Three things. That's genuinely all.

1. What it is. One or two sentences a non-specialist would understand. Not the investor-deck version — the version you'd give your neighbour.

2. Who it's for and what problem it solves. Be specific. "Small builders who are losing money on variations" beats "the construction industry."

3. Your ask. See below — this is the part people most often under-prepare, and it's the part with the most value in it for you.

You don't need slides. If you've got a product you can show on screen or on a phone, bring it — a live look at the thing is worth more than a diagram of the thing. Let us know beforehand if you need to plug in.

Questions your Pitch Host might ask

You won't get these in advance word-for-word, but they'll be in this territory. Have a think about them and you'll be fine.

  • What is it, in plain English?

  • What made you start building this? What was the moment?

  • Who's the customer? Who's paying?

  • What are they doing right now instead of using your thing?

  • What stage are you at — idea, prototype, paying customers?

  • What's been the hardest part so far?

  • What's surprised you?

  • What's next for you over the coming few months?

  • What do you need help with?

If a question doesn't apply to you, say so. "We haven't worked that out yet" is a completely fine answer and nobody in the room will blink — most of them haven't worked it out either.

Your ask

This is the bit that makes the night worth showing up for. The room is full of founders, operators, engineers, designers, investors and people with useful contacts. Use them.

Good asks are specific:

  • "I'm looking for an intro to anyone working in local government procurement."

  • "I need a front-end developer who'll take equity."

  • "I want five small builders to test this with me — no charge, I just need the feedback."

  • "Has anyone here dealt with getting insurance for a marketplace? I'd love ten minutes of your time."

Vague asks ("we're raising" / "we're open to partnerships") don't give anyone a way to help you. Say the specific thing you need and someone in the room will usually know someone.

The ground rules

Questions and comments stay constructive. Both from your Pitch Host and from the floor. This is not a panel of judges and it's not a place to prove how clever the questioner is. If someone's got a hard question, they can ask it — but the tone stays positive and the intent is to help you, not to catch you out.

Nobody's grading you. There's no winner. There's no scorecard.

You can say "I don't know." Regularly. It's a normal answer.

It's fine to be early. Idea-stage is welcome. Pre-revenue is welcome. "I built this on the weekend and I'm not sure if it's anything" is welcome.

Logistics

[To be confirmed with each pitcher — venue, arrival time, AV setup, and who your Pitch Host is on the night.]

Come a bit early, meet your Pitch Host beforehand, and tell them anything you'd rather they didn't ask about. They'll steer around it.

Any questions before the night, get in touch. We'd rather answer them now than have you worrying about them.