3 Versions of Your Startup Pitch

Hey,

I talked to Nishanth Lingamneni this week. He runs a family office and just sat through 200 pitches in the last two months through Seattle Angel Conference.

Out of 200, he invested in three.

Here's what those three founders did differently:

Nishanth was direct about this:

"You should already have a one-minute pitch, a three-minute pitch, and a five-minute pitch. You should have rehearsed them multiple times. This is not a final exam."

Most founders have one pitch. Maybe two if they've been grinding.

But the founders Nishanth remembers? They could deliver any version at any time with confidence.

The format doesn't matter. What matters is clearly articulating the customer problem and how you're solving it in 60 seconds, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes.

Action item: Block 2 hours this week and script out all three versions. Then practice them until you can deliver each one without notes.

Nishanth invests with his wife and his parents (who have experience in pharmaceuticals, finance, and manufacturing in India).

His dad asks different questions than his wife. High-level strategy vs. detailed financials. Big picture vs. unit economics.

The three founders he invested in? They could handle it all.

"I've only seen three people who have been able to answer every question my family office has thrown at them at every altitude at any time and with consistency."

High-level questions:

Detailed questions:

Nishanth compared it to defending a dissertation: "If you can defend your dissertation, you're a doctor. Very simple."

Action item: Run a mock Q&A with someone who doesn't know your business. Have them ask basic questions AND detailed financial questions. Record where you stumble.

Nishanth looks for founders who know whether they're solving a must-have problem (painkiller) or a nice-to-have (vitamin).

He wants painkillers.

Ask yourself: If your product disappeared tomorrow, would your customers actively search for an alternative? Or would they just shrug and move on?

That's the difference.

His portfolio:

All different industries. All solving real problems people will pay to solve.

Primary: Founder/CEO with a clear point of view on the customer problem

Secondary:

Check size: $25K Target return: 30x in 10-15 years

Nishanth talked to experienced investors who told him:

"If you can find a way to connect the founder to potential customers of their products, that is gold. By far the most important thing you can do."

Not investor intros. Not strategic advice. Customer intros.

When you're evaluating investors, ask: Can this person help me find customers?

Nishanth's first investment was ex-Amazon. The founder sends quarterly emails like Jeff Bezos shareholder letters—strategic, clear, concise.

Nishanth's philosophy: "I do not want to waste people's time. The number of messages you send should be proportional to the number of messages they send."

If they send two, he sends no more than two.

He wants you focused on solving the problem you're supposed to be solving.

Nishanth's advice: "As long as your product is clear and your way of operations is clear, the money will follow."

Don't overcomplicate it. Answer these clearly:

If you can't answer those in 60 seconds, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes with confidence, you're not ready.

Nishanth said something that stuck with me: "If I'm not the right investor for you, I will work hard to find another investor that I think is right for you."

That's the kind of investor you want. Someone who's invested in YOU beyond just the check.

🎙️ Chris

P.S. - Nishanth is on LinkedIn and responds to his messages. If you're raising and can clearly articulate your customer problem, reach out to him.