Hidden Frequencies in Your Voice Reveal Heart Rate
Biomedical engineer builds next-gen tech on device invented by Alexander Graham Bell ☎️
New pitch just dropped: #143 Vital Audio
This is going to sound like a total dig, but hear me out…
Nyamitse-Calvin’s pitch used to sound like a lecture from a tenured college professor with more degrees than one could possibly have a use for.*
This was a highly technical pitch from a highly technical founder. Something about improving outcomes, hospital systems, call centers, cardiac status and people dying unnecessarily.
It’s not that I didn’t care about what Nyame was saying, I did care!
I just couldn’t understand the pitch. And I started to tune out.
I wondered what Lisa and Peter saw in this founder. Why had they set up this meeting?
Then, five minutes into the pitch…
Nyame casually mentions that he and his cofounder invented a way to take someone’s pulse over the phone.
“Hold the phone” I said, “Did you just say you could take my heart rate using just the sound of my voice, over the telephone? “
“Yes.” He said as a sly grin took over Nyame’s face.
“DUDE, WHY DIDN’T YOU LEAD WITH THAT!?” I didn’t actually say that. But I definitely thought it - in ALL CAPS!
I was sold on the business, and we invited Nyame to join us in Oakland, where he’d pitch five VCs on our show.
I only had one concern…
I didn’t think it would make for a very good podcast if the VCs on our show fell asleep during his pitch.
I told Nyame I was going to rewrite his pitch.
I told him exactly how I thought he should pitch on our show. We shared a Google Doc and I spit out a 2-minute script that I thought would grab listeners’ attention and compel the VCs to dig in and ask the right questions.
“I know this is different from how you normally pitch, but trust me this will work on our show” I said.
Usually I take a softer approach with founders, reordering a few things and encouraging them to scrap all talk about the product, product features, roadmap etc etc.
It’s usually a collaborative process where I slowly whittle things down and explain my logic behind each painful cut to the script they love so much.
But in this case I had a very specific vision.
Nyame was quiet at the end of the call. I couldn’t tell if he was offended or just taking it all in.
That was my last coaching call with the founder before showtime. I left it to Nyame’s judgment whether to follow my advice or take his own path.
Two weeks later Nyame walked in the studio to pitch five VCs. Sitting just off camera in one of those ridiculous directors chairs I wondered, “Which pitch is he about to give?”
Would he bury the lede, or put the juicy bit right up top?
I was pleasantly surprised when Nyame followed the script and made it his own. But it was the investor response that surprised me most.
🎥 Watch Nyame’s pitch on YouTube or listen in your favorite podcast app 🎧
PS: *To be fair, Nyame does have like ten degrees.
How we coach founders before The Pitch
Because I know you all love this stuff, here’s the email we send to founders to prep them before the show:
Hey Nyame,
As promised here's a bit more info about the opening format on our show… You are able to use 2-3 minutes for your opener but this founder did it in 90 seconds and crushed it.
If you haven't heard Leigh Isaacson's pitch for Dig, I'd highly recommend it. Her 90-second opening pitch was the only one we've ever published on our show without any editing or narration. It's not that her overall investor Q&A was better than others, but her opening remarks are a masterclass on how to begin a conversation with investors on our show.
The 90-second opening pitch on our show is composed of 4-parts:
Intro
Personal story/attention getter (this often doubles as an explanation of the problem you're solving)
Quick product description that segues into a tight sequence of traction, market size, thesis proven or the pivot & learnings etc. (the idea here is to create momentum and confidence in your business, this section will set the tone for the rest of your pitch)
The ask
Here's Leigh's opening pitch in 4-parts:
Intro: Hi. I'm Leigh Isaacson, CEO and cofounder of Dig, the dog person's dating app.
Personal story/attention getter: A few years ago, my sister was dating a guy who tried to be a dog person for her. By the end of the relationship, he didn't want the dog in his apartment, or he'd put towels down on the couch so the dog didn't touch anything. And she said to me, I wish I just knew from the start that this wasn't going to work because of my dog. Together, my sister and I launched Dig.
Product description + traction: Dig is the best way for dog lovers and dog owners to find a compatible match and plan a dog-friendly date. We're addressing pain points in both the booming $75 billion pet industry and the growing world of niche dating apps. Both industries are begging for more in-person dog-friendly experiences. In the past few months, we've seen 80,000 total downloads and 25,000 monthly active users looking for love on Dig.
The ask: We're raising $1.5 million to scale and help people find someone they really dig.
And one thing you may not have noticed, but it's actually really important for our show, Leigh did not use any industry jargon or acronyms. And her ask at the end is super simple. She didn't get into pre-money, post-money, SAFE, priced round, lead investors or anything beyond the total amount she's raising. The investors will most certainly ask a series of questions about your round, but in your opening remarks it's best to keep it simple.
See you in a few weeks!
Sincerely ~Josh