Write Down The Vision

Don't Risk Creating Something You Don't Love

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In this issue:

• Why you need a clear vision

• Crowdsource hope on the Stigma App

• A podcast recommendation for the whole family

Episode Drop

Episode #111 Stigma: Whose Business is it Anyway?

Ariana Vargas used her experience in film to create a social app in the mental health space. But that’s not what she pitched investors…

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When I first met Ariana, she sold me on why her mental health app was a great solution. And she painted a picture of something bigger than a social app. I thought there might be something to it, so we brought her before the investor panel to let them dig deeper.

They never got that chance. Ariana pitched a completely different product - a slack app to connect users with company benefits. Now it’s a social app again.   

I can relate to Ariana’s ping-ponging back and forth. It’s a little maddening to listen to, but I understand it. 

As we relaunched The Pitch in 2022 we had dozens of potential directions to take the company. 

We could launch a subscription, start a Patreon, start a fund, start a syndicate, launch a newsletter, start a podcast network, start a business podcast network, sign with a network, sell our own ads, hire for ad sales, create a video version of The Pitch, create video shorts, create educational courses…

You get it. There were a lot of options. 

And it’s freaking overwhelming to choose which to do. Especially when you’re raising money at the same time.

Every investor has an opinion of what you should do. And even stronger opinions of what you should NOT do. 

As a creator you get to mold your little piece of clay however you see fit. When investors say “add a bit here” or “smooth that out there”, it’s going to influence your creation. 

Unless you have a clear vision of what you are creating! 

This is important so I’ll say it again: if you don’t have a clear vision of what you’re building, you risk being overly influenced by investors and mentors.

The Pitch finally got there (it feels like we chose all the things) and so did Ariana. She has a piece of paper in her kitchen describing the business she wants to build. Nothing beats a good old fashioned vision board, amirite? 

Part of Ariana’s experience as a first time founder is struggling through her inexperience. You don’t know what you don’t know. 

Can I share my burn rate? Do I need a lead investor? Why is my valuation so frothy?

(And just for fun… You know I can’t resist a poll!)

Experience is a great teacher for all founders.

But so is The Pitch! Did you know college professors use episodes of The Pitch in their classrooms? Maybe you know someone who could learn from your favorite podcast.

Text a founder or a friend to share the show.

The Pitch Deals

The following are open deals from The Pitch Syndicate. Click the company name to learn more and apply. Or invest in all these deals via The Pitch Fund!

• Tether - This syndicate is almost ready to go! (Listen to ep. #102)

• Dressd - Clothing rental w/local pickup for sororities. (Listen to ep. #104)

• Modern Picnic - Going live soon. Apply Now! (Listen to ep. #109)

• Dotcal - CLOSING SOON! (Listen to ep. #106)

Podcast-y Stuff

• Check out Stigma and download the app. Stigma crowdsources hope.

• Support the show with a Pitch+ membership for ad-free listening and bonus content. It’s $5/month. 

• Finding a kids podcast that is engaging but doesn’t annoy adults is challenging. Young Ben Franklin is checking all the boxes for us! (Our kids love it almost as much as The Pitch 😉)

Coming up Next

Tesla fires could be a thing of the past. A kid in a lab coat puts on a suit to become CEO of a company that may deliver the Holy Grail.

Shout out

HUGE shout out to Peter Liu for helping with our casting process! Peter is going through decks and scheduling calls and making my life way less stressful. Thank you so much Peter. You’re a godsend. Plus, it’s fun to have a buddy on all these founder calls!

On Social

Catch all the reels & shorts from The Pitch Room on Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Did you see Substack Notes is a thing now too?