- Persuade & Raise
- Posts
- ♞ Elon Musk Pitching Strategy
In partnership with
In partnership with
Elon Musk Pitching Strategy
Elon Musk's unique pitching strategy has proved very successful for him over the years. While the strategy failed him at the start of his career (he failed to raise for his first company), as the scale of his projects has grown, the strategy has not only helped him raise but allowed him to build his personal brand and reputation.
As more companies begin to overcome longstanding technological challenges its’s worth considering whether your company might be better served abandoning the traditional method of pitching and adopting Elon Musk’s strategy.
So let’s walk through it…
Hire offshore talent that come with impressive resumes:
Amira, a Fordham University grad and former JP Morgan associate. Anika, a Kenyon College grad and former Moody’s analyst.
Hire full-time, proactive, highly experienced individuals like these, for $3000/month.
Explain a massive problem - Musk's companies always aim to solve a huge problem: Climate Change (Tesla), Planetary Expansion (SpaceX), Free Speech (X), and Financial Freedom (Paypal). Having a huge problem or at least being able to frame your company as solving a huge problem is key to making this strategy work; this is also likely one of the reasons he struggled to do it with his first company, which was just digital mapping.
Explain the obstacle - Musk takes a long time to explain why the problem exists and what is preventing us from solving it. This includes 20-30 minute explanations about how electric motors, batteries and spaceships work, unlike other pitches, which jump from the problem to the solution. He has innovated by actually building a barrier to solving the world-threatening problem and making 60% of his pitch dedicated to ensuring that the audience understands how complex and difficult this problem is. Psychologically he is combining the Why Now and Problem slides here to create a super scary villain that is preventing us from a world where the massive problem doesn’t exist.
Advancement - Musk always then explains some type of technological advancement that he/his companies have created to overcome the obstacle that has long prevented humanity from solving the problem. Instead of a traditional solution then he actually presents some sort of technology that allows the future to be different from the past. This is why he’s seen as someone who brings about innovation or change, he pitches himself as that person.
This way of pitching is something that takes significant practice, and you need to get comfortable with 70% of your speech being about problems and challenges, NOT about solutions, features, and opportunities. By flipping that script however you build the type of loyalty and connection to your solution that Musk has been able to achieve through his own companies.
Would you use this strategy when pitching? |
Run CTV Ads on Roku This Holiday
This holiday season, Roku is making it easy to reach your audience while they’re streaming – and shopping. Take Roku Ads Manager for a spin and discover how easy it is to set up, optimize, and measure CTV campaigns in real-time to drive results.
Are you looking to grow your business? Here is how I can help:
📢 Promote your startup to 2,000+ VCs including investors from a16z, YC, Techstars, Rarebreed, Sequoia and more.
📱 Book a Strategy Call to get 1:1 feedback on your pitch, pitch deck and/or fundraising strategy. (If you need general startup advice, then reply to this email, and I’ll let you know if/how I can help.)
📺 Access FundraiseOS, the ultimate fundraising course with video lessons and practical worksheets helping with everything from deciding how much to raise to understanding a term sheet.
💸 Promote your product or service to 100,000+ entrepreneurs.
🌐 Connect with me on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter) to get access to new content about startups, fundraising, venture capital and more every day.
Onwards and Upwards,
Open a Checking Account in 2 Minutes
Chime’s fee-free overdraft can spot you up to $200 with Spotme ®*.
*SpotMe® on Debit is an optional, no fee overdraft service attached to your Chime Checking Account. To qualify for the SpotMe on Debit service, you must receive $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account each month and have activated your physical Chime Visa® Debit Card or secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card. Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account for up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially but may later be eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. The SpotMe on Debit limit will be displayed within the Chime mobile app and is subject to change at any time, at Chime’s sole discretion. Although Chime does not charge any overdraft fees for SpotMe on Debit, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe on Debit will not cover any non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. SpotMe on Debit Terms and Conditions.
Compare up to 5 business loans without a hard credit pull!
Compare 2024's top online business lenders. Secure and fast with no impact to your credit score. With over 12,000 small businesses funded, we know how to make lenders compete to give you the best offer. See your loan options in minutes, and get funding as fast as 24 hours. Strongest network coverage for those who have been in business for over 2 years with over $200K in annual revenue. Fuel your business today!