The Art of the Pitch: Keeping it Short, Sweet, and Out of the Crap Zone

Over the years, I've been in the trenches, armed with a PowerPoint clicker, trying to woo investors, managers, and anyone with a checkbook. I've given more presentations than I care to count, pitching everything from revolutionary products to game-changing ideas. Here’s a little secret I’ve learned: most pitches are absolute crap. Yep, I said it. Sixty slides stuffed with buzzwords like “patent-pending,” “first-mover advantage,” “superior features,” or my personal favorite, “all we need is 1% of the world's population to buy one…” and the magic happens. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

Now, let’s talk about how to make a presentation that doesn’t make your audience want to fake an emergency phone call to escape. I’ve got a rule that’s served me well, and it’s catchy enough that even the most pitch-fatigued investor might remember it: the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. It’s as simple as it sounds – ten slides, twenty minutes, and no font smaller than thirty points. This rule is your new best friend for any presentation where you want people to say "I'm in!" instead of "I'm outta here."

Why ten slides? Because your audience is human – well, most of them – and their brains can only juggle so many concepts before they start thinking about lunch or their next vacation. If you need more than ten slides to explain your idea, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. You’re either overcomplicating things or, worse, you still don’t understand your own value proposition.

So, ditch the bloat, stick to ten slides, and remember: your job is to leave them wanting more, not wishing they had their time back.