Why Your Offering Needs to Answer 5 Key Questions

Author

Ashish Kumar
January 13, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Good morning, go-getters! 🌟 

A new week brings new opportunities to build, grow, and scale.

Remember, success is a series of small steps taken consistently. Let’s make this week productive!

1% BETTER MORNING

Why Your Offering Needs to Answer 5 Key Questions

Imagine you’re pitching your startup to an investor, but instead of getting an enthusiastic response, you’re met with blank stares.

The issue? Your pitch doesn’t answer the critical questions that every investor has in mind.

When preparing your pitch, think of it as telling a story where the audience (investors) wants answers to five key questions.

These questions aren’t just things they might wonder about; they are the core of their decision-making process.

Answering these questions clearly in your pitch will help establish trust and increase your chances of success.

Here are the five key questions:

  1. Why this problem? Investors want to know why the problem you’re solving is worth solving. Is it a real pain point for a large enough audience? Back up your claim with data and research that proves the significance of the problem.

    Example: A startup focused on remote team collaboration can provide statistics on the increase in remote work, citing research from sources like Gartner and Gallup, showing that 30% of workers globally now work remotely.

  2. Why this solution? Once you’ve established the problem, explain why your solution is the best one. What differentiates your offering from existing alternatives? Why is your solution the right one to solve this problem?

    Example: If you’re offering a collaboration tool for remote teams, emphasize features like real-time collaboration, integration with other tools, and a unique user experience that competitors don’t provide.

  3. Why now? Timing is critical. Why is this the right moment for your startup? Demonstrating market trends, technological advances, or shifts in customer behavior can help you convey urgency and timeliness.

    Example: Point out the recent rise in remote work post-pandemic and the growing demand for better tools to manage virtual teams, capitalizing on a moment of rapid market adoption.

  4. Why you? This is where you get to show off your team. Why are you and your team the best ones to tackle this problem? Share your unique expertise, past experiences, and any relevant qualifications that position you as experts.

    Example: If your team includes a former CTO of a top-tier tech company or someone with a track record of scaling B2B SaaS products, this adds credibility.

  5. What’s in it for them? Investors aren’t just interested in your startup because it’s cool; they’re interested because it can make them money. What return on investment (ROI) do you expect to offer, and how do you plan on achieving it?

    Example: Show projected revenues, growth metrics, and how you plan to scale. Demonstrate that you have a clear exit strategy, such as acquisition or IPO.

Action Points:

  1. Create a checklist of these five questions and make sure your pitch answers each one clearly.

  2. Refine your pitch by ensuring it’s concise yet thorough in addressing these questions.

  3. Get feedback from others to see if your pitch adequately answers all five questions.

WHAT I AM READING

How to Finish Everything You Start by Jan Yager

👉Today’s Takeaway:

When a goal feels overwhelming, break it into smaller tasks. For example, launching a product could involve research, development, testing, and marketing. Tackle each step one at a time. It helps in completing tasks faster and give that “dope” to us.

YOUTUBE TREASURE

👉My Pick: How to Build an MVP by Michael Seibel

FOUNDER’S FEED