A pitch isn’t just a presentation — it’s proof that you understand your product, your market, and how you’re going to build a business.
That’s exactly why investors tend to read between the lines and why they’re not sold by a good idea or a nice story alone.
Over the past years, I’ve listened to dozens of pitches — and the same mistakes keep showing up.
Here are the most common ones. If you recognize yourself in any of these… it might be time for a pitch redesign 🙂
“Okay, but what are you actually building?”
This is one of the most common early-stage mistakes. Founders explain the technology, everything happening in their heads (or lab, or garage)… and then get hit with 👉 “Okay, but what are you actually building?”
Common example: “We use AI to optimize communication processes through personalized models.” 👉 Okay… but what is it? An app? A platform? A tool?
How to fix it: Explain your product in one sentence: what it is, who it’s for, and what problem it solves. This is also the sentence you should be able to say if someone asks you at a conference: “So what do you do?”
For example: “We’re building a SaaS tool that helps sales teams practice their pitch through AI-powered sales simulations.”
“My product is for everyone who…”
Your product is not for everyone — and definitely not for “most people”.
Common example: “This product is for anyone who wants to learn sales because people are experts in their field but don’t know how to sell.”
How to fix it: Define the problem through a specific user and a specific situation.
For example: “Our initial focus is junior sales reps in B2B SaaS companies, who often lose their first clients because they don’t have a safe space to practice real sales conversations.”
“Okay, but how?”
You can have a great product and growing users — but if it’s not clear how you make money, investors won’t see it as a business.
Common example: “We have a growing user base and strong traction. Next year we expect 200 new users and revenue growth.” 👉 Okay… but how?
How to fix it:
Answer 3 simple questions: Who pays? How much? How often?
For example: “We charge €20 per user per month for B2B teams.”
“Oh, get real”
Big numbers sound impressive — until someone asks how you got there. Ambition is good, but it shouldn’t replace logic.
Common example: “We expect €1M in revenue in year one (without explanation)”
How to fix it: Investors don’t expect perfect numbers — they expect clear thinking behind them (sales cycles, pricing, conversion rates).
For example: “We plan to close 10 new clients per month with an average contract value of €500, which brings us to X revenue over 12 months.”
Her majesty, the overly complex competitor table
Saying you have no competition is a red flag. But so is the opposite: an overly detailed competitor table, and lately, I see this more and more.
Common example: A table with 10+ features and 5 competitors, each with ✔️/❌ for every tiny thing (chat, analytics, onboarding, export, integrations…). 👉 After 10 seconds, no one knows what actually makes you different.
How to fix it: You don’t need to list every feature. You need to answer one crucial question 👉 Why you, and not the other options?
For example: “Unlike others, our tool offers personalization based on real sales conversations from your company’s clients.”
To conclude, a good pitch isn’t the one that sounds smart — it’s the one that’s easy to understand. If an investor can answer these questions after your pitch, you’re on the right track: What are you building? Who is it for? What problem are you solving? How do you make money? How will you grow?
Good luck with practicing your new pitch!
Tena Žganec, TEDxZagreb curator, speech coach, and startup mentor at BIRD Incubator, with years of experience working with startups, specializing in pitch coaching, storytelling, and helping founders present their ideas with clarity, structure, and confidence.
