What Venture Capitalists Want to Hear in Your Founder Pitch

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, venture capitalists disclosed their preferences plainly and what are the things that irritate them when it comes to startup pitch presentations. The three investors namely Jyoti Bansal, Medha Agarwal, and Jennifer Neundorfer, were very articulate in presenting their opinions.

One thing that the investors mentioned was that the use of buzzwords is the most common mistake that the founders make. Terms like AI-enabled or blockchain-powered do not mean anything by themselves. VCs want to examine the technology to see if it is of any real worth or if it is just being promoted with the latest buzzwords.

Investors captured their main concerns in very simple questions. To begin with, they want to know if the startup is going after a huge market opportunity. A small niche with little or no growth potential is not at all attractive. Investors are looking for concepts that are capable of growing into large businesses.

After that, the next thing they want to know is whether the problem that the startup is solving is really a problem worth solving. It is not sufficient that a feature is smart; it must also be important to the users and address a pain point they are very concerned about. Pitch decks should present the problem in a manner that conveys urgency and real demand.

Investors are looking for clarity about the traction and execution of the company. The founders’ being able to execute is indicated by early signs of product-market fit, customer validation, or revenue growth. Stories, metrics, and examples that provide proof of momentum are much more important than ambitious roadmaps with no evidence.

Founders are to give a clear picture of their team’s strengths. The VCs want to comprehend why this team is the only one able to solve the problem. Experience, domain knowledge, and previous victories strengthen the belief in the founders’ ability to deliver the results.
Being honest about the risks and trade-offs was another point mentioned. Investors are more inclined to accept direct confrontation with potential difficulties instead of softening the issue. A realistic approach to the competition, technical challenges, and user adoption makes the pitch more convincing.

Also, founders were recommended to make their presentations clear and simple. In the case of an excessively long presentation with too many slides, the main messages are diluted. Investors indicated that they would rather have a brief story with clear takeaways.
Links of the product to a wider trend, and not overclaiming based on that trend, are the typical attributes of successful pitches. It is very important to show how a startup is part of new technology movements, but only if the company is taking a unique and defensible approach.