Next week Discoperi team is heading to San Francisco to participate in TechCrunch Disrupt 2018. We are extremely excited and can’t wait to present System ‘Eye’ device for the very first time and show how it works to the tech community.
Our Location: Mobility powered by Here Technologies, Booth C105
Traveling across the world for the last two years and pitching Discoperi and System ‘Eye’, we have learned some valuable lessons and we are glad to share them with our colleagues today.
1. Contact journalists and investors
Once you’ve decided you are coming to TechCrunch Disrupt start your intense ground game immediately and go to everybody you can reach to share that you’ll be at the event. Tell them who you are, what you’re showing and why it’s unique. Make your calendar full of meetings with journalists, investors, and experts who could become your advisors. Disrupt is your best chance to have a real talk with the tech leaders.
2. Make eye contact
One of the most common mistakes almost everyone makes is standing with your back to the aisle. No one will see you and the worst thing — you will see no one. Remember how disparately you wanted to pitch your startup story to WSJ editor or Business Insider reporter. Now imagine, that most probably they will be at Disrupt and you can actually talk to them and introduce yourself and your company. This is the best way to reach out to journalists and get them interested in your project.
Another great opportunity is to find your next investor. Make eye contact with everybody who comes along and if you see their eyes are intrigued come up to talk with them and invite them to your stand. Be ready to make a conversation either they look interested or bored, prepare to answer questions, make sure you learned your pitch backward and forward.
3. Stand out from the crowd
Disrupt is very noisy. Last year, TechCrunch gathered over 5,000 attendees. Probably, your stand will be next to lots of other prominent startups. If you want to be heard and noticed, you have to rise above the crowd with fewer words, not more.
Putting your startup’s idea or solution in one succinct sentence will show prospective investors the essence of the business and possible opportunities.
4. Make a perfect pitch
We already know that time is everything and you have to put the most distinguishable features of the product in front of your words. As mentioned above, you should know your pitch from A to Z. But what really makes it work for you?
A pitch should always include three major pieces:
- Who you are and what you do (7–10 seconds)
- What differentiates you, your innovation (10–15 sec)
- What is your story, your team or how you implement/monetize, use cases
The audience at Disrupt is interested in working with innovations, funding and acquiring it.
Prove that your solution is revolutionary, has no direct competitors or will outstand with undeniable advantages.