Aly El Shalakany On Crafting A Pitch Investors Want To Hear
“The first thing of things not to do is take too long with your pitch”
As managing director for Egypt and North Africa at early-stage venture capital investor 54 Collective, Aly El Shalakany has invested, mentored, and coached over 100 startups across sectors.
El Shalakany – who was the co-founder of startup support organization Acasia Group (formerly Cairo Angels) and previously the managing partner of Acasia Ventures – is also a founding partner and member of the Investment Committee of Saudi Angel Investors.
Additionally, El Shalakany is a member of Afronpreneurs Angel Group, a syndicate of angel investors investing in African tech startups, as well as a limited partner in a number of venture capital funds, including the Launch Fund and the LegalTech Fund, both based out of the United States.
El Shalakany has thus heard his fair share of startup pitches, and that’s why Inc. Arabia decided to ask him to list the things entrepreneurs should not do when cozying up to an investor. After all, while there are plenty of resources out there on how to craft a good pitch, there aren’t that many explaining what not to do, and let’s be honest, a not-to-do list can certainly come in handy sometimes. So, we asked El Shalakany just that – and here’s what he told us.
“The first thing of things not to do is take too long with your pitch,” he declares. “Early-stage investors have to go through hundreds of pitches a year, and we only end up investing in about 1-2 percent of those, so you need to get your message across concisely in a short period of time. If it’s an elevator pitch, you have one minute to get your idea across. If the investor likes what they hear, they’ll ask more questions, which means they’re engaged and you have time to share more information. If it’s an in-person or video pitch setting, don’t take more than 5-10 minutes maximum.”
“Secondly, don’t try to be too innovative with your pitch structure,” El Shalakany continues. “While investors want to invest in innovative ideas, they are used to a pitch having five-seven key components, such as product, business model, market size, competition, team, etc. Last, but not least, founders should not be oblivious to the investor they are pitching to. You need to do your homework and not treat every investor as just another potential check. Successful investor relationships last longer than the average marriage in the US! Investors are looking for founders that understand their investment thesis and what they are looking for in a startup. If you make the effort, you’ll make a good first impression.”
At the end of the day, El Shalakany tells entrepreneurs to ensure that they’ve done their homework. “Pitching is hard, so apart from what not to do, I encourage founders to practice, practice, practice!” he concludes.
This article first appeared in the November issue of Inc. Arabia magazine. To read the full issue online, click here.
