From Product to Pitch: How to Talk About Your Startup So People Get It (Startup Marketing)

Introduction: The Blank Stare Problem

You’ve put your blood, sweat, and probably your weekend nights into building a startup that actually solves something important. You know it inside and out: every feature, every edge case, every line of code.

But when it comes time to explain it to someone like a potential investor, a customer, or even a new hire, you’re met with polite nods... and glazed eyes.

Sound familiar?

It's not that your product isn’t smart. It’s that your startup messaging isn’t landing. And if people don’t “get it,” they definitely won’t fund it, use it, or help you grow it.

So let’s shift gears from building a product to building a pitch that actually sticks.

🚨 Why Founders Struggle to Communicate (Startup Marketing)

Most early-stage founders (especially technical ones) lead with the product, the features, the integrations, the stack. That’s natural. You’ve lived in the build phase for months (or years).

But here's the kicker: buyers don’t start with the product.They start with the problem while doing startup marketing.

Investors want to know what pain you're solving. Customers want to know how it makes their life easier. Your messaging needs to do three things, right out of the gate:

✅ The 3 Pillars of Strong Startup Marketing and Messaging:

1. Name the problem clearly.

2. Explain the solution in simple, human language.

3. Show the outcome what changes when someone uses your product.

This simple structure moves your message from “what it does” to “why it matters.”

🧪 Real-World Translation (AKA: Talk Like a Human)

Let’s say your original pitch is:

“We’re an AI-powered decision intelligence platform for complex workflows.”

That sounds fancy… but what does it actually mean?

Let’s try this instead:

“We help operations teams make faster decisions by using AI to cut through messy data.”

Same product. Totally different vibe. One is built for your internal slide deck. The other? It’s built for the real world.

So, if you’ve ever been told your pitch is “interesting” (but no one follows up), it’s time to de-jargonify your message.

📍 Where to Start: Crafting Your Core Messaging

If you're heading into a go-to-market strategy, prepping to raise funds, or scaling your team, your messaging is the bridge between your vision and someone else's buy-in.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Define the Problem You Solve

Ask yourself:

• What pain are your users feeling before they find you?

• What’s broken, slow, frustrating, or expensive in their current process?

Be specific. Generic problems = forgettable products.

2. Clarify the Transformation

Instead of listing features, describe the before and after:

• Before: Manual reporting that takes days

• After: Real-time dashboards your team actually uses

This helps users see themselves in your solution.

3. Build a Simple, Sticky One-Liner

Here’s a quick formula:We help [target audience] [achieve result] by [how you do it].

Example:

“We help growing eCommerce brands improve customer retention by automating personalized email flows.”

Simple. Direct. Memorable.

🧭 Messaging + Go-To-Market Strategy = 🔥

Your go-to-market plan isn’t just about channels or pricing; it’s about what you say and how consistently you say it. Messaging becomes the foundation for:

• Your website

• Sales deck

• Demo scripts

• Investor pitch

• Even job descriptions

  
  

If your message is clear and compelling, every single touchpoint reinforces the value you’re creating. That’s what gets people excited. That’s what opens doors.

🛠️ Work Smarter, Not Solo

Look, we get it. You're deep in the weeds of product, hiring, and raising capital. Messaging may feel like "fluff" in comparison.

But here’s the truth:

If people don’t get what you do, they won’t buy it, fund it, or join it.

So whether you DIY it or bring in help, carve out a few hours to get your core messaging sharp. Work with someone who can pull the gold out of your brain and put it into plain English. (Yeah, that’s literally what we do.)

📌 Quick Checklist: How to Know Your Messaging Needs Work

• People ask, “So… what exactly do you do?” more than once

• Your homepage sounds like a pitch deck

• Your team says the product differently in every convo

• Investors nod, but don’t bite

• Your best users say “I didn’t really get it at first”

If you checked even two of these, it’s time to tune up your messaging.

🙋‍♀️ FAQs: Let’s Clear the Air

Q: What if my product does 10 things, how do I message that?

Start with one. The most painful, valuable, or urgent problem you solve. Once that’s clear, you can layer in other features later.

Q: Do I need a brand strategist to do this?

Not necessarily. You just need a sharp listener (or copywriter) who understands tech and can help simplify. Don’t overthink it.

Q: How often should I revisit my messaging?

Anytime your audience shifts, your product evolves, or your team grows. Messaging isn’t one-and-done. It should grow with you.

🚀 Let’s Wrap This Up (But Make It Count)

Messaging isn’t just “how you talk about your startup.” It’s how the world understands your value.

If you want people to believe in what you’ve built, you need to frame it in a way that clicks fast.

So stop leading with features. Start with problems, outcomes, and real-world language. That’s what gets people to lean in, not tune out.

Because in a world full of noise, clarity wins every time.

🔗 Helpful Reads:

• The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick – Great guide on how to talk to users

• Positioning by April Dunford – A must-read on messaging and product-market fit

• SaaStr: How to Nail Your Pitch – Tons of founder-focused insights

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Want a messaging sprint for your startup?

Shoot us a message. We help founders like you talk about your products in ways that make sense (and dollars).

Let’s make sure the world gets it.