BackStartups

Narrative · Global & US

The Pitch

with Josh & Lisa Muccio

Real founders pitching real investors for real money, recorded in the room — the single most useful show on this list for understanding what actually happens in a pitch meeting.

Format Seasonal, roughly 30 to 45 minutesListen thepitch.show ↗

Why an angel should listen

Every other show on this list tells you about investing. This one shows it happening. Founders pitch a panel of working venture and angel investors, the investors ask the questions they would actually ask, and the negotiation — including the parts where it goes badly — is on tape.

For a new angel it is close to a training simulator. You hear which questions cut through, how investors respond to evasion, how valuation conversations really go, and how differently the same company sounds after ten minutes of scrutiny. It also demonstrates, repeatedly, how much of a decision is made on the founder rather than the business.

It is also, straightforwardly, entertaining. The show is produced properly, the stakes are real, and the format was well enough regarded that its creators bought it back from Spotify to run independently.

Where to begin

Start with these

  • Any episode from a recent season — the format is consistent, so pick a company in a sector you know.
  • Episodes where the investors disagree with each other after the founder leaves the room.
  • Any pitch that goes badly. Watching a good business lose a room is more instructive than watching one win it.

In short

Good for

New angelsHearing real diligence questionsEntertainment
Listen at thepitch.show

The Pitch: common questions

Is The Pitch scripted like a television pitch show?
No — that is the distinguishing feature. Real investors make real decisions on tape, including the awkward pauses and the pitches that fall apart. It is the closest thing in audio to sitting in the room.
Will listening actually make me better at assessing companies?
At asking questions, yes. Hearing experienced investors phrase a challenge without antagonising the founder is a skill that transfers immediately, and it is very hard to learn from written material.