Don’t send me your pitch, tell me why you’re here
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I don’t want to know what you do. I want to know why you do it.
When I see you i will ask you “why you are here”.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
When I do that with tech start ups something powerful happens:
Why?
“Because people hate banks and I want to build a product that solves that”
Why?
“Because I want to change the world and run a billion dollar company”
Why — you’re clever, this is hard, why take the risk?
“Ive always been an entrepreneur I used to sell newspapers at school”
Why?
“Because I was driven to make life better for me and my family”
Why, what is it from your past? Tell me really what drives you?
And thats where it gets interesting. I get to know you. The below are all real answers anonymised as I haven’t asked the entrepreneur’s permission:
“Because I saw my parents give up and accept life the way it was and i have to show them there’s a better way”.
“Because I wake up everyday wondering how many people are going to turn up at my funeral”.
“Because my dad came up one day and lost everything. I’m scared of losing everything”.
“Because my Dad died and I want to prove it to him”.
“Because my Dad is a crazy successful entrepreneur and I want to prove it to him”.
It makes me wonder if the most successful people are those who think they deserve it least?
We are living in the “greatest era ever of fake entrepreneurs” . I want to spend time with real ones. The people who have the burning desire that defines them and makes them run through walls.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your “why” if you are happy to share…..alex@saatchinvest.com
