The hidden intel #30

pitch smarter, not louder 🎤

May 02, 2025

Welcome back to The Hidden Intel 💎 your backstage pass to everything unfolding behind the scenes of the reality show, the accelerator, and all the action in between.

Let’s begin 🎢

INTEL 🧠

Become part of history and join the Legacy Circle 🥇

If you’re anything other than a startup, this one’s for you 👇

We’re introducing the Legacy Circle by The Founder Games - our network of companies, associations and organizations that are standing behind the first-ever regional startup reality show.

All our members receive a special badge on our platform that symbolizes their permanent recognition as partners who have supported this innovation since day 0!

As a plus, you can position yourself as a leader by hosting a thematic discussion with key stakeholders during the final event (May 23-24) in Skopje, where we expect:

✅ 150+ guests from across SEE

✅ 30+ regional investors

✅ Representatives from global corporations like Volvo, Stripe, Mastercard, HalkBank and more.

Every partnering package is customized to your goals, starting at just €1,000.

And everyone who joins becomes part of history!

Sounds valuable to you and your company? Then 👇

FRESH FROM THE ROLLERCOASTER 🎢

What’s going on BTS?

  • EasyPass is now live in North Macedonia with over 100 amazing tutors already onboarded on the new platform easypass.mk, offering personalized lessons in all school subjects and foreign languages. With buzzing early traction and growing demand from both students and tutors, EasyPass is expanding fast across the Balkans, making top-quality education just a click away. Don’t miss out explore the platform and book your first lesson today!

  • BabyFM is selected for the EBRD Star Venture and Start Smart SEE MIT Accelerator.

  • Mirjana from MJ Hats took part in the Career Fair at SEE University to present the summer paid internships in fashion design. More details here.

  • OpenPledge is attending WeAreDevelopers World Congress this July in Berlin.

  • Starko launches Starko V2 along with a much clearer both short and long term vision for the product.

LEVEL UP ⬆️

Pitch smarter, not louder!

You’ve pitched before.

To mentors, to early adopters, to anyone who would listen. Maybe even to some investors already.

But Demo Day?

It’s different.

It’s the one moment where the entire room is full of VCs, BAs, and partners are tuned in with one question on their mind:

‘Is this someone I want to bet on?’

It’s not just about your product anymore. It’s about your story, your moment and the energy you create in those few minutes on stage!

As we gear up for Demo Day and for anyone preparing to raise funds, nailing your investor pitch is everything ‼️

Here’s a breakdown of what a winning pitch should include, plus all the extra ingredients that make the difference between ‘nice pitch’ and ‘let’s talk’!

#1 Make it painfully clear

Don’t just describe the problem - quantify it! Who exactly feels the pain? How big is it in terms of time, money and/or emotion? Why hasn’t it been solved yet?

Open with a real story or example because stats alone are not memorable.

#2 Show the transformation

Position your startup as the bridge from ‘pain’ to ‘better life’. A simple visual beats 1000 words so demo if you can.

Make sure it’s clear why YOUR solution is the right answer, not just any answer.

#3 Go beyond TAM slides

Who is your early adopter and how do you actually reach them?

Investors don’t fund ‘everyone on Earth’. They fund focused go-to-market strategies.

#4 Create urgency

Why is this moment the perfect storm for your startup to win?

Tie it to industry trends, regulation shifts, consumer behavior and anything that shows the window is open now!

#5 Proof instead of hype

Show real numbers in revenue, user growth, retention, CAC vs LTV, and churn.

In case you’re pre-revenue, show pilot projects, LOIs, signed partnerships, engaged beta users…

It’s crucial to show velocity i.e. how fast you’re learning, building and improving.

#6 Simple but sharp BM

State clearly how you make money and how you will scale it. If you have multiple streams, prioritize. Complexity loses investors.

Show your thinking about margins, pricing power and CLV.

#7 Respect, then differentiate

Name your real competitors. If you say you have none, you lose credibility. Frame competition as validation and then explain your edge, whether it is technology, cost, brand, speed, data or else.

Show how the market is evolving and how you’re riding the next wave.

#8 Why you’ll win as a team

Investors often bet more on the jockey than the horse. Highlight your team’s unique backgrounds, insider knowledge or crazy commitment.

Make it clear that this team will figure it out, no matter what!

#9 The ask and the plan

Say how much you are raising and what the use of funds is, being specific e.g. 40% on tech, 40% on sales, 20% on runway.

Show the next milestone you’ll hit with the round, investors invest in momentum.

We didn’t just leave it to theory.

We went straight to the people who’ve heard hundreds of pitches (and survived to tell the tale). No fluff, just real insights that could save you from rookie mistakes and help you sharpen your game before Demo Day.

We turned to Gogo Rafajlovski with a simple question:

What’s one thing you always hope to hear in a pitch, but almost never do?

It’s the current churn rate.

Why? Because churn rate tells investors one of the most important truths about a startup: whether customers are actually sticking around. It's not enough to just acquire users; if they leave after a month, it signals deeper problems with the product, pricing, or market fit.

A low churn rate means loyalty, real demand, and often strong word-of-mouth growth - all signals investors love to see.

So next time you pitch, don’t hide it. Bring it up first.

Next up: we tapped Teddy Pejoski, our partner and CTO, and the guy who’s seen it all (and pitched it all) to break down what actually makes an investor pitch land.

He recorded a video message just for you. (Seriously, grab a pen. You’ll want to take notes)

At last, we asked Sanja Mitrovska, our CEO, if she could give you just one piece of advice before you step on stage to pitch, what would it be?

In her style, here’s the full message:

Let’s start with the blunt truth: It won’t go exactly the way you imagined.

But if you’re fully present – it might actually turn out even better.

Founders tend to overprepare, underprepare, overthink, second-guess... but when the lights are on, none of that matters anymore. The only thing that matters is this: you’re here, now.

This is the moment you were building toward. This is you, sharing something real, something you believe in.

So if I could give you just one piece of advice, it would be: Be fully present.

Don’t think about the slide you forgot. Don’t think about the question you fear. Just share.

Talk about your startup like a lover would talk about their beloved in the early days... with fire, with pride, with that uncontrollable smile that says, “This matters to me.”

Because in the end, it's not about perfection. It's about presence. And presence is what moves people.

THE STARTUP VAULT 🗃️

Founders take note:

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  • Streamline and optimize your prompts with PromptGround.

  • Artisk lets you create your brand guidelines w/out the designer.

  • Create beautiful presentations 10x faster with Beautiful.ai.

  • Effortlessly organize your assets with AssetCurrent.

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