[joshu]

For the startup world:

Approximately 80% of the pitches I get are between garbled and incoherent. Even higher in the unsolicited ones.

Consider that your recipient is reading on a small screen and utilize pyramid structure. And don't bury the lede. Many pitches ask for money without saying anything at all about what they are about.

[santiagobasulto]

Would you recommend something like "How to pitch a VC" by Dave McClure. Or something else?

I feel like there's no magic in a pitch. That you just have to tell the VC what problem you're solving. And just expect your VC to get it. Maybe the same pitch can have 2 totally different reactions in different people, because one of them have felt that pain or is identified with it.

Bottom line, my take is: make it simple, be clear and open. There's no need to "sell" or "charm" with it.

[tlb]

I would recommend William Zinsser, _On Writing Well_.

Persuasion tactics have almost no place, except at the end when you say, "So, are you in?"

Before that, the hurdle that (as @joshu says) 80% of pitches fail to clear is explaining clearly what the company will do.

[joshu]

Sure. Just tell me what the fucking thing is, even. Half the time people want to meet to coffee to discuss it without telling me. Sorry, but probably not. If there is a link I will at least click it.

[dataker]

Analogous to 'write concise and clean code' ?

[justin_vanw]

Right. Most pitches are by losers. Learning to write won't make their ideas less stupid, and it won't make their execution any less pathetic. You will get a very clear picture of what they are trying to do though?