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Lesson
B2ENStartup Pitch. Convince the Investors — Future Forms for Plans and Projections
Pitch your startup to tough investors, survive brutal Q&A, and learn why most pitches fail. Master future forms for plans and projections, persuasive structures, and the art of presenting numbers that tell a story. A practical B2/C1 English lesson on startup pitching, future tenses, and presenting business plans under pressure. Ideal for adult learners, English tutors, and language schools.
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Why 99% of Pitches Fail. Content Block
Content Block
Every year, venture capital firms receive thousands of startup pitches. They fund less than 1%. The reasons for rejection are surprisingly consistent — and they are rarely about the idea itself. The number one reason investors say no is not "bad idea." It is "I don't believe this team can execute." Investors fund people first, ideas second. A brilliant concept presented by a founder who cannot explain their own business model clearly will lose to an average idea presented by someone who radiates competence and conviction. The second most common reason is unrealistic projections. "We'll have 10 million users in year one" without evidence sounds like fantasy. Investors have heard it thousands of times. They respect founders who say: "Our conservative projection is 50,000 users in year one. Here's exactly how we'll get there — and here's what we'll do if we don't." The third killer is not knowing your numbers. If a founder cannot instantly answer "What's your customer acquisition cost?" or "What's your burn rate?", the meeting is over. Investors assume that if you don't know your numbers, you don't know your business. Guy Kawasaki, legendary Silicon Valley investor, created the 10/20/30 rule: no more than 10 slides, no longer than 20 minutes, no font smaller than 30 points. Most founders break all three rules. They pack 40 slides with tiny text and run 15 minutes over time. The investor stopped listening at slide 8. The best pitch decks follow a simple structure: Problem → Solution → Market → Business Model → Traction → Team → Ask. Every slide answers one question. Every number has a source. Every claim has evidence. And the whole thing ends with one clear sentence: "We are raising €X to achieve Y by Z date."
Discussion questions
- Have you ever had to pitch an idea — to an investor, a boss, or even a friend? How did it go?
- Why do you think founders struggle with realistic projections? Is optimism a strength or a weakness?
- What would convince YOU to invest your own money in a stranger's business?
Startup and Investment Vocabulary. Word Cards
Word Cards
- Burn rate|Your startup spends €40,000 per month and has €200,000 in the bank. How many months do you have? Use "burn rate" in your answer.
- Traction|An investor asks: "Do you have any traction?" What kind of evidence would impress them? Give three examples.
- Scalable|Explain why a local dog-walking business is NOT scalable, but a dog-walking app IS.
- Equity|A friend offers you €100,000 for 20% of your company. What does that mean for you? Is it a good deal?
- Pivot|Your original idea failed. Describe a famous company that pivoted successfully. Use "pivot" in a sentence.
- Valuation|Your company has zero revenue but an investor says it's worth €2 million. How is that possible?
- ROI|Use this term to convince a sceptical investor that your product is worth funding.
- Runway|You just raised €300,000 and your monthly costs are €25,000. How long is your runway? What should you do before it ends?
- Break even|Make a sentence: "We expect to break even by..." — fill in a realistic timeline and explain why.
- Due diligence|An investor says: "We'll need to do our due diligence before we commit." What are they going to check?
Lesson Board
Lesson Board
Pitch Like a Pro. Word Choice
Word Choice
- We thinkprojectwish revenue of approximately €1.5 million by the end of year two.
- Based on current growth, we hopeexpectwant to break even within 14 months.
- We werearewill going to use 60% of the funding to scale our engineering team.
- Our CTO wasiswill be presenting the product at three major conferences this autumn.
- If we will closeclosedclose this round, we will have enough runway for 18 months.
- We will raiseraiseare going to raise the Series A in Q1 next year, assuming we hit our Q4 targets.
- Our customer acquisition cost hasiswas dropped 40% since we launched the referral programme.
- We guessfeelestimate that the European market alone is worth €8 billion annually.
- We aregoing towill meeting with two Fortune 500 companies next month about pilot programmes.
- The funding willis going towould allow us to expand into three new markets simultaneously.
Shark Tank — Pitch Your Startup. Roleplay Quest
Roleplay Quest
Scenario
A startup founder is pitching to a panel of investors. They are asking for €500,000 in exchange for 10% equity — valuing the company at €5 million. The founder has 5 minutes to present, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. The investors are tough but fair. They will fund the startup only if the founder can defend the numbers, explain the plan, and handle pressure.
The Founder
You created an app that connects freelance scientists with companies that need short-term R&D help — like Uber for lab work. You launched 6 months ago. You have 120 registered scientists and 8 paying companies. Monthly revenue: €12,000 and growing 25% month-on-month.
Secret goal: Present using the structure: Problem → Solution → Market → Traction → Business Model → Team → Ask. End with: "We are raising €500,000 to scale our platform and expand into Germany and France." Know your numbers cold. If you don't know an answer, say "I'll get that to you within 24 hours" — never guess.
The Tough Investor
You have funded 40 startups. 30 of them failed. You are cynical but open-minded. You look for three things: a real problem, a team that can execute, and numbers that make sense.
Secret goal: Ask hard questions: "What's your burn rate?", "What happens if growth slows?", "Why can't a big company copy this in six months?", "What's your unfair advantage?" If the founder says "We have no competition," challenge them — every company has competition.
The Friendly Investor
You focus on early-stage companies. You like bold ideas and passionate founders. You invest in people more than spreadsheets.
Secret goal: Ask about the founder's story: "Why did you start this?", "What's the hardest thing you've dealt with so far?", "What keeps you up at night?" If the founder is too robotic, push them to be more human. You want to see authenticity, not a rehearsed script.
The Sceptical Investor
You specialise in B2B marketplaces. You have seen this exact model fail five times. You are not hostile — you genuinely want to understand why this one will be different.
Secret goal: Ask: "How is this different from [similar failed company]?", "What's your retention rate — do companies come back?", "Your valuation seems high for 6 months of traction — justify it.", "What will you do if you can't raise the full €500,000?"
The Deal Gets Complicated. Drama Event
Drama Event
Scenario
The pitch went well. The investors are interested. But between "interested" and "money in the bank" lies a minefield of complications...
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We're prepared for that scenario — here's our contingency plan. That's a fair concern — let me walk you through the numbers. We're confident because... I'd rather be honest with you now than overpromise and underdeliver. We're open to discussing the terms. That changes things — give me a moment to think about how this affects our plan. We believe the upside justifies the risk because... I appreciate your directness — here's how I see it.
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Pressure
The tough investor says: "I'll give you €500,000 — but I want 25% equity, not 10%. You have 60 seconds to decide." That would cut your ownership significantly but the money would change everything. What do you say?
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Revelation
The sceptical investor reveals that she is an advisor to a direct competitor. She says: "I'm interested in your company but you should know — I work with [competitor name]. Does that change anything for you?" How do you respond?
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Twist
The friendly investor loves your idea but says: "I don't want to invest money. I want to invest my time. I'll work with you two days a week as a mentor and open my entire network — for 5% equity and zero cash investment." Is this worth more or less than money?
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Crisis
Your co-founder texts you during the pitch: "We need to talk. Two of our engineers just quit. They're joining [competitor]." The investors haven't seen the message. Do you tell them now or wait?
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Opportunity
A corporate investor who wasn't in the room sends an email: "Saw your pitch deck — we'd like to offer €1 million for 15% plus an exclusive partnership with our company." The partnership would guarantee revenue but lock you into one industry. Do you take the bigger deal or keep your independence?
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Constraint
The investors offer €400,000 instead of €500,000. They say: "This is our final offer. Take it or we walk." Your financial model assumes €500,000. With €400,000 you can only expand into one market, not two. What do you do?
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Decision
All three investors want in — but they disagree on terms. The tough one wants a board seat. The friendly one wants veto rights on hiring. The sceptical one wants monthly financial reporting. You can accept two out of three investors. Who do you choose, and how do you say no to the third?
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Twist
After the pitch, a journalist approaches you in the hallway: "I heard you're raising half a million — can I write about it?" Publicity could help with future fundraising but could also alert competitors. What do you tell them?
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Why Edugine?
Turn your lessons into experiences.
Edugine helps tutors create and run live learning experiences where students actively participate, interact and collaborate — while tutors see what students are doing and guide the lesson in real time.