"Hi, I'm Igor, and I'm divorced."

That's how one of our founders opened his pitch at TechCrunch Disrupt last month. He's building a legal tech company that streamlines the divorce process, and I'd written that line as his opener.

I thought it would be a tender, authentic moment. Instead, he delivered it with this slight smirk, and the entire room cracked up. Within five seconds, he had the audience on his side, broke the ice, and established instant credibility.

That's a hook.

And it's become a lost art in startup pitching.
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The problem: most pitches start on autopilot

You know the pattern. Company name. Big market size. Problem statement. Solution overview. Blah blah blah.

By the time you get to anything interesting – the traction, the insight, the thing that actually makes your company different – the investor has already mentally filed you into a category and moved on.

My team spends more time on the opening 2-3 slides than anywhere else in the deck. Not because we're perfectionists, but because those slides determine whether anyone keeps reading. An investor who isn't hooked early won't suddenly wake up on slide 12 just because you finally got to the good stuff.
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What a good hook actually does

A strong opening isn't about shock value or gimmicks. It's about three things:

1. It grabs attention. You're competing with 99 other decks that landed in the same inbox. You need investors to lean in and keep reading instead of skimming to the next one.

2. It sets the tone. Your hook establishes credibility, urgency, and your unique point of view right from the start.

3. It plants a seed. The best hooks create a thread that pays off throughout the rest of your story. They're not just catchy – they're strategic.

If you haven't nailed your hook, don't keep developing the rest of the deck. Get this right first. What your hook is will determine how the rest of your story needs to unfold anyway.
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1. Lead with traction

This sounds obvious, but most founders get it wrong. If you have real traction – revenue growth, user adoption, major customers – lead with it. Not on slide 8 or 10. Not after you've explained your technology. Right up front.

I worked with a company that was struggling to raise despite having impressive numbers. I predicted their problem before seeing the deck: "Your traction is buried on slide 8, isn't it?"

It was slide 8.

We moved it to slide 2. Everything changed.

When to use it: If your numbers tell a compelling story, don't make investors wait for it.
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2. Reveal a big shift

What's changing in the world that makes your company possible right now?

AI is the obvious one today – but everyone's saying that, so you need a more specific angle. Maybe it's a regulatory change. A competitive shift. A new technology that just became viable. A patent expiring.

The key is showing why now – creating urgency and inevitability.

When to use it: If there's a clear inflection point or market shift that makes your timing uniquely perfect.
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3. Tell a story that shows you lived it

At the earliest stages especially, authentic stories build instant credibility. They prove you're not just chasing a market opportunity – you've actually lived the problem.

The key is specificity. Not "I worked in healthcare and saw inefficiencies," but "I watched my hospital waste $2M a year on manual scheduling that caused nurse burnout and patient safety issues."

When to use it: If you have genuine lived experience with the problem you're solving – and can articulate it concisely.
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4. Raise the stakes

Show what happens if this problem doesn't get solved. Make it urgent. Make it visceral.

I sat in a talk where Al Gore used the equivalent of Hiroshima atomic explosions to describe how much CO2 gets pumped into the atmosphere each day. It was shocking. Memorable. And it made the stakes crystal clear.

Your version doesn't need to be that dramatic, but it should make investors feel the weight of the problem.

When to use it: If the consequences of inaction are significant and quantifiable.
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5. Break the fourth wall

Sometimes starting with why you're the right person, before explaining what you're building, creates intrigue.

"We've spent 100 years in production hell" – that's how our ex-Tesla founders describe their combined experience dealing with inefficient factory operations. It's memorable, it's credible, and it makes you want to hear what they're building.

When to use it: If your unique background or expertise is the strongest part of your story.
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6. Share a shocking insight

Did you know this industry wastes $10 billion every day?

A novel or unexpected insight makes investors rethink their assumptions and lean in. It positions you as someone who sees what others miss.

When to use it: If you have a genuine insight that challenges conventional wisdom in your space.
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How to find your hook

Here's the tactical part: finding your hook isn't about creativity. It's about ruthless prioritization.
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Ask yourself:

• What's the strongest element of my pitch? (Traction? Team? Insight? Timing?)
• What makes investors say "wait, tell me more" when I mention it casually?
• What's the thing that, if an investor never heard it, would be a missed opportunity?
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That's your hook. Don't bury it. Don't save it for later. Lead with it.

And then test it. If you're pitching and investors aren't leaning forward in the first two minutes, your hook isn't working. Adjust.
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