Most advice about pitching is written for the person doing the pitching.
Almost none is for the person on the other side of the table.
Which is odd—because a bad pitch costs you too.
It costs you time, headspace, and clarity. And if you back the wrong one, it can cost you money, reputation, and sleep.
So if you’re the buyer, funder, partner, or decision-maker being pitched to, how do you separate the pitches worth leaning into from the ones to politely walk away from?
Here’s the filter we use at Pitch Camp to spot a pitch that’s ready—and one that isn’t.
1. Do They See You?
A good pitch starts with you, not them.
It’s not enough that they know your name or have skimmed your company website. Do they genuinely understand the world you operate in—the pressures, constraints, and ambitions that shape your decisions?
The test is simple: do you find yourself nodding along, thinking “That’s right” before you think “That’s interesting”?
If they can’t articulate your problem in your own language, they’re not ready to solve it.
Example: When Slack pitched to large enterprises, they didn’t lead with “we’re a chat app.” They mirrored CIOs’ pain: bloated email chains, lost productivity, and rising communication costs. By showing they saw the problem in the CIO’s world, not just theirs, Slack moved from “nice tool” to “essential platform.”
Takeaway: The best pitches mirror your reality back to you. If you don’t feel seen, you’re not being pitched to—you’re being sold to.
2. Are They Solving a Problem Worth Solving?
A polished pitch can still waste your time if it tackles something trivial.
The question to ask: If this problem disappeared tomorrow, would it meaningfully move the needle?
A strong pitch doesn’t just identify a problem—it identifies and expresses a problem no one else has seen. The thing that keeps you up at night. And it makes the cost of doing nothing feel unacceptable.
Example: When Salesforce pitched cloud software in the early 2000s, they didn’t just talk about efficiency. They reframed on-premise systems as an expensive anchor slowing businesses down. By inflating the pain of the “old way,” they made the urgency to adopt the “new way” impossible to ignore.
Takeaway: A pitch worth saying yes to makes the problem visceral and impossible to ignore.
3. Do They Make the Complex Simple?
Clarity beats clever. Every time.
If you need to replay the meeting, reread the deck, or call a colleague just to decode it, the pitch isn’t ready.
The best pitchers take messy, complex challenges and explain them in a way you can remember, repeat, and retell.
Because if you can’t repeat it, you can’t sell it internally.
Example: When Spotify pitched record labels on streaming, they didn’t bombard them with bandwidth data or server models. They said, "We turn piracy into pennies." One line, complete clarity. Labels suddenly saw the complex upside, without needing a lecture on tech infrastructure.
Takeaway: A pitch that sticks is a pitch that spreads. Look for simplicity that sharpens, not jargon that dazzles.
4. Is There Proof Without the Parade?
Proof matters... but not in excess.
You don’t need a fireworks display of case studies, credentials, or data. You just need enough evidence that this will work here, for you, now.
The best pitchers balance credibility with restraint. They show just enough so you trust them, without drowning you in numbers you’ll never use.
Example: When Tesla was still early-stage, they didn’t bury investors in EV theory. Instead, they let them drive the Roadster. One visceral proof point outweighed a hundred charts.
Takeaway: Ask: are they showing proof for you—or parading proof for them?
5. Do You Trust Them When Things Go Wrong?
You’re not just buying the pitch. You’re buying the next 6–18 months of working with this team.
The real test: if this went sideways, would they own it, fix it, and tell you before you had to ask?
That’s the difference between a transactional pitch and a partnership pitch.
Example: During Netflix’s Qwikster fiasco, Reed Hastings had to go back to investors and customers with humility. They rebuilt trust because they showed they’d take ownership, even when things broke.
Takeaway: Trust beats price. Every time.
6. Do You Want Them to Win?
Sometimes your gut knows before your head does.
The best pitches aren’t just about what they want from you. They’re about what they want for you—for your audience, customers, or stakeholders.
When someone pitches with genuine care, you find yourself leaning in. Because it feels less like being sold to, and more like being joined.
Example: When Patagonia campaigns for environmental sustainability, their pitches for partnerships don’t feel transactional. They feel like shared missions. People want them to win because it feels like a win for everyone.
Takeaway: If you’re rooting for them by the end of the pitch, that’s the sign of someone you want in your corner.
TL;DR
When you’re being pitched to, you’re more than evaluating an idea. You’re evaluating a person, their way of thinking, and their ability to stay in the game with you.
The best pitches make that decision easy because they’re already acting like they’re on your side.
Happy Pitching,
Pete & Rosie - The Pitch Camp Team