Remember when pitching was fun? No battles or competitions, no celebrity VCs, no make-or-break stress.

We're bringing back low-pressure pitch events for early-stage startups that just need to get their ideas out into the world and hear constructive feedback from fellow founders in the trenches. So join us for an afternoon of innovation, networking, and camaraderie with Pitches and Pints. 🍻

Hosted in collaboration with The Yard coworking community, this event offers a platform for startups to share ideas, gather feedback, and connect with fellow founders.

• 📅 Date: Thursday, October 17
• 🕓 Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
• 📍 Venue: The Yard: Herald Square
• 💸 Cost: Only $5 (includes happy hour refreshments)
• 📑 Founders: Sign up here to pitch

Begin with happy hour drinks while mingling with fellow founders and members of The Yard. The spotlight soon shifts to five emerging startups who will take the stage to pitch their visions.

The agenda for the afternoon is:

• 4:00 PM: Happy Hour at The Yard
• 5:00 PM: Startup Pitches and Audience Q&A
• 6:00 PM: Networking with founders

This is not a competition -- it's an opportunity for founders to showcase their projects, exchange insights, and receive constructive feedback from founder peers.

Whether you're a startup enthusiast, an industry professional, or a curious mind, Pitches and Pints will be an engaging and inspiring afternoon to celebrate entrepreneurship, foster connections, and toast the spirit of innovation.

Our hosts at The Yard are offering a free day pass for attendees who arrive early and want to cowork before the event. The Yard is a coworking space at the intersection of innovation, creativity, design, & play -- with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Philly, and DC -- with a variety of shared and private workspace options. If you are interested in learning more or scheduling a visit, you can do so here.

PITCH FORMAT

• Pitch - 5 minutes
• Audience Q&A - 5 minutes
• Pitch deck is required

Our longtime friend Mike Wilner, previously from the Startup Team at AWS, shares advice below on the art of pitching and the deck:

• Keep your narrative crisp
• Be opinionated and non-obvious
• Make sure there's an "oh shit" moment, and convey that it will be a venture-scale business
• Frame progress in terms of what you've actually figured out -- don't jump to arbitrary KPIs

Additionally, he advises that your fundraising narrative should be a concise, memorable explanation of what you're building, why you're fundraising, and why someone should invest. It should answer 5 questions:

• What are you building?
• Why will you win?
• How have you de-risked your business so far?
• How will you de-risk your business in the near future?
• What will the future look like if you're successful?

For examples of previously successful pitch decks referenced by Mike Wilner, click here and here.