BlueSky Thinking Summary

In the funding landscape, Carter Cast, a seasoned investor and professor of entrepreneurship at Kellogg School, underscores the fundamentals investors study about pitches.

Among the priorities he saw were an entrepreneur's passion and commitment to the cause, product viability, or actual market need, and the founding team's ability to execute.

In his own take, Carter Cast advises a product to meet actual needs in the market, with validation through primary research and field testing.

Ensuring that the product works and fits is important, but so are demonstrations of potential for multimodal revenue streams to decrease risk.

Cast further pushes understanding where the market's at.

In shifting markets, investors may favor startups with strong fundamentals and real market traction.

For entrepreneurs, rigorous planning and flexibility can snag funding, even in tight economic times.

Curious about how to truly differentiate in your next investor pitch? Know your market, prove your concept, and consider beyond your initial offering.