Comments on: High concept pitches for startups

By: “It’s Friendster for Dogs”: The High-Concept Pitch | Bootstrap Secrets

“It’s Friendster for Dogs”: The High-Concept Pitch | Bootstrap Secrets — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 08:06:17 +0000

[...] Hacks have a great article on the art of the High Concept Pitch. Read it, love it, live [...]

By: A Writer’s Dozen: Eleven Ways to Get Story Ideas » Inkpunks

A Writer’s Dozen: Eleven Ways to Get Story Ideas » Inkpunks — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:08:21 +0000

[...] is better IN SPACE, from PIGS to JAWS to LOST to DANCES WITH SMURFS. Hint: It’s more fun if you use Announcer [...]

By: Quora

Quora — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:03:55 +0000

Is Quora the the Wikipedia of subjective answers?…

E.g. what is high concept the ‘movie pitch’ explanation of Quora? (See: http://venturehacks.com/articles/high-concept-pitch for an explanation of high concept startup pitches)…

By: Ethos Blog » Blog Archive » IA Information Architecture Deliverables

Ethos Blog » Blog Archive » IA Information Architecture Deliverables — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:50:17 +0000

[...] existing schemas to put the world in a wardrobe. Experience Strategies by Jesse James Garrett High Concept Pitches for Startups English Proverbs [...]

By: Sunil Wilkinson

Sunil Wilkinson — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:11:36 +0000

We are in the process of re-appropriating our service deck for SoundStation.com, it will be relaunched in the next 6 to 8 weeks. After much thought, I believe our high concept pitch will be “SoundStation is like a greencard for immigrant music downloads”.

By: Roderick

Roderick — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:37:29 +0000

X of Y can be used when they are different products like: “iPod of vacuum cleaners.” It doesn’t mean you are not original.

You can also use it for similar products. We considered using “Facebook for schools.” It would not mean we are not original. It would mean we have differences that are important to our users.

Because many people are using Facebook pitches, we decided against it. We are probably going with “Schoolbinder: A safe and powerful social network for schools.”

By: Niyi

Niyi — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:35:23 +0000

I see your point, but what if the “Facebook” analogy accurately describes your product? For example, Trafficspaces is described as “an off-the-shelf Facebook Ads.” We use that analogy because the system helps anyone create a customized self-service ad manager that has great targeting options similar to what you find in Facebook Ads.

High concept pitches are great communications tools but they start to fall apart when the linkage being described is tenuous as best.

For example, “Facebook for kittens.” Okay I made that one up, but hey, everyone loves kittens.

By: Alexa

Alexa — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:58:20 +0000

Do you think there are downsides to relating yourself to another company in your pitch? Could it come across that your concept is not original if you’re the X of Y?

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:21:10 +0000

Just watch out for anyone that says “Facebook for blank.” I’ve heard a million of those and saying something like that could instantly turn someone off.

By: On Presenting At And Attending TechCrunch 50 and Demo - Standard Deviations

On Presenting At And Attending TechCrunch 50 and Demo - Standard Deviations — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:51:18 +0000

[...] a Hollywood pitch. Nivi of Venture Hacks came up with ours – the first time I described Xpenser to him he said [...]