The Slide That Destroys 90% of Startup Pitches

Most startup pitches fail in the first slide when they say, "We need just 0.01% of this $100B market."

Big markets don't guarantee success – they REQUIRE dominance.

The #1 player is wildly profitable. #2 does okay. #3 struggles a bit here and there. #4 and beyond are often money-losers.

That's why Jack Welch's famous GE rule was: "Be #1 or #2 in your industry, or get out."

The opportunity isn't in massive existing markets.

It's in:

1/ Creating entirely NEW categories where you can be #1
2/ Finding sub-niches where the big players are ignoring customer needs
3/ Building in markets too small for giants to care about (then expanding)

Don't pitch me that 0.01% slice.

Show me how you'll DOMINATE a small but growing market. Show me customers who are DESPERATE for your solution.

Show me why the big players CAN'T or WON'T serve them effectively. That's a pitch worth listening to.

Every time you explain yourself, you DELAY yourself.

You give energy to the wrong thing: justifying instead of producing.

You don't owe the world an explanation for where you are.

You owe yourself a RESULT for where you're going.

The people who make PHENOMENAL cofounders are often terrible at selling themselves.

They might be quiet, deeply technical, or focused on craft rather than networking. Look for them in Discord communities, niche subreddits, and forums dedicated to specific technologies or problems.

Get UNCOMFORTABLY SPECIFIC about who and what you need.

Don't say, "Looking for a technical cofounder."

Say, "I need someone who's built recommendation engines with Python, loves sci-fi, and wants to reinvent how people discover music." Specificity filters out mismatches early.

Hide an Easter egg in your product instead. Bury a message in your website console: "Still reading? You might be the cofounder I need."

Startup advice – Cross-training your team is a superpower.

Everyone should learn multiple roles so you always have coverage.

An accountant has completed their task? They should answer support calls, collect information, and track down someone who could respond immediately if a problem is urgent.

Maximise customer satisfaction rather than growth-at-all-costs.

"If you are unhappy, you are too high up in your mind." - Carl Jung

If giants block the path ahead,
You don’t go back—you climb instead.
No map, no guide, no fallback plan—
Just sharpened will... and forward man.

Best,

Maxi | The Warrior’s Newsletter