Feel like you botched your pitch?

Founders - Feel like you botched your pitch?

Then this happens. 📈

There are a bunch of cool stories where founders thought they totally messed up their pitches but still ended up getting the funding they needed. 

Here's a few — Enjoy!

1. Airbnb 🚀

Founders: Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk

Story: When the Airbnb guys pitched to Sequoia Capital, they were super nervous and felt like their presentation was a mess. They struggled to explain their idea and how big it could get. Even though they thought they screwed up, Sequoia Capital saw potential and ended up investing $585,000 in Airbnb.

2. Dropbox 🚀

Founder: Drew Houston

Story: Drew Houston felt like his pitch to Sequoia Capital wasn't going well. He did a live demo, which was risky and made him even more nervous. Despite thinking he messed up, Sequoia was impressed by his determination and the coolness of Dropbox, so they invested.

3. LinkedIn 🚀

Founder: Reid Hoffman

Story: Reid Hoffman's pitch for LinkedIn was pretty unconventional. Instead of a formal presentation, he just had casual chats with potential investors. He worried that he wasn't making a strong enough case. Still, his deep understanding of social networks and clear vision won them over, and they decided to fund LinkedIn.

4. YouTube 🚀

Founders: Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim

Story: The YouTube founders felt like their pitch to Sequoia Capital was underwhelming. They weren't polished speakers and were worried they hadn't communicated the potential of YouTube well enough. But Sequoia saw the potential for viral growth and user engagement, so they invested $3.5 million in YouTube.

5. Tesla 🚀

Founder: Elon Musk

Story: Elon Musk's pitches for Tesla were tough. He faced a lot of skepticism, and his ambitious vision for electric cars seemed risky to many investors. During one pitch, he thought he'd lost the deal. But his passion and technical knowledge eventually convinced investors, leading to the crucial funding that helped Tesla grow.

→ These stories show that even if a pitch doesn’t go perfectly, the idea, the founders' passion, and their ability to answer investors' concerns can still lead to getting funded.

Swing for the fences founders! 🌟 

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