Event Summary
QLab’s fourth session, How to Pitch, featured HBS Professor Randy Cohen in a practical conversation about how founders communicate value. The focus was on pitching as a core skill: taking something complex and explaining it in a way that is clear, convincing, and easy for others to repeat once the meeting is over.
The discussion came back to a few basics that matter whether you are talking to customers, partners, or investors. Start by defining the problem in simple language. Show who has that problem, why it matters, and how your solution addresses it in a real and concrete way. Just as important, explain why this is the right moment. The strongest pitches combine ambition with credibility. They show a big vision, but they also make clear that the founder knows how to execute.
The session also highlighted the founder qualities that build trust quickly: clear thinking, real focus on the customer, openness to feedback, honesty about risks, and the ability to keep improving. The main takeaway for QLab teams was that a strong pitch is not about putting on a show. It reflects how a founder thinks, how they respond to challenges, and how they are likely to build.