Most founders struggle to explain their startup in a crisp, compelling way.
They either ramble on with too much detail or stay vague, confusing investors, customers, or partners.
And when the moment comes—at a pitch event, meeting, or even an unexpected conversation—they fumble instead of making an impact.
The Problem with Elevator Pitches
An elevator pitch is supposed to be short and punchy, but that’s where most founders go wrong:
Too vague: “We help businesses scale with AI-powered solutions.”
Too complex: “We optimize cross-functional workflows using predictive heuristics and machine learning automation.”
Too generic: “It’s like Uber for X.”
The result? The listener tunes out.
The Ideal Pitch
Imagine if your pitch immediately grabbed attention, sparked curiosity, and left people wanting to hear more.
A great elevator pitch does three things:
Clearly states what you do.
Explains who it’s for and why they should care.
Ends with a hook that invites the listener to ask more.
And now, thanks to AI, you can refine and perfect your pitch in minutes.
The Framework
One of the best ways to structure an elevator pitch is using the Problem-Solution-Impact format:
Problem: What pain point does your startup solve?
Solution: How does your product/service solve it?
Impact: What’s the key benefit or result for your target audience?
Here’s a real-world example:
Problem: Sales teams waste hours tracking deals manually.
Solution: Our CRM automates deal tracking and sends real-time alerts.
Impact: Teams close 20% more deals without extra effort.
Now let’s turn this into an AI-powered prompt.
The AI Prompt
Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude, fill in the blanks, and refine:
Act as a startup pitch coach.
I need a compelling elevator pitch for my startup.
Here’s what I have so far:
• My startup is called: [Company Name]
• It helps: [Target Audience]
• The main problem they face is: [Problem in 1-2 sentences]
• We solve it by: [Solution in 1-2 sentences]
• The biggest impact we create is: [Key benefit/result]
Please format the pitch in a Problem-Solution-Impact structure.
Then, give me three variations:
1. A short version (one sentence)
2. A conversational version (casual tone)
3. A high-stakes version (for investors/pitch competitions)
Also, include a hook at the end that encourages further conversation.
Why This Works
This template forces clarity. Instead of vague jargon, you get a structured, compelling pitch.
It also gives you variations—so you can adapt your pitch depending on who you’re talking to.
When to Use It
Fundraising? Use the high-stakes version for investor meetings.
Networking? Try the conversational version for casual chats.
Cold outreach? The short version works great in emails and DMs.
Try It Now
Paste the prompt into ChatGPT or Claude.
Test different variations.
Refine the wording.
Then, next time someone asks, “What does your startup do?”—you’ll have the perfect answer.