Investors at TechCrunch Disrupt Urge Startups to Ditch Buzzwords, Focus on Fundamentals

SAN FRANCISCO – Venture capitalists at TechCrunch Disrupt advised startups to avoid overusing buzzwords like "AI" in their pitch decks and instead concentrate on demonstrating a deep understanding of the problems they are trying to solve. The investors emphasized the importance of clearly articulating a large addressable market, highlighting the founding team's unique advantages, and showcasing early customer validation to prove the viability of the business.

The advice was shared by Jyoti Bansal, a founder-turned-investor; Medha Agarwal of Defy; and Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures during a panel discussion at the conference. According to TechCrunch, the investors dissected what makes or breaks a pitch deck, offering candid views on what works and what doesn't.

Agarwal noted that overuse of terms like "AI" can be a red flag. "The more a founder says AI in the pitch," Agarwal said, "the less AI the company likely uses." She added that companies doing truly innovative work tend to integrate it seamlessly, rather than making it the core of their pitch.

Bansal, who built and sold multiple companies before becoming an investor, distilled investor expectations into three core questions. First, he assesses whether the startup is tackling a large enough market.

Investors at the conference stressed that startups should prioritize pitches that clearly articulate a large addressable market, highlight the founding team's unique advantages, and showcase early customer validation to prove the viability of the business.