The 90 Second Fast Pitch

Why 90 seconds?

It’s simple, really. 90 seconds is the amount of time you have to get someone interested in your concept. Your concept could be for a business or a nonprofit. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that your concept is addressing something that has a positive impact on the world.

What is included in the 90 second fast pitch?

Once you start putting together your pitch, you will quickly realize that 90 seconds is not a lot of time. You have a lot to communicate.

We recommend answering 5 questions.

1. What problem are you solving?
2. What is your solution?
3. Who is your customer (and how large of a market do they represent)?
4. How is your solution better?
5. Who is on your team?
6. (optional) What is your project’s current status?

The problem that you are addressing

When we review pitches (and we review a lot of them), we look for specific things.

The first thing we look for is that the entrepreneur has identified a real problem that needs to be addressed. Ideally, the entrepreneur will have talked about this issue with many people. Or, at least, the entrepreneur has experienced the problem personally. Problems can come in all shapes and sizes.

One successful pitch from a previous Titan Fast Pitch competition addressed a simple problem. There weren’t any hair accessories for horses. You might be thinking that this isn’t really a problem. Horses, after all, don’t really NEED to have hair clips. And that is strictly true. However, many horsemen and women like to adorn their horses. Before this entrepreneur came along, there was no way for those riders to properly attire their horses.

Perhaps the best way to identify a problem that needs addressing is to simply notice what you’re missing in your day-to-day life.

Your solution for that problem

First, you have identified a problem. Next, you identify a solution and explain it clearly. Your solution should adequately address the problem you have identified and be doable.

The opportunity

Now that you have explained the problem and your solution you need to communicate the opportunity. If you are proposing a business then talk about the number of people you think would buy your product or service. If your concept is for a nonprofit then talk about how many people you can reasonably have a positive impact on.

From there, you should explain why you are the right fit for this opportunity and how you plan on leveraging the resources that you currently have to start this business and grow it.

General tips

In general, great pitches are done by people who are confident and passionate about their concepts.

The Preliminary Round is a virtual competition. You have the opportunity to record your pitch as many times as you like in order to get the perfect delivery. (You will still only submit one video, the best one).

For the Finals Round, practice, practice, practice. The more often you practice your pitch, the more relaxed, natural, and confident it will sound in person.

2020 Titan Fast Pitch Boot Camp Video

For notes from the Titan Fast Pitch Boot Camp, please go here: https://csufentrepreneurship.com/titan-fast-pitch-boot-camp-resources-to-help-you-give-a-winning-business-pitch/

Rules for 90 second pitch

• 90 second maximum for pitches.
• No PowerPoint slides, poster boards, CGI, music.
• One continuous take, no editing
• If you are pitching as a team (max of 2) then you and your teammate can participate in the video and presentation.
• Handheld and wearable props and prototypes are acceptable
• All participants must be current students. They must be able to produce a valid student ID or prove in some other way that they are currently a student (this will be checked for all finalists).
• The competition is open to all current university (including community college and masters/PhD students), high school, and middle school students
• There is no age restriction. However, any student 19 years or older on the day of the finals must compete in the University Tract