Standing on The Edge of The Future

Pitching & Writing in the Age of AI

Investor pitching is about meaning-making and relationship building. For now, still in the realm of humans. 

Reminder: You Are a Human Being

It’s a strange, strange thing to stand at the edge of the future.

I've spent a lot of time these days thinking about AI. Wondering about it. Will it replace me? Is it inevitable that tomorrow's investment pitches are about to be written, polished and spit out through an assembly-like AI program? Delivered via robots or AI bots? 

But then I remember that I'm human. I remember all the times I've watched someone pitching, worked with clients on developing their stories. I remember how it felt. 

How I saw something in them that they couldn't see themselves. The hesitation in their voice. The part of the story that somehow wasn't landing (and the parts that were).  The body language of the investors in the audience. 

The happiness behind their smile when they know they've nailed it. 

The Delicate Ache of Who You Are

Yes, an AI could assemble a pitch for you, could pull something together from the vast seas of human-created content it's scrolling, but it cannot feel. It cannot listen to you talk, feel the delicate ache of who you are and think, wow, this person has something important to say. 

If you're a startup founder preparing to pitch to investors, you, like me, are also standing on the edge of the future. That edge, is in fact, what you are all about. You are on the edge of something new -  looking out and asking them to take the leap with you. 

Your pitch is what you want for the future. It is a carefully crafted dream. A map to a journey you've envisioned for you, your team, and your investors.  It is human because it is from you. 

When we writers say that old cliche:  'this is a living, breathing document', of course we know the document we've written isn't actually alive - we use metaphors like that because we want you to know that it has been created in a human context. 

We put feeling into our writing and we hope (yes, hope, another human construct), that you will care about what we've created. Your pitch, like you, is living and breathing. It is not just a slide deck - it is you and the slide deck, you and the story you're telling. So care about it. 

So, by all means, use AI to help you create your slides, draft your script, or the executive summary you're going to leave with them, even spit out possible questions for Q&A prep.

But when you step into that room (or that Zoom window), it’s not the machine investors want to meet — it’s you.

Is There Fire? Is there Balance?

They want to see the fire behind your numbers, the reasoned belief behind your judgments. 

You are going to need to hit an elegance balance with your pitch. It’s not enough for an investor just to feel your startup is worth betting on, or be charmed by your charisma; you also need to show why your business will succeed, with clarity and structured thinking. 

AI can draft a business plan, or a pitch deck, but it can’t explain why you care, why you’re the right person to bring this idea to life, or how you, your team and your unique mix of experience, curiosity, and resilience knits it all together.

And an AI bot won't feel you in the room. Feel what you're saying. It won't know what really drives this you, and how to make sure your pitch doesn't sound exactly like the last 10 pitches they heard that were written by the same pulled-together compilation of AI written pitches. 

So how are you going to resonate powerfully in the age of AI pitching? 

• Make judgments, not just share opinions. Explain your why. Tell your stories. 
  

• Be smarter than ChatGPT. AI is pulling from systems and examples that are already out there - what makes your idea both workable and unique? Use mental models to organize your thinking. 
  

• Be able to think big picture and analytically. Step back: What are the ripple effects? What would you advise someone else in your shoes? What does this mean 10 years out? 
  

• Reflect, don’t just react. Investors will challenge you — can you pause, assess, and respond thoughtfully rather than defensively?
  

Remember your human edge, your creativity, your story, your relationships and team. 

Investors are looking for sharp business sense, yes — but also vision, empathy, and the ability to connect across disciplines and moments. They want to see someone who can hold the numbers in one hand and the bigger story in the other.

AI might help you prep, but it’s your meaning-making and relationship building that will land the pitch. And that’s the work only you can do.

Looking to build relationships through pitching? Sign up for a pitch review session today!