a+

So, what does your company do?

Your 60-second pitch.

Akhil Aryan · a+November 2026
What happens after you pitch
“We’re an AI‑nativescheduling platform.”“Oh nice. We do…”“I met a cool founder today.They’re building some AIcalendar and scheduling app.”close, but not quite
At the eventYou trade pitches.
LaterThey try to tell their friends about you.
Why it matters

If they’re guessing, they’re not buying.

And they can’t sell you to their network.

YouThemtheir networkthe story stops here
The usual pitch

Founders explain it the way they think about it.

Example: Calendly, in its early days
YOU SAYTHEY THINK0s“You meet someone new…”?15s“Emails drag on for days…”?30s“Anyone booking meetings…”?50s“So we built Calendly.”oh, got it
The test for a good sixty-second pitch

Can they repeat it word for word?

YOU, AT THE EVENTTHEM, TO A FRIEND
The same test, applied to Calendly

Make it impossible for them to guess.

“Calendly sends a link so people can bookan available slot on your calendar, insteadof emailing back and forth.”“Calendly sends a link so people can bookan available slot on your calendar, insteadof emailing back and forth.”YOU, AT THE EVENTTHEM, TO A FRIEND

Sixty seconds, five parts, in this order.

0s15s25s35s45s60s 12345 What it doesProblemContrastWho, whenToday say it plainlydraw itdraw the fixthe moment it hurtsthe workaround most of the work
  1. 1What it doessay it plainly
  2. 2Problemdraw it
  3. 3Contrastdraw the fix
  4. 4Who, whenthe moment
  5. 5Todaythe workaround
Step 1 · What it does

Say what it does in two or three sentences.

Your startup does for .
It , so they don’t have to .

  1. 1What it doessay it plainly
  2. 2Problemdraw it
  3. 3Contrastdraw the fix
  4. 4Who, whenthe moment
  5. 5Todaythe workaround
Step 2 · The problem

Draw the problem. Keep it very simple.

YouClientTue at 3?Can’t. Wed?Wed’s full. Thu?Thu morning? four emails, still no meeting
  1. 1What it doessay it plainly
  2. 2Problemdraw it
  3. 3Contrastdraw the fix
  4. 4Who, whenthe moment
  5. 5Todaythe workaround
Step 3 · The contrast

Now draw the same picture with your fix.

YouClientone linkthey pick a free slot, it’s booked one email, done
  1. 1What it doessay it plainly
  2. 2Problemdraw it
  3. 3Contrastdraw the fix
  4. 4Who, whenthe moment
  5. 5Todaythe workaround
Step 4 · Who, and when

Name the person, and the moment they need you.

WHOFounders, recruiters, salespeople MONDAYTUESDAY Meets someonenewEmails: whattime works? Thursday,still no time the moment
  1. 1What it doessay it plainly
  2. 2Problemdraw it
  3. 3Contrastdraw the fix
  4. 4Who, whenthe moment
  5. 5Todaythe workaround
Step 5 · What they do today

Say what works today, and where it stops working.

Email back and forthuntil it drags on for daysAn assistantuntil you don’t have oneA phone calluntil you play phone tagCalendlyThey pick a time. It’s booked.
Calendly, start to finish

The whole sixty seconds, in five pictures.

1What it does

Send a link. They book a slot.

2Problem

Emails drag on for days.

3Contrast

One link replaces the thread.

4Who, when

Founders, recruiters, sales.

5Today

Email and assistants run out.

The next sixty seconds are about contrast and clarity.

Answering “How is it different from…?” and “Can’t I just do…?”

The questions

They’ll compare you to something they already understand.

You hearThey’re testing
“So it’s like…?”Where you fit in their head.
“Why can’t Google just do this?”Whether your difference is real.
“Can’t they just use Excel?”Whether the problem is worth paying for.
“Isn’t someone already doing this?”Whether you know the market.
Your moment

Their question is a challenge, and your opening.

You answer with confidenceThey won’t forget you.
You fumble itThey forget you.
Do the homework

Know who they’ll compare you to.

They’ll compare you to
What they’re built for
Calendly
Google Calendar
Built for meetings inside your organization.
Built for meetings with people outside it.
Apple Calendar
Built for Apple devices and iCloud.
Works with any calendar, on any device.
Notion Calendar
Real, comparable features, built around Notion.
Free to start, with whatever calendar you use.
Contrast, in one picture

Show them side by side.

Google Calendar week view, full of your own meetings
Google CalendarBuilt for internal team meetings and shared calendars.
Calendly booking page: the other person picks a date and an open time
CalendlyBuilt for scheduling with people outside your organization.
How you know it worked

You’ll know it landed when they ask for evidence.

Their next questionNow they want proof of
“How big can this get?”The size of the opportunity.
“Who’s paying you today?”Traction.
“How fast is it growing?”Momentum.
“Why now?”What changed to make this possible.

The questions stop being about you or the competition.

The whole talk, on one slide

Your first three minutes.

First
60s

Make it impossible to guess.

  • Say what it does, in plain words.
  • Draw the problem, then your fix.
  • Name who needs it, when, and what they use today.
Next
60s

Create contrast, with clarity.

  • Expect “How is it different from…?”
  • Show what the incumbent does well, and where it breaks.
  • Pick one or two differences, and draw them simply.
Then
60s

Back it with evidence.

  • Expect questions about size, traction, momentum, why now.
  • Answer with real numbers and real customers.
  • Keep answers short, crisp and factual. No exaggeration.
Now, a company you don’t know

OpenMerit

openmerit.ai ↗
1What it does

Picks the right model for each task.

2Problem

Picked once, at launch.

3Contrast

Tests new ones, switches if better.

4Who, when

Production teams, when the bill spikes.

5Today

Re-testing by hand doesn’t scale.

And one more

Perflo

perflo.ai ↗
1What it does

Gives AI agents secure access to money.

2Problem

Today: a card or an API key.

3Contrast

Every payment checked, before it settles.

4Who, when

Teams whose agents spend money.

5Today

A person approves every payment.

Write yours

Two or three sentences on what it does. If a stranger can repeat it, you’re ready.

Your turn · 15 minutes

Write it, say it, and hear it back.

says itretells it YouYour neighborTheir neighbor same story?
Write · 5 min, then say · 1 minTwo or three sentences on what it does. Then your full sixty seconds.
RetellThey repeat it to the next person, in their own words.
CheckSame story? If it changed, rewrite step one.
a+ by Akhil Aryan + me
1 / 24 Use the arrows or your arrow keys