Siqi Chen is co-founder and CEO of Runway, and a master startup storyteller who has successfully raised tens of millions of dollars from some of the biggest names in venture capital. This is an honest conversation about how investors really think and what they actually respond to - and why it’s different from most of the advice out there.

In this episode:

* Why standard pitch templates are good for investors but bad for you 

* The three-act structure Siqi uses to tell compelling startup stories

* The four crucial questions you need to answer for investors

* How to pick a good name

* The risks of investing in "prestige track" founders

Full episode guide:

* (00:24) Introduction of Siqi Chen and Runway

* (01:15) Why traditional pitch templates don't work

* (03:05) The five emotional stages of an effective pitch

* (05:15) Three-act structure for startup storytelling

* (10:01) Four key questions investors need answered

* (12:33) What’s in a name?

* (17:51) How to balance brand with performance marketing

* (24:02) Lessons from a decade of angel investing

* (27:25) How to evaluate founders

* (35:35) Closing remarks and contact information

Where to find Siqi:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siqic/

* Twitter: @blader

* Website: https://runway.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.davidkaye.co