S1 E7: Level Up Your Hardware Product Pitch with Haje Kamps
Haje Kamps, a pitch coach and former VC, explains why technology rarely speaks for itself and why founders must demonstrate founder-market fit, VC-scale potential, and bottom-market fit to secure funding. He argues that traction is the ultimate antidote to weak teams or poor storytelling, allowing founders to bypass complex narratives with proven growth metrics. Kamps warns against common pitfalls like building too few prototypes without market validation, using dense slides, or creating rigid product roadmaps that ignore hardware's inherent uncertainty. He emphasizes that successful pitching requires tailoring the story to the specific investor, focusing on clear milestones that unlock the next round of funding rather than just extending runway.