A Demo Is Worth 1,000 Words
With investors, a prototype or demo is worth 1,000 words—other than customers and revenue, nothing makes a stronger initial impression. People are visual, so a prototype allows your audience to grasp your business immediately. This is a huge advantage, because investors are notoriously impatient with entrepreneurs, especially when they’re pitching.
However, the demo advantage goes much deeper than conveying an idea. It says things for you that you can’t easily say. Through a demo, your audience will get a sense of your approach and your vision. The more impressive it is, the more points you’ll get on your credibility in product development and user experience.
Most importantly, a demo or prototype establishes that you’re a doer, not a dreamer. It proves that you get things done. When you’re unknown to a prospective investor, the main thing he’s trying to figure out is whether you’ve got what it takes to build the business. A demo of your prototype is a big step in the right direction.
Besides, with prototypes being so quick and easy to build these days, if you’re really serious about your business why wouldn’t you start building?
Get The Agile Startup: Quick and Dirty Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.