How to make a good pitch to the Dragons Den (in our project)

We've had quite a few projects try and pitch to us over the last year that we've been open. Nothing so far has wowed us in the sense that we're climbing all over each other to get a piece of the action, and make no mistake, if something did wow us then we most definitely would be climbing over each other.

So what do you get in the Dragons Den?

You get access to the biggest buyers on hive engine. Make no mistake, those that bought BRO and still hold it today are amongst the top purveyors of hive engine tokens, and they are always looking for something more to buy into to diversify their assets. Think of it as you are seeking an audience with those that spend a lot of money on tokens in the second layer.

Make no mistake though, it isn't something that you can walk in with a half baked idea, do no preparation for, give no prior thought to, and think that you can raise some capital without some scrutiny. The last person that did this didn't fair well:

I will always allow you on -- so I don't prior vet these things. What I may think is trash, someone else may think is good. I do not like to act as a judge for something that can be vetted much better with several people than just one.

How to present a clean pitch

Okay, so you really don't have to present a working definition for light speed travel here, no, a few smaller projects have picked up some funding with us from several Dragons for what they've wanted to do. As long as it is consistent, and the plan is sound. By that I mean:

1) Have done quite a bit of prior thought.

When we created Legion, quite a lot of thought went into it. Right now it doesn't seem like it does much but in 2-3 years we will be a vibrant and deep ecosystem with plenty of ways to use it. Most hive users go where the money is and we understand this, also most users are susceptible to pumps in hive and like to get their liquid out quickly to appreciate the benefits of an in the green token. We thought about all of this prior to launch and it is why there is a buy wall consistently to buy back from anyone that wants to get out. That's not all, but there are many ways you can show that quite a lot of thought has gone into your creation.

2) Create a whitepaper and put effort into it.

Much like the pitcher in the screenshot above you wont receive a good welcome if you don't put any effort into a whitepaper. This not only shows that you haven't put any effort into your pitch, but it's a key indicator as to how you will treat your project going forward. A good, well crafted whitepaper is a sign of someone that respects themselves, the people that are viewing the whitepaper, and the focus on the journey ahead.

3) Be prepared to be asked some difficult questions.

Yes, sometimes they'll even ask you questions just to see how you react to them.

If you look at the hive engine token list you'll see some of the best and brightest tokens up there that have stood the test of time. I bet when they launched they were just a shadow of what they are now, meaning that most have had to keep ahead of the curve to stay relevant. This comes from being able to manage the turbulence when things aren't going that great for them.

Part of the questioning process is analysing the way you conduct yourself and your immediate environment. It might not be exactly the case on the surface, but the underlying factor will always be the same. If you freak out and call us all bastards, then yeah, pressure is a bitch, and sometimes it needs to be tested so we can see how you react! It gives us an idea how well you handle the unknown.

4) Prepare.

I've done some dumb mistakes in the past, part of which was promising to people that I would do something without having the immediate resources I need to hand and being ready to go. On hive, dev resources are quite scarce, and you'll find that quite a lot of projects share developers and community managers. One thing you need to do before you come is have all the people and resources you need ready to go if you want to raise the capital for them.

5) Above all good luck and have fun.

If you're consistent, and aren't asking for a $2M tip bot or something ridiculous then I think your experience will be just fine! Just follow the steps and you are good to go.