When talking to investors, you’re answering the what (product), why (mission), where (if relevant) and how (strategy and go-to-market). But founders often ignore another important question: Why now?

Why wouldn’t it have been possible to have built the company five years ago? Why would five years from now be too late? The answer is often related to something that is shifting and changing, either in the market or with the technology layer. Anchoring your company with a good “why now?” slide is a great addition to your story.

Successful companies usually have these things in common: They were the right company, solving the right problem at the right time. Think of all the startups that cropped up during the early years of the pandemic that were solving specific problems related to accessing health care or presenting meetings.

Showing that you know why you’re launching now as opposed to any other time will create a sense of urgency: Investors won’t want to miss out on a business that’s solving what they see as an immediate problem. It’s your job to highlight the ways your company can address those issues and why now is the right time to do so.

When fundraising, anchor your company with the ‘why now?’ slide by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch