Startup Pitch Vocabulary Hub
Language for market narratives, traction proof, and investor communication.
Use these words to frame problem, solution, growth, and defensibility with concrete signals.
Problem framing
Describe pain with precision.
friction
The rubbing of one object or surface against another.
inefficiency
Lack of efficiency or effectiveness.
bottleneck
The narrow portion that forms the pouring spout of a bottle; the neck of a bottle.
latency
Concealment; the state of being latent; the state of being hidden.
churn
A vessel used for churning, especially for producing butter.
waste
Useless and contemptible.
complexity
The state of being complex; intricacy; entanglement.
fragmentation
The act of fragmenting or something fragmented; disintegration.
Solution language
Explain why your product is different.
platform
A raised stage from which speeches are made and on which musical and other performances are made.
workflow
The flowrate at which a flow of work takes place.
automation
The act or process of converting the controlling of a machine or device to a more automatic system, such as computer or electronic controls.
integration
The act or process of making whole or entire.
orchestration
The arrangement of music for performance by an orchestra.
scalable
Capable of being climbed.
modular
Consisting of separate modules; especially where each module performs or fulfills some specified function and could be replaced by a similar module for the same function, independently of the other modules.
reliable
Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; dependable, trustworthy
Traction signals
Quantify momentum.
ARR
Yes.
retention
The act of retaining or something retained.
expansion
An act, process, or instance of expanding.
pipeline
A conduit made of pipes used to convey water, gas or petroleum, etc.
activation
Making active and effective; bringing into a state of activity.
conversion
The act of converting something or someone.
growth
An increase in size, number, value, or strength.
velocity
A vector quantity that denotes the rate of change of position with respect to time, combining speed with a directional component.
Moat and strategy
Show defensibility.
network effects
plural of network effect
distribution
An act of distributing or state of being distributed.
proprietary
Of or relating to property or ownership.
data advantage
switching costs
category
A group, often named or numbered, to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria.
positioning
causing to fall into line or into position
execution
The act, manner or style of executing (actions, maneuvers, performances).
Best Use Cases
- Pitch decks
- Fundraising memos
- Demo scripts
Key Takeaways
- Anchor the narrative in pain, then quantify traction.
- Use moat language only when supported by structural advantages.
- Keep jargon dense sections balanced with plain-language outcomes.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Using vanity metrics instead of retention or revenue signals.
- Calling something a moat without defensibility evidence.
- Overexplaining features before problem framing.
Micro Practice Drills
Prompt
Rewrite: "Our product is amazing."
Sample upgrade
Our platform cut onboarding friction by 41% across 120 pilot accounts.
Prompt
Rewrite: "We are different."
Sample upgrade
Our data advantage reduces setup effort by automating cross-system mapping.
Related Guides
Expand This Vocabulary Set
Related terms from our lexical graph that pair naturally with this hub:
Contrast terms that help avoid tone or meaning drift: