How I Raised It - The podcast where we interview startup founders who raised capital. · Foundersuite.com - software for raising capital

Ep. 291 How I Raised It with Kirin Kalia of Grow Through Story

·43 min·2 clips

Kiran Kalia says every pitch has to answer “so what” and “who cares” before anything else.

Kiran Kalia focuses on what makes a live pitch land. She and Nathan Beckert talk through how founders can use large tech events to generate business and investor introductions, instead of just showing up and hoping for luck. The conversation stays practical. Kiran explains that memorability starts with anticipating the obvious objection, answering it before it gets asked, and showing why the company fits even in a crowded market. She keeps coming back to the basic question of how a founder should explain the business in plain language. That usually means testing the pitch for clarity, not hiding behind jargon or assuming the room will connect the dots. The episode also spends time on what to do live. Kiran talks about how to improve a live pitch, when to lead with the uncomfortable part, and when to let the question come from the audience. She makes a point of saying that authenticity matters at events. Not every founder needs to be loud or flashy, and a quieter style can work when it feels honest and specific. She gives a concrete example from a startup event. A founder pitched at a live event, told a vulnerable story about why she started the company, and held the room without trying to perform a bigger personality. The discussion uses that example to underline a simple idea. If people are looking at their phones, they are not listening, and the pitch needs to win attention before it can win interest. Kiran then broadens the advice to event strategy. She talks about leaning into large gatherings and planning meetings while still leaving room for serendipity. The point is blunt: if a founder wants to be in the room with the right people, showing up matters. Nathan keeps the pacing easy and direct. The result is a fundraising conversation that feels grounded, candid, and useful for founders who need to make a cleaner case in public.

As heard by us

A practical pitch-room guide for founders who need to be specific, memorable, and ready for objections.

This episode keeps its focus on what actually lands in a pitch room: being specific, reading the obvious objections before they get raised, and using large tech events to open doors with business and investor contacts. It does not wander.

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Need a cleaner pitch before your next founder event?

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