One-liners and investor messaging
What Investors Think When They Read Your One-Liner and One Pager
What Investors Really Think When They Read Your One-Liner & One Pager
Founders, fund managers and deal sponsors who are writing a one-liner or one pager to send to investors.
5 key takeaways
- Keep the one-liner short. Todd said he likes a tagline that is short and to the point. He wants to see it and understand it very quickly. Several panelists said the longer examples lost them.
- Name the problem clearly. One panelist said a line was too generic because it did not identify the problem. Jack could not decide whether the company ran auctions or offered consulting. If readers must guess, the line has not done its job.
- Use specific numbers. A panelist said a specific figure such as 13 trillion, 33 trillion or 2 trillion dollars would be more impactful than a round one. The host added that specific numbers are seen as more believable.
- Write at a simple reading level. Panelists said words like architected are too big for a quick pitch. One asked founders to bring the language down a couple of grade levels and describe what the company actually does.
- Say what only you can say. The ideal line says something nobody else is saying and that a competitor could not copy tomorrow. The host gave the example of someone who built 150 T-Mobile cell stores, had an exit and now has her own family office.
What you will hear
Panelists at a live event rated real one-liners and one pagers and said which ones made them lean forward. Todd liked a short tagline with a simple logo. Others said the problem was unclear and that a round trillion dollar figure sounded generic. Jack could not tell what the company actually did, which shows how quickly a vague line loses a reader.
Two more examples followed. A healthcare line drew complaints about big words like architected and a reading level that was too high. A self-storage line was praised for naming the asset type, the market and the return, but several panelists said it was too long. One panelist also flagged highly undersupplied markets as a possible red flag based on past experience.
Facts and figures
- A strong one-liner includes one or two credible numbers, such as clients served, years in business, employees, patents or revenue.
- The host cited someone who built 150 T-Mobile cell stores, had an exit and now has a family office as an example of a line no one else can copy.
- The panel rated four real examples live, including a self-storage line that named the asset type, the market and the return.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: What Investors Really Think When They Read Your One-Liner & One Pager. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around investor communication wording, return projection language and offering documents. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.
In their words
"The point of the one-liner is to get me to read the one pager, and the point of the one pager is to get me to read the pitch deck."
"An ideal one-liner has one or two credible numbers in it, such as how many clients you've served, how many years in business, how many employees, how many patents, how much revenue."
"The ideal one-liner says something that nobody else is saying, and they can't wake up tomorrow and say it."
- 1Write a short, clear one-liner
- 2Earn a read of the one pager
- 3Earn a read of the pitch deck
Related questions
- How do I create a pitch video for investors?Record a one to three minute video of the founder talking straight to the camera.
- How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
- What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
Questions about this video
What is the purpose of a one-liner?
A panelist said the one-liner exists to get the investor to read the one pager. The one pager then exists to get them to read the pitch deck.
What should a strong one-liner include?
The host said it should have one or two credible numbers, such as clients served, years in business, employees, patents or revenue. It should also say something no one else can say.
Should founders use AI to write a one-liner?
The host encouraged using AI to write the one-liner. One panelist noted that em dashes make some readers suspect AI wrote the text, so it helps to watch for them.
Put this into practice with the one-liner builder. See all one-liners and investor messaging resources.
