#244 - Live Pitch Practice & Feedback
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 14 April 2026
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this special episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff and Managing Editor Caitlin Bricker — a former retail buyer — run a live pitch practice session recorded on YouTube Live, where founders jumped up to deliver their 30-second pitch and got direct, actionable feedback in real time. The result is one of the most broadly useful episodes we've ever put out: whether you pitched or just watched, the feedback applies to you.
Eleven brands across food, beverage, supplements, and pet stepped up: an Ayurvedic wellness tea, a kava seltzer, a low-carb donut and cookie brand, an umami seasoning, a women's hormonal health supplement powder, a pet training treat in a portable tube, a dessert butter, and a salon-quality cuticle oil line. Every pitch got something different — and every piece of feedback is worth hearing.
Together, Daniel and Caitlin break down the mechanics of a strong pitch: why your energy matters more than your talking points, how to proactively answer the buyer's unspoken questions, why uptalk will quietly kill your credibility, and what it means to actually lead with your product.
Listen in as they cover:
- Why energy and confidence beat a perfectly memorized script every time
- The single question every buyer is thinking but won't always ask: will this actually sell?
- Camera setup, lighting, and the small technical details that make a big impression on Zoom pitches
- Why "first ever" is a phrase to avoid — and what to say instead
- How to use proof points, velocity data, and repeat purchase rates to earn trust fast
- What adaptogenic actually means — and why you need to know before you say it
- When your founding story helps you and when it costs you valuable pitch time
- Why D2C traction and social following should come up earlier than most founders think
Brands featured:
Ayursome Wellness, Kaviva, Good Journey, Zenbroth, Bagelverse, Ramen Bae, Cali Nutrition, Doggo Sessions, Oh My! Dessert Butter, Theniya, Tiara Natural Deodorant
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Daniel's Linkedin
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
If you’re interested in learning more about the science behind Cognizin,
Head to www.cognizin.com to learn more.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | You know, when it comes to new tropics for supplements, foods, and beverages, not all ingredients are created equal. |
| 0:08.9 | Cognazin cytokoline is patented with more than 30 years of clinical research. |
| 0:13.9 | It supports the brain's natural systems, DNA synthesis and repair, phospholipid metabolism, and ATP production. |
| 0:20.6 | That translates into real-world cognitive benefits. |
| 0:23.8 | The only branded cytokoline studied in healthy adults and adolescents, |
| 0:27.7 | cognizant supports focus and attention, improves accuracy, reduces errors, |
| 0:32.8 | and supports reaction time and motor speed. |
| 0:35.1 | It even supports working memory and mental energy. |
| 0:38.3 | No stimulants, no jitters, no crash, just benefits people actually need. |
| 0:42.7 | So if you're developing products in the cognitive health space or just want to learn more about the science behind cognizin, head to cognizant.com. |
| 0:50.2 | That's C-O-G-N-I-N-I-N-D-com for more information. |
| 1:09.8 | Welcome to the Startup CPG podcast. |
| 1:12.3 | Today's episode is very special because some brands in the community are giving you the chance to hear their pitch as they're developing it along with our team's feedback. |
| 1:20.1 | We recently ran this pitch practice on YouTube Live and any brand could jump up and give their 30 second pitch and then get feedback from me and our managing editor, |
| 1:28.3 | Caitlin, who is a former buyer. I think this is really valuable for anybody to hear because |
| 1:33.0 | the feedback is broadly applicable. The things we suggest for these specific brands would apply to |
| 1:37.6 | many of you out there, so I really hope you get a lot out of it. Keep in mind that this was a video |
| 1:41.8 | pitch, so there's some technical feedback on things like |
| 1:44.1 | lighting and camera position, but that stuff is really important because these days, in-person |
| 1:48.8 | meetings are very rare, and outside of a trade show, almost all your pitches are going to happen |
| 1:52.9 | on Zoom. Again, I really want to thank these brands for being brave enough to come up and |
| 1:56.9 | practice their pitches with us, and also being open to feedback, please join me in celebrating |
... |
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