How to answer ‘why now?’ • businessroundups.org

Prove to investors why now is the right time and why you are the right company

When you talk to investors, you answer 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 hadn’t it been possible to build the company five years ago? Why would five years from now be too late? The answer is often related to something shifting and changing, either in the market or with the technology layer. Anchoring your business 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 and solved the right problem at the right time. Think of all the startups that popped up during the early years of the pandemic and solved specific problems related to accessing healthcare or presenting meetings.

Demonstrating that you know why you’re launching now, as opposed to any other time, creates a sense of urgency: Investors don’t want to miss out on a company that solves a problem they see as an acute one. It’s your job to highlight how your company can address these issues and why now is the right time to do so.