founders paras chopra, chapter by chapter
28. People Decide Emotionally, Then Rationalize
A pitch must first cross instinctive skepticism before facts can do useful work.
Reason often explains a choice after emotion has already pushed it forward. New-company pitches trigger an old and sensible suspicion: why is this stranger offering me a benefit, and what hidden cost serves them? Feature lists and rational comparisons arrive too late if the first gut response is distrust.
Design the first moments of marketing to lower perceived threat and establish credibility through relevance, social proof, familiarity, and aligned incentives. Only then present the rational case. Listen to customers’ explanations, but study the emotional and contextual cues that actually precede action.
Original sketch and model by Paras Chopra. Read the source chapter.