Module 09 · The demo day pitch~15s dwell · weight 7
Team unfair advantage
State the one specific reason this exact team is unusually positioned to win this specific market, not a general resume list.
YC's demo day guide notes founders often spend 10-15 seconds on team, focused on one specific unfair advantage rather than a full resume readout.
Include
- One specific credential or experience directly relevant to this exact problem
- A named prior company, outcome, or domain fact that proves insider knowledge
- Why the team's specific unfair advantage matters for this wedge
Cut
- Full resumes with every past job listed
- Generic claims like 'we're passionate and hardworking'
- Alma maters or logos with no explanation of relevance
Red flags a reader notices
- The advantage listed could apply to any team pitching any startup
- No specific prior company, outcome, or domain fact is named
- The team slide takes longer than the traction slide
Pitfalls behind them
- Listing every school and job instead of the one relevant credential
- Describing passion or hustle instead of a specific unfair advantage
- Failing to connect the credential back to this specific market's wedge
60-second self-test
- · Is my team advantage something a competitor's team could not credibly claim?
- · Have I named a specific company, outcome, or number, not just a job title?
Template
[Founder] previously [specific relevant outcome at named company], directly relevant to [wedge].
Weak
"Our team is passionate, hardworking, and has diverse backgrounds."
Strong
"Nimbus Payroll's co-founder ran payments compliance at Wise for 4 years and personally holds relationships with regulators in 12 of our 96 launch countries."
Names a company (Wise), a duration (4 years), and a specific relevant fact (regulator relationships) tied directly to the wedge.
Quick quiz
Pick an answer. Nothing is graded, and correct answers stay hidden until you choose.
1. What makes a team slide credible rather than generic?
2. Which team statement is strongest?