3 ms·
As someone who reads scores of pitches a week from tech startups, I can't say how much I agree with this. Most of the pitches I get these days force me to wade
by jolie 16y ago
As someone who reads scores of pitches a week from tech startups, I can't say how much I agree with this.
Most of the pitches I get these days force me to wade through swamps of buzzwords that have become absolutely meaningless. It's enough of a turn-off that I pretty much ignore those pitches -- I figure that if the company had something really exciting to tell me, they'd figure out a way to tell me so within a couple sentences without using endless strings of empty jargon.
In pitching (to journalists, or users, or potential employees), keep in mind the most basic rule of poetry: The fewer the words, the more powerful the statement. I.e., less is more.
- redcap 16y agoCompletely agree - brevity of thought make for a punchy article that is better to read and more likely to have an impact. The three main killers are (1) passive voice, (2) long words and (3) jargon. If you can write something that avoids the above (except when necessary), you're on your way to reducing any waffle that your reader may have to wade through, and if polished enough can turn into prose that shines. Looking at the Microsoft article I can't help but think that they've said nothing at all, but the Google article has just the facts ma'am and leaves you the better for it.