If your message takes two minutes to explain, it takes two seconds to forget.
The Minimum Viable Message is the shortest version of your story that still lands. One sentence. Maybe two. The version you'd give in an elevator that's already at the next floor.
Most founders add when they should subtract.
More context. More nuance. More "but also."
The work is removal.
Here's the process:
Write your full pitch. Everything you want to say.
Now cut it in half.
Now cut it in half again.
What's left is probably still too long.
Keep cutting until it feels almost too simple. That's when you're close.
If the short version doesn't work, the long version won't either.
The long version is a crutch. It lets you hide. It lets you avoid the hard decision of what actually matters.
Clarity is compression.
P.S. Reply with your one-sentence pitch. I'll tell you what to cut.
~ Blake
3 ways I can help:
Gallopeer → Personal brand sprint to grow your social accounts
Boundset → Positioning & messaging sprint for startups
Pagetear → Copywriting studio for your SaaS