One of my favourite parts of telling people my side projects is watching their face light up when they really get it.  If you can do it in the first five seconds, you’ve figured out a way to tell the story.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a natural storyteller.  I have to practice and hone a story until I have a good way to tell it.

So you throw the explanation against one person.  Then another.  Another.  You note down when they start to really understand what you’re talking about.  More often than not, I bury the lead so hard that the first few people I talk to are only listening out of politeness.

It’s not just about getting the story down smooth.  You have to mix it up and see if you can grab attention earlier.  You have to find out the hook and move it up front.

Eventually you have a real pitch.  You never really stop fine tuning it, but you’ve got something worth telling.