7 Elevator Pitch Examples (Plus a Template to Write Your Own)

An elevator pitch is a 30-second explanation of who you help and how — short enough to deliver in the time it takes to ride an elevator. Whether you're pitching a business, an idea, or yourself, the structure is the same. Here's a template and 7 examples to steal from.

What makes a good elevator pitch

The best pitches answer four questions fast:

• Who do you help?
• What problem do you solve?
• How are you different?
• What do you want next (the ask)?

Keep it under 30 seconds, skip the jargon, and lead with the problem — not your product.

A fill-in-the-blank template

*I help [audience] [achieve a result] by [what you do]. Unlike [the alternative], we [key difference].*

Fill those four blanks and you have a working pitch. Now here's what that looks like in practice.

7 elevator pitch examples

1. Student snack business: "I help busy students study longer without the sugar crash by making protein study bites sold right on campus. Unlike vending-machine snacks, ours are made for focus."
2. Tutoring service: "I help middle schoolers who are falling behind in math actually catch up, with one-on-one sessions built around how they learn — not a one-size-fits-all worksheet."
3. App idea: "I help commuters skip the guesswork of when the next bus is coming with a live-tracking app. Unlike the transit website, it works in one tap."
4. Social enterprise: "I help local shelters cut food waste by connecting them with restaurants' surplus meals the same day — free for the shelter, a tax write-off for the restaurant."
5. Freelancer: "I help small brands turn boring product photos into scroll-stopping ones. Most editors take a week; I turn them around in 24 hours."
6. Physical product: "I help dog owners stop losing chargers and leashes with a single clip-on organizer for the leash. Everything they need is in one place by the door."
7. Job seeker: "I'm a designer who helps early-stage startups look established before they can afford a full brand team — I've done it for three companies that later raised funding."

How to practice

Write your pitch, then cut it in half. Say it out loud until it sounds like you, not a script. The best test: can a stranger repeat what you do after hearing it once?

---

Pitching is a core module inside Playbook, where students build a pitch and defend it. Want the full playbook? Grab the book, The Ultimate Entrepreneurship Playbook for Teens.