Why I'm building PitchDesk for Creators

PitchDesk.app was founded in December of 2020, since then, I've had a lot of time to think about our purpose in the ecosystem, as well as the relationship we hope to build with our community. But the one question that keeps coming back to me is this:

"How can PitchDesk serve creators?"

Creators are the backbone of the internet generation - without them, there are no films, NFT art, memes, and no dialogue on cultural shifts and timely topics - creators propel the culture forward with their art.

But being a professional creator comes at a cost - your time, focus & precious energy is an invaluable resource, and going from idea to execution is a long process, often involving a strategic plan, research and pitching to get your work funded.

I started this journey by talking to filmmakers, designers & artists in my circle - we talked about how they pitch new projects, how they present ideas to clients, the tools they're using - as well as how they manage all of this whilst building a creative career. Through these discussions, we identified two problems that creators face when building presentations.

Problems
The first problem is a matter of speed - the countless hours it takes to build a finished pitch. The second problem is a matter of workflow - the tools and systems used throughout the process.

In our conversations, we realised that modern presentation software is built for companies - not creators, it's built for relaying factual information, not for expressing a vision. We've moved from the days of printed slides, and modern storytellers are demanding more.

The Speed Problem
It's common for creators to use three or four software tools to build a pitch that truly stands out. They're building their graphics in Illustrator, writing copy on Notion, removing image backgrounds on Photoshop and bringing it all together on PowerPoint. It's no wonder that it takes weeks, not days, to create a presentation that represents the heart and soul of their vision.

The Workflow Problem
Sourcing and creating graphics, fonts, and mood-boards takes many tools and processes. For creators this can be overwhelming - one needs to have a good understanding of graphic design, image editing and design to truly express themselves. As a result, makers default to using basic presentation templates to sell their projects.

The Solution
We created PitchDesk to meet the needs of modern creators, and help them present projects in a way that amplifies their vision, before pitching to the outside world. Built by makers, PitchDesk is the modern presentation studio for creative professionals. With our software, creatives can build, collaborate & deploy presentations at speed, without compromising on the visual impact of their pitch.

Today, creatives of all types are building the world around us through storytelling, art and innovation. They're making films, starting podcasts, launching businesses and are doing all this using digital tools. PitchDesk exist to help amplify the way ideas are presented, before they go to the outside world.

What we intend to do different
Templates - Users can build their pitch on top of industry-specific templates - be it for film, design, or art direction.
Copy - A native text-mode means that you can write your copy, free from distraction, without having to switch between different programs.
Media - Users can edit images, create graphics, import GIFS, embed videos - all within PitchDesk.
Collaboration - Great ideas aren't made in a vacuum, so we've incorporated collaboration tools that allow you to review & collaborate right within PitchDesk - no more PDF downloads and emails are required to build something together.
Shortcuts - To help you get to what you need as quickly as possible. A simple keyboard shortcut will give users access to mood boards, page titles, embedded media, image editing with the click of a button.

The creator economy is booming and It's never been easier for makers to share their work with the world, as a result, it's harder for good ideas to truly stand out to clients & investors - competition is stiff. As makers ourselves, we are sympathetic to this struggle, we've been here before & we believe that creators deserve better ways to present their ideas.

What comes next
We created PitchDesk to change the way ideas are shared - we understand why makers struggle to sell projects, we know that presentation software takes too much time to work with, we see that standing out means having brilliant copy, epic visuals and stunning design. We know all this because we too are makers, we have skin in the game.

Over the next few months we will be beta-testing the PitchDesk platform with early access users. If you haven't already, help us build the platform by signing up for early access, and we'll send you a link to the platform when it's ready.

Follow my journey @webstermugavazi