The Rhetorical Structure of the Entrepreneurial Pitch Problem Statement: Findings from an International Business Accelerator

This brief paper describes the persuasive strategies used by entrepreneurs for articulating problem statements in their business pitches. Using data from a top international business accelerator, Start Up Chile, we analyzed 44 written problem statements that scored highly on a metric of problem identification. Our findings indicate that when successful entrepreneurs articulate problems/opportunities they employ a cause-and-effect argumentative structure. Their "problem" is described as the result of a societal change or a shortcoming in current products or services, and the effects are pain points experienced in the form of time, money or other resources lost. We also found that the problem statements often explicitly indexed the industry context of the opportunity, used secondary sources to establish ethos, and used rhetorical amplification to create a sense of urgency. We conclude with a template for articulating problem statements. This template may be useful to new entrepreneurs as well as technical and professional communication educators and students.