The Customer Wins [Perspective Series] Storytelling Secrets to Winning Pitches With Ben Wiener
Ben Wiener is the Managing Partner at Jumpspeed Ventures, a venture-capital firm focusing on early-stage, Jerusalem-founded tech startups. Since founding the firm in 2014, he has served as the lead investor in dozens of startups and often provided their very first capital. Before his VC work, Ben co-founded his first startup in 1999 and gained experience as both a corporate lawyer and clerk at Israel's Supreme Court. He is also the author of Fever Pitch and holds a BA in economics from Yeshiva University and a JD with honours from Columbia Law School.
In this episode…Communicating the true value of an idea is a common hurdle for entrepreneurs — investor interest often fades not from weak concepts but from unclear or uninspired pitches. Even the most innovative founders can stumble when translating passion into persuasion. How can startups tell their story in a way that connects deeply with investors and customers alike?
Venture capitalist and author Ben Wiener shares how storytelling can transform the way founders present their businesses. Drawing from his experience and his book Fever Pitch, he introduces the HEART framework — a five-part structure that helps entrepreneurs communicate their purpose, stakes, alternatives, differentiation, and team strengths. He emphasizes truth over performance, encouraging founders to make their product — not themselves — the hero of the story. By focusing on clarity, authenticity, and emotional connection, Ben's approach helps entrepreneurs pitch with confidence and integrity.
In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Ben Wiener, Managing Partner at Jumpspeed Ventures, about the art of storytelling for entrepreneurs. Ben discusses his HEART framework for crafting compelling startup pitches, why truthfulness matters more than flash, and how to shift the focus from the founder to the product. He also shares insights on the role of AI in storytelling and lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey.