The Neuroscience of No: Why Pitch Decks Kill Great Ideas

Here’s a controversial hypothesis (that I stand by 100%):

Want to start any business conversation three steps behind? USE A PITCH DECK. 

The moment someone sees a deck, they enter “Pitch Deck Mode,” a trance state where they feel morally obligated to tear it apart—not to understand it, not to believe in it—but to win points for being critical.

The part of the brain that governs risk assessment and error correction activates, priming them to dissect rather than decide. Imagine your kid walking up to you, looking forlorn, and saying, “Um…I have something to tell you.” Yeah, that. 

Also, the part of your brain that supports imagination, emotion, and empathy—key elements for feeling resonance—shuts down. Result? No narrative immersion, no emotional engagement, no oxytocin. Just data-driven cortisol. 

Then there is the reflexive social dominance signaling — the subconscious drive to compete for status and correctness, and point out perceived flaws, or correct the record, triggers good ol’ dopamine. You want something from them, and they are rewarded for reinforcing this one-way power dynamic. In other words, great ideas get shitcanned so advisors/VCs can feel clever and get a quick hit of dopa at the expense of your technological wonder-baby. 

“I have an idea that will literally solve every problem plaguing planet earth!”
“Yah, no, I just ran those numbers in my head,” [smooths eyebrows].
“And they look slightly off to me. Everyone agree? Yah? Sorry, bud. Next!”

Did it feel good? Swimming in that neurochemical validation? 

A business idea that would have had a single horn, and could have made them billions was just sacrificed in favor of the irresistibility of a fleeting reward of feeling smart. Like an addict. You know the types.

 1. Should it be said?
2. Should it be said now?
3. Should it be said now by me?

They are oblivious to these foundational rules of human discourse, and will toss a wrench into the most delicate machinations just to feel smart, just to get a gram of recognition. Then they play it over and over in their memory until sensory adaptation kicks in and they don’t get the feeling anymore. 

Actual feedback I have received: 
The Americans: “You have to put numbers in your deck!
The Brits: “Take those numbers out! Way too soon!”

“Your deck is way too complicated, no one will understand the science. You need to make it so a child will understand it!”

I cut the info down. Then:
“There is not enough information in here, you need to add details about the science!”

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

My technology literally connects businesses to the one neuro-biological phenomenon that creates customers, and has created every customer ever, since the dawn of capitalism. You would think that simply hearing this would negate everything else, but…no. People are that dopamine-addicted. Recently, a guy said, “That’s amazing. What a breakthrough, incredible! But what’s your EBITDA?” 

My tech is based on neuroscience. It is not complicated at all, but it does create a bit of fear, especially the GenZ gatekeepers at venture capital firms who really get a charge out of the “you want something from me” dynamic. The instant they don’t understand any part of the pitch, they conjure shit up like “I don’t see a moat.” Or, “the timing is not right, come back when you have more traction, let’s stay in touch, K?” 

Saying “no” is safe. It’s also sometimes disastrous. A big VC told me recently they had an opportunity to get in early to a company that is now a household name, and they would have increased their port value by billions. But someone felt good saying “no” as they pointed out some tiny perceived flaw to virtue signal smarts and get the dopa hit as they waved the flag of status quo. No one ever got fired for choosing IBM…

THE BETTER WAY

Skip the pitch deck and let them experience whatever it is you offer. The visceral experience is the key to giving them the dopamine they crave. It will speak to the elephant, the 95% of your cognition that is non-conscious, not the rider, which is your conscious 5%.

Even if it has a little bit of wow-factor, or urgency, or “without our stuff, your near-future state will be a solid and immutable SCREWED,” it will have visceral, elephant-level impact. And you can skip the cognitive bias layer cake of negativity bias, et al, and the virtue signaling because everyone in the room is having the same experience. 

In other words, trigger, don’t pitch. Logic is an invitation for them to
a) cut you off,
b) skip ahead, and,
c) find the lowest hanging fruit they can stamp with a NO.

Getting visceral is getting limbic, and that is the key to dopa/oxy. Let their brains work for you. 

All this said, I have just created my last pitch deck. It has just enough in it to support the demo video. 

“Here is why you need to be interested in this, here is why I’m qualified to say this stuff, now watch the damn video.” 

If you would like to see it, I’m happy to send it to you, just get in touch and say “brown chicken, brown cow” and it’s yours!