Lesson 2.1 — The business pitch (Spoken English C1)

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A founder takes a sharp question about churn and stays composed.

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New vocabulary — tap to hear

value proposition/ˈvæljuː ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/ · the core reason a customer buys 🔊

traction/ˈtrækʃən/ · measurable early market pull 🔊

runway/ˈrʌnweɪ/ · months of cash before you run out 🔊

churn/tʃɜːrn/ · the rate at which customers leave 🔊

addressable market/əˈdrɛsəbəl ˈmɑːrkɪt/ · the slice of demand you can realistically win 🔊

to field a question/fiːld/ · idiom: take and answer a tough question on the spot 🔊

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« Fair point — that number is high. Here's what's actually driving it. » 🔊

Land 'fair point' calmly, pause, then pick up pace on the evidence; composure itself reads as confidence.

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Pronunciation

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Your growth looks great, but your churn is 8% monthly. Why shouldn't I worry? 🔊Investor probes the weak spot

Fair — 8% is high. It's concentrated in the free tier; paid churn is 1.5%. 🔊Founder concedes, then reframes

So the free tier is a leaky bucket. 🔊Investor presses

It's our top of funnel. We'd rather cut ad spend than gate the product early — here's the cohort data. 🔊Founder defends with evidence

Show me the paid cohorts, then. 🔊Investor leans in — hook set

Grammar in focus · hedging vs. conceding

There's a real difference between hedging ('it might possibly be a bit of an issue') and a clean concession ('yes, 8% is high — and here's why it's contained'). Non-native pitchers often stack hedges — 'may', 'could potentially', 'sort of' — which reads as evasive under investor scrutiny. Concede in one clear clause, then pivot with 'and' or 'but' straight to your evidence.

Full lesson: concession and contrast structures

Write it yourself

Write the one sentence that states what your product does and who pays for it — under 20 words.

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Tip for this task
If it needs a comma-spliced second clause to make sense, it's two ideas. Cut to one.

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. An investor attacks your churn number. Best first move?

2. A strong value proposition is...

3. Stacking hedges like 'might sort of possibly' makes you sound...

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