What to Say When Someone Asks ‘So, What Do You Do?’

Support
8 minutes ago
3 min read

Why Founders Should Treat the Question as Their First Marketing Move

Why Do Most Founders Stumble on the Simplest Question?

It’s not a TED Talk. It’s not a Series A pitch. It’s not even a Zoom meeting with a deck behind you. It’s just a simple question:“So, what do you do?”

And yet—most founders absolutely butcher it.

They either give a too-long explanation that sends people reaching for their phones or mumble something forgettable like, “It’s kind of like Uber, but for dog yoga.”

Here’s the truth: that casual question is your first pitch. And you don’t need a full brand story to make it land. What you need is clarity, brevity, and a sprinkle of intrigue.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein

What Makes a Great Elevator Pitch?

A great answer to “What do you do?” does three things:

Names the problem
Hints at the solution
Invites curiosity

Instead of leading with features or vague industry terms like “SaaS” or “wellness tech,” lead with outcomes and relevance.

For example, rather than saying:“We built a proprietary AI tool for SMBs in logistics to streamline vendor management.”

Say:“We help trucking companies stop losing money on back-end chaos by automating vendor workflows.”

You’ve named the audience, the pain point, and the value. You’ve also left the door open for a curious follow-up: “How?”

📊According to Harvard Business Review, pitches that focus on the audience’s needs rather than the company’s product are 3x more likely to generate continued interest.

How Do You Make It Stick?

Here’s a formula that works across industries:

“I help [target audience] solve [problem] so they can [benefit].”

Examples:

“I help new parents get better sleep by shipping them bedtime kits curated by pediatric experts.”
“I help small business owners stop overpaying for health insurance.”
“I help content creators repurpose their best-performing videos into newsletter gold.”

This is essentially founder messaging meets personal branding. It’s not about sounding impressive—it’s about being remembered.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek

📈 According to LinkedIn’s Small Business Playbook, professionals who clearly define what they do see 28% more engagement in networking events and client introductions.

Should You Customize It for Different Audiences?

Yes. And no.

You should always keep the core structure consistent, but adapt the wording slightly depending on who’s asking.

Investor at a conference? Talk metrics.
Prospect at a coffee shop? Talk results.
Your aunt at Thanksgiving? Ditch the jargon and keep it fun.

A short, modular business introduction keeps your message agile but coherent.

🧠 Pro tip: Practice with a mirror, a friend, and even ChatGPT (hey, that’s me).

Is It Time to Ditch the “Elevator Pitch” Mentality?

Not entirely—but rethink what that pitch is.

It’s not a memorized speech. It’s the first sentence in a conversation that should lead to your audience asking you more.

“Good stories always get invited into more rooms.” – Donald Miller

Check out this video by Slidebean that breaks down how successful founders pitch in 60 seconds or less.

Founder's First Pitch Checklist

Step	What to Ask Yourself
Target Audience	Who do I help?
Problem	What painful or expensive issue do I solve?
Outcome	What result do I deliver?
Curiosity Hook	What would make someone say, “Tell me more?”
Industry Clarity	Can a non-expert understand this?