Go Viral Competition
🚀 Launch Your Own Fun Competition Inside the Pitch Challenge!
Let’s get real:
The Pitch Challenge isn’t just a pitch contest — it’s a growth engine!
It teaches early-stage founders - that’s YOU - how to get the world to see, feel, and share their vision.
And the fastest way to grow?
Turn your audience into your marketing team.
Create a fun mini-competition that rewards people for engaging, voting, and sharing your pitch with the world.
This is exactly how Founders Live exploded across 50+ countries and reached hundreds of thousands of people — by making participation infectious — to have our members be our best ambassadors.
Now it’s your turn…
💡 How It Works
Think of this as a viral experiment for your startup.
You’ll design a fun mini-competition that lives inside the Pitch Challenge - one that drives shares, votes, and visibility for your brand.
Your framework:
Action → Measure → Message → Prize
1. Name It
Give your competition a name that feels uniquely you and your startup.
Make it distinct from the Pitch Challenge so people instantly know:
“I’m entering [Your Startup Name]’s special competition.”
2. Choose the Action
What do you want people to do?
Your goal:
Get as many people as possible to visit and vote on your Pitch Challenge video page
The best path?
Encourage every voter to share your page after they vote. Many times!
That single action can multiply your reach 10x.
Measure what matters:
Shares → Votes → Momentum
**Important**
The Challenge is about getting votes on your pitch video.
We will email your voting URL before voting begins on October 23.
Only promote your voting URL.
The Challenge is NOT about getting Likes on your YouTube video page.
Do not share your YouTube URL!
3. Track and Measure
Find how to best track your desired actions.
We encourage you to get a custom tracking app to see who’s sharing your pitch and how often.
A few options:
Use the data to recognize top supporters -
and to fuel friendly competition among your fans.
4. Spread the Message
Now, get loud.
Create something that gets attention.
Make a video of yourself asking people to vote, make a graphic - just do something that gets people to take action.
Share your competition across every channel that matters:
Email your community
Post on LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube Shorts (and tag @founderslive - we’ll give you a Like to boost your algo)
Drop it into startup forums, coworking spaces, local groups, and your Discord or other community space
Engage local government or innovation hubs backing entrepreneurs
Buy social ads - buy TV ads!
Keep the content fresh
New angles, new energy each day.
Momentum is the story. People will feel it.
(This is how you win in business, too.)
5. Go Viral
This is how virality starts:
Person A votes and then shares your page.
Person B sees it, votes, and shares.
Person C joins in, does the same…
and suddenly… your message is everywhere.
Each share is an ignition spark.
Within days, your pitch video could reach thousands organically.
You’re not just pitching anymore…
you’re building a movement.
6. 🏆 Offer Prizes
What’s in it for your participants?
Design incentives that fit your brand and budget:
💸 Cash prizes ($100–$500 or more)
🎁 Gift cards or cool gear
💻 A MacBook, device, or software access
✈️ A trip to meet your team
🧠 Free usage or mentorship from your startup
Structure it in tiers:
Big winners
Mid-level rewards
Recognition for consistent sharers
Think how Founders Live offers both
Achievement tiers during the Pitch Challenge
and
A paid trip for our Global Livestream finals winner
🎉 Have Fun & Grow
At its core, the Pitch Challenge is about teaching founders how to attract attention, build community, and grow faster than ever.
This fun mini-competition is your sandbox to practice viral marketing in real time.
Be bold. Experiment. Have fun.
Because every share, every vote, and every connection you make brings your startup one step closer to greatness.
Let’s see how far your story can spread. 🌍🔥
Hustle Fund is an early stage venture firm that believes great founders can look like anyone and come from anywhere.
We invest in startups all over the world and we'd love to see what you're building.
“Preparing for a founders live pitch showed me how rich our idea was, but also how hard it was to explain in 99 seconds. The experience was transformative.”
— Founders Live presenter, Seattle