Everything You Need to Know to Pitch an Investor Asking investors to fund your business is uncomfortable, intimidating and at times even excruciating. Here's how to make it better.

The act of pitching your business to a venture capitalist can be a harrowing experience. You're at your most vulnerable place in your professional career. You've probably just quit a job that provided a steady income -- and had to convince your spouse or significant other that all of this would eventually lead to greater financial security for your family.

In the meantime -- the next 10 years or more -- you are going to live cheaply, take no vacations, work longer hours than ever before, sleep fitfully (my partner, Ben, has said that as a startup CEO, he slept like a baby -- waking up every few hours crying), and beg VCs to finance this glamorous lifestyle. Sounds like fun, right?

There are five things to consider when you're preparing to make that big ask -- and we'll talk through each of them -- but first things first: You've got to get the opportunity to pitch.