Development Exec Checklist

What a Development Exec is secretly wondering during your pitch

Do you hope to pitch a creative project sometime soon and wish you had some insight into what the person you’re pitching to might be thinking?

Well, first of all, they are probably thinking about their lunch order.

But just past the SweetGreen Harvest Bowl with Balsamic dressing on the side… is a checklist.

A Development Exec Checklist.

This is a list of boxes they are mentally checking as you’re pitching your project to them.

If you’re pitching somebody in Hollywood, they might outwardly be saying something like, “Oh my god. Yes. Totally. I love it.”

But inwardly, they might be thinking, “This will never sell. Are they done talking? Did I remember to ask for the Balsamic on the side?”

So, in order to set you and your amazing creative project up for success; here is my very own Development Exec Mental Checklist.

Remember, the development exec or gatekeeper you’re talking to still has to go unlock the next gate, so you want them to have as many checked boxes as possible.

The more boxes you can check below, the more ‘marketable’ and appealing your idea might be to them and to the audiences they’re making things for.

DEVELOPMENT EXEC CHECKLIST

Authority 

• The Creators/talent/producers have a related platform 

• The Creators/talent/producers have a related credential

• The Creators/talent/producers have an unrelated credential but it’s interesting because ______

• Their authority stands out in some way (oldest, only,  best, award-winning, viral)

• They have experiences that are unmatched

• This is the only person to tell this story this way

Marketability 

• There is an audience that exists 

• There is an untapped audience 

• The audience checks a few different demographic boxes 

• The subject matter is timely or trendy

• There are similar successful projects it can be compared to

• The title is catchy

Timeliness

• Hasn’t been done before 

• Hasn’t been done like this/in this way

• Hasn’t been done since ______

• Hasn’t been done since ______  and it is now timely because______ 

Exclusivity

• They have had access to information and experiences that aren’t widely known or publicly available 

• They’re peeling back the curtain on something 

• This story hasn’t been told or has been forgotten

• This is a new perspective on a familiar story 

Access 

• The Creators/Producers/Talent have access to this world

• The Creators/Producers/Talent are steeped in this world 

• The Creators/Producers/Talent have credentials or leverage to unlock access

Leverage

• The Creators/Producers/Talent has a mailing/newsletter list

• The Creators/Producers/Talent has an online following or platform of some kind

• The Creators/Producers/Talent has a direct to consumer business 

• The Creators/Producers/Talent has a book or other merchandise 

• The Creators/Producers/Talent has an exciting project or podcast 

• The Creators/Producers/Talent has a Measurable Methodology 

If you’re curious to learn more or have any questions about any of these specific ‘boxes,’ I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments (as soon as I finish my lunch).

(This isn’t me. I order with the Balsamic mixed.)