The lesson
Pitch a competitive response from inside the threatened company, and let its own revenue line be the villain.
The move
A deck rebuilt by Pitch Unfairly, told from inside Blockbuster. It opens on a VHS tape labeled "Netflix mtg, take 2", then shrinks Netflix to a small box beside "51M+" accounts ("120,000 Netflix paying subscribers. ACTUAL SIZE."). Later slides show "16% of our revenue comes from customers being late" and four options, one marked "STAFF PICK".
Why it works
- Our readScaling the rival to a tiny square next to the incumbent's big one makes the size gap visible before any argument starts.
- Our readPutting the company's own late-fee revenue as the exposure turns the pitch into a decision about a number the audience already owns.
- Our readFour options with one labeled "STAFF PICK" shows the alternatives were weighed, so the ask reads as a conclusion.
What not to copy
Every figure here belongs to the story, so don't cite them as evidence. Keep the sequence: threat at true scale, exposure in your own numbers, then a short option set ending in one pick.
