How to apply to Lifto: the 90-second founder video, second by second

To apply to Lifto, you record one 90-second video. You introduce yourself within the first 10 seconds, show your product running by 30 seconds, and use the rest of the time to show it doing its core job. There are no slides and no separate pitch deck. This guide breaks the 90 seconds down and lists the mistakes that make good products look weak.

Key takeaways

• One video, 90 seconds, no slides.
• Your face on screen by 0:10.
• Your product on screen by 0:30.
• Show one complete user flow, not every feature.
• End with what you are building next.

What do you need to apply to Lifto?

A working product and a 90-second video of you showing it. It does not need to be finished or polished. It needs to do the one thing it promises, live, on screen.

Why does Lifto ask for a video instead of a pitch deck?

A deck shows how well a team can design slides. A video of a founder using their own product shows whether the product exists, whether it works and whether the person behind it understands it. That is what backers are actually trying to judge, and it takes 90 seconds instead of 20 slides.

How should you structure the 90 seconds?

1. 0:00 to 0:10, who you are. Your name, your role and one sentence on what you are building. Look at the camera.
2. 0:10 to 0:30, the problem. Who has the problem and what it costs them today. Cut to your screen before 0:30.
3. 0:30 to 1:15, the product. Walk through one complete flow, from opening the app to the moment it delivers its result.
4. 1:15 to 1:30, what comes next. The next thing you will ship and why now is the moment to back it.

If a stranger can't tell what your product does by 0:45, the video isn't finished yet.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Opening with a logo animation or music instead of your face.
• Sneaking slides back in as screenshots with bullet points.
• Demoing settings pages, onboarding or empty states instead of the core job.
• Reading a script word for word. Talk to the camera like you would to a user.
• Showing a mockup and presenting it as the product. Backers will see it on Demo Day.

What should you check before you hit record?

• Record facing a window or a soft light, with a plain background.
• Test your microphone and record in a quiet room. Bad audio loses people faster than bad video.
• Screen-record at full resolution and move your cursor slowly.
• Log in and load your demo data before you start, so nothing spins on camera.
• Time it. If it runs past 90 seconds, cut features, not the intro.

What happens after you apply?

The Lifto team reviews the video and the product behind it. Projects that move forward go on to Demo Day, where the founder demos the product live and the team meets the community.

Backing early-stage projects carries real risk, including the loss of everything you put in. Nothing on Lifto is financial advice. Do your own research and only back what you can afford to lose.