If you're building a startup and English isn't your first language, you've probably felt that awkward moment in a meeting when someone says "let's pivot" or "our runway is short." You understand the words, but not the meaning. Let me fix that.
Here's the vocabulary that actually matters for founders, investors, and startup team members.
The Core Startup Vocabulary
Some terms you'll hear every single day. Learn these first.
Pitch — A short presentation of your business idea to investors or customers. "I have five minutes to pitch our product to the VC."
Runway — The amount of time your company can survive before running out of money. "We need to raise more capital. Our runway is only six months."
Traction — Proof that your product is gaining customers or users. "We have strong traction — 10,000 new users in two weeks."
MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — The simplest version of your product that still works. "We launched our MVP last month. It's not perfect, but people are using it."
Burn rate — How fast your company spends money each month. "Our burn rate is too high. We need to cut costs."
Equity — Ownership in the company, often given to employees or investors. "We offered him 5% equity for joining as CTO."
Phrasal Verbs You Need
Native speakers use phrasal verbs constantly in startup conversations. Here are the most common ones.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Scale up | Grow the business quickly | "Our system can't handle more users. We need to scale up." |
| Roll out | Launch or release something gradually | "We'll roll out the new feature next week." |
| Pivot to | Change your business strategy completely | "We started as a food delivery app but pivoted to logistics software." |
| Hustle for | Work hard to get something | "We're hustling for new clients every day." |
| Cash out | Sell your shares and leave the company | "The founders cashed out after the acquisition." |
Let me give you a real example. I once worked with a founder who kept saying "we need to turn" instead of "pivot." His team didn't understand him clearly. One meeting fixing that one phrase changed everything.
How to Use These Words Naturally
Don't memorize the list and then use every word in one sentence. That sounds forced. Instead, pick two or three you'll actually say this week.
Scenario 1: In a team meeting
"We have strong traction, but our burn rate worries me. Should we scale up marketing or pivot to a different customer segment?"
Scenario 2: Talking to an investor
"Our runway is twelve months. We're rolling out the MVP next month and hustling for our first enterprise clients."
Scenario 3: With a co-founder
"Let's not cash out yet. If we pivot to SaaS instead of one-time sales, we can grow faster."
One Quick Exercise
Read these sentences and fill in the blank:
- We have only $50,000 left. Our _____ is very short.
- The investors loved our _____. We got the funding.
- It's time to _____ up. We have 500 new customers this week.
Answers: 1. runway 2. pitch 3. scale
The Bottom Line
Startup English isn't complicated. It's just specific. Learn the key vocabulary, practice the phrasal verbs, and use them in real conversations. You don't need perfect grammar. You need the right words at the right moment.
Ready to see where your English level stands? Test your English for free on English Measure. We cover reading, listening, writing, and speaking — all the skills you need for your startup journey.
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