Analysis

July 2, 2019

Have an idea for an opinion piece for Sifted?

Here’s what we’re looking for.


Amy Lewin

4 min read

Have an opinion you'd like to share with Sifted's readers? Excellent! Please read on...

Here's what we're looking for.

A punchy opinion

We like starting conversations. There’s nothing better than a somewhat controversial or unusual point of view to get people talking about a subject.

So, don’t pitch us a piece about why it’s a good idea to talk to your customers early on (everyone knows that!). Pitch us an idea about why customers are stupid and should be ignored at all costs. That is much more intriguing.

A few examples that gone against "received wisdom":

Personality and/or humour

The best pieces come with a healthy dose of the author’s character. You’re writing this piece because of your experience — make sure you tell us about that. Don’t be afraid to be personal. Also, we’re not the FT; have a little fun. This is also not an academic essay; you’re allowed to use “normal” words and expressions.

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Here’s a piece that made us laugh because it’s so…on point: Five things we didn't expect when we scaled our French business to London.

Data, anecdotes, examples

Make a point — then back it up. Find data from credible sources, include anecdotes from personal experience, quote others and refer to articles and blog posts. The following are good examples of this:

What to consider:

  • As much as possible make your evidence relevant to European startups — we’re a Europe-focused publication.
  • It is fine to have one or two examples from elsewhere (as in this piece: Fintech founders, stop trying to build a European WeChat) but if this is all about Silicon Valley startups, why are you sending us this?
  • Think about the counterarguments to your argument. Are there other data points or examples that support the opposite view? If so, you should address those. The best arguments give a nod to both sides.

Focus

What to consider:

Here’s what we’re not looking for.

Self-promotion

  • We’re looking at you, VC firms. It’s not very interesting to hear about why you think your latest investment is great. (Of course you think that.)
  • And we’re looking at you, founders. It’s also not that interesting to hear about why you think there’s such a big opportunity in your niche.

It’s okay to write about trends you’re a part of, but only if you place yourself within the bigger picture.

Pre-written pieces

Please pitch us an idea. Send us a catchy title and outline the main gist of your argument in a few bullet points.

Don’t send us something you (or your client) have already drafted. That’s what Medium is for.

Housekeeping

Photos

Please send us a high-resolution headshot of yourself — and any other images, graphs and charts to help bring the piece to life.

Length.

We’re looking for drafts to be 600 to 800 words.

Editing

Don't worry if you're not a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. We're good editors; we can whip words into shape, as long as the opinion itself is an interesting one.

The pitch

So pitch us! Get in touch with our opinions team — Eleanor Warnock and Tom Nugent — at op-ed@sifted.eu and we'll endeavour to get back to you soon.

Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and cohost of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast , and writes Up Round, a weekly newsletter on VC. Follow her on X and LinkedIn