GIS elevator pitch


This is the issue that won’t go away – how do you explain to someone intelligent but non-technical what you do in two minutes or less? In my near 20 years in the profession I still haven’t found the simple yet clear explanation that makes people go “A-ha!” More people today *think* they know what GIS is, but that doesn’t make the task of explaining it any simpler.

I badly needed a good pitch earlier this week when I found myself in a fancy room full of people wearing expensive suits. I think I managed OK, but I am determined to do better next time.

A Google search for "GIS elevator pitch" returned no results, which encourages me to throw this out to all of GIS geekdom: What is your GIS elevator pitch? (Wikipedia on “elevator pitch”)

I have tried the following (off the top of my head):
  • Digital mapping
  • Digital spatial analysis
  • Design, build and maintain spatially-aware databases (I know...)
  • Google Maps on steroids
  • etc.
I don’t love any of them, although the “Google Maps on steroids” seems to get the most nods and smiles.

Posted by Atanas Entchev at 6/4/2010 5:49 PM
Categories: blog, Business, profession, Google, GIS, GIS architect
Tags: profession blog elevator elevator pitch pitch Business Google GIS GIS architect
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  • 6/4/2010 11:55 PM Andrew Turner wrote:
    Elevator pitches in general are difficult - but especially in the broad, fast growing, and widely misunderstood aspects of mapping and geospatial tools.

    One way to think about it is in sharing how you are solving a problem - preferably one the listener identifies with.

    In general you could use something along the lines of:

    Leveraging the common element of location to visualize and analyze complex data for better decision making.

    I also usually say:

    Nearly everything has a place and time - maps provide an excellent context in which to understand the relationships between otherwise disparate information.
  • 6/5/2010 1:58 AM James Richards wrote:
    I find that "Google maps on steroids" works best because everyone knows about Google maps. Then you can hit them with an example of what the steroids can do above and beyond what people get for free on the web.
  • 6/5/2010 1:31 PM Bob Kull wrote:
    Good question.

    I say GIS is the software and data used to analyze and inform relationships among data in time and space, much as Excel analyzes numbers and databases analyze words.

    Google maps on steroids (or even Bing birds-eye view on steriods) undersells GIS as just mapping display software. When you're unleashing the power of analysis to solve problems, that's when you need someone like Atanas, or me...
  • 6/5/2010 2:02 PM atanas entchev wrote:
    Thank you all for your comments. Maybe something good will come out of this thread. Hopefully we can tap into the wisdom of crowds and synthesize several (for different demographics) concise yet eloquent descriptions of what we all do.

    So far Andrew and Bob have offered a pitch for the analytically-minded business administrator. Andrew's second offering and James's are probably good for the mayor.

    Keep them coming. I will summarize all comments in a separate blog post.
  • 6/7/2010 5:23 PM Jim Cser wrote:
    For "what is GIS", I've always liked simply "the intersection of maps and computers".
    1. 6/8/2010 11:24 AM atanas entchev wrote:
      Nice.

      I believe a good elevator pitch must also include the WIIFM -- What's In It For Me? So we can say that A Good GIS Pitch = What Is GIS + WIIFM, or AGGISP = WIGIS + WIIFM.
      1. 6/8/2010 5:31 PM Jim Cser wrote:
        True. Mine was more a response to the dreaded "What do you do?" question...

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