I look at hundreds of pitch decks every month. And the longer the presentation, the harder it is for me to stay focused on each slide. And I’m not alone. A
Slide 1: Problem and how to solve it
To start off on the right foot, explain the problem your startup is solving and the scale of the problem globally. Use numbers instead of adjectives and don’t use random internet statistics.
For example, if you are making streaming software, there is no need to give statistics on the global streaming market with their abstract figures in the presentation, it makes no sense!
To estimate relevant market numbers for your startup, you need to calculate the potential demand for your product. This number can be calculated based on the number of your potential customers and the income they can bring in during their customer lifetime. Then multiply the number of potential customers in the market by the check they will pay over their lifetime as a customer and you will get an approximate number that represents the total demand for your service. This calculation is not perfect, but it makes more sense than a random number on the Internet. You can read more about this method in Sequoia’s Mike Vernal article “The market curve”.
Don’t portray the problem as if it’s something everyone knows about. Instead, try to describe it in a way that someone outside of your industry can easily understand.
Point: explain the problem to others who are not involved in your industry. Do they understand it? Based on what you heard, edit the description. Do not hesitate to make several iterations.
Then explain to investors how your product or service solves the problem. Highlight how your solution is more effective than others on the market.
For reference, use the problem-solution slides from
Source: Airbnb Startup Platform, PitchDeckHunt
Source: Airbnb Startup Platform, PitchDeckHunt
Figures that are too far from the market make the investor wary. For example, if your competitors sell the same product three times cheaper than you, people will immediately wonder why your product is so expensive. The investor will try to find out if your solution is much better than the market, or if you made a mistake, or if you did not analyze the market.
Slide 2. Business model and sales
Show how you plan to make money by solving the problem and how much you can earn from each customer in revenue. Mention your target geographic areas.
For reference, use the Income Opportunity slide from
Figures that are too far from the market make the investor wary. For example, if your competitors sell the same product three times cheaper than you, people will immediately wonder why your product is so expensive. The investor will try to find out if your solution is much better than the market, or if you made a mistake, or if you did not analyze the market.
Slide 3. Numbers
Share your latest numbers with investors to demonstrate traction and growth. Include LTV, CAC, retention, revenue and growth.
A fair standard benchmark for the LTV to CAC ratio is 3:1 or higher. This is a generally accepted statistic that investors look at, but the figure may vary slightly depending on your startup’s industry and period of existence.
As for other metrics, investors want to see the startup grow twice as much in a year. If you’re not yet generating revenue, show other metrics, such as audience growth, audience retention, beta test results, pilot results, and others. But the absence of measurements in the presentation as a whole is not acceptable to investors.
For reference, use 13-14 slides from the
Source: Carta Deck, PitchDeckHunt
Source: Carta Deck, PitchDeckHunt
Slide 4. Team
Tell about the founders of the startup, focus on years of experience, career path, companies they’ve worked for, and their biggest accomplishments – revenue, sales generated, exits, major clients, etc. The more concrete you are, the more likely you are to get investors’ attention.
It is also important for investors to know that the founder knows how to hire a team and attract strong talent. Tell them about your first hires. What kind of experience do they have, and why do you need those particular people on the team.
Point: make sure the founders’ and key employees’ LinkedIn pages are populated and updated before talking to VCs.
For reference, use the Team slide from
Source: Crunchbase Deck, PitchDeckHunt
Slide 5. Round summary and information
Repeat your key points in a slide and state how much money you are raising and how you are going to spend it. Overall, startups need money for hiring, sales, and scaling.
As an example, take a look at the “What We Need” slide from
Source: Zestful Deck, PitchDeckHunt
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