# Pitch Deck Best Practices

This reference guide provides best practices for creating effective pitch decks for startups and business pitches.

## General Principles

### Keep It Concise

- **10-15 slides maximum**: Investors have limited attention spans
- **One key message per slide**: Don't overcrowd slides with information
- **Use visuals**: Images, charts, and diagrams are more impactful than text

### Tell a Story

- Create a narrative arc: Problem → Solution → Opportunity → Why Us
- Make it memorable and emotionally engaging
- Use real examples and customer stories when possible

## Standard Pitch Deck Structure

### 1. Title Slide

- **Company name and logo**
- **Tagline/one-liner**: What you do in 10 words or less
- **Contact information** (optional on title, required at end)

### 2. Problem

- **Identify a real pain point**: What problem are you solving?
- **Quantify the problem**: Use data and statistics
- **Make it relatable**: Use examples or stories
- **Show urgency**: Why does this need to be solved now?

**Example bullet points:**

- "70% of small businesses struggle with cash flow management"
- "Current solutions are complex, expensive, and time-consuming"
- "This costs SMBs $10B+ annually in lost productivity"

### 3. Solution

- **Present your product/service**: How does it solve the problem?
- **Key features/benefits**: Focus on outcomes, not just features
- **Unique value proposition**: What makes your solution special?
- **Demo or visual**: Show, don't just tell

**Example bullet points:**

- "AI-powered cash flow forecasting in real-time"
- "Automated payment reminders reduce late payments by 50%"
- "Simple interface that takes 5 minutes to set up"

### 4. Market Opportunity

- **Total Addressable Market (TAM)**: Total market demand
- **Serviceable Available Market (SAM)**: Market you can reach
- **Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)**: Market you can realistically capture
- **Market trends**: Growth rate, tailwinds, market drivers

**Example structure:**

- "TAM: $50B global market for SMB financial software"
- "SAM: $10B addressable with our go-to-market strategy"
- "SOM: $500M realistic capture over 5 years"
- "Market growing at 25% CAGR driven by digitization"

### 5. Product

- **Product demo/screenshots**: Visual representation of your product
- **Key features**: 3-5 most important capabilities
- **User experience**: How customers interact with it
- **Technology/Innovation**: What makes it technically impressive

### 6. Traction

- **Key metrics**: Revenue, users, growth rate
- **Milestones achieved**: Product launches, partnerships, awards
- **Customer testimonials**: Social proof
- **Growth trajectory**: Show momentum with charts

**Investor Metrics to Include:**

- Revenue and growth rate
- Customer acquisition metrics (CAC, LTV)
- Retention/churn rates
- Unit economics
- Key partnerships or customers

### 7. Business Model

- **Revenue streams**: How do you make money?
- **Pricing strategy**: What do customers pay?
- **Unit economics**: CAC, LTV, margins
- **Sales channels**: Direct, partners, self-serve, etc.

**Example bullet points:**

- "SaaS subscription model: $50/month per user"
- "Average customer: 20 users = $1,000 MRR"
- "CAC: $200, LTV: $12,000, LTV/CAC = 60x"
- "85% gross margins, path to profitability clear"

### 8. Competition

- **Competitive landscape**: Who else is in the market?
- **Competitive advantages**: Why are you better/different?
- **Barriers to entry**: What protects your position?

**Approaches:**

- **Competitor matrix**: 2x2 grid showing positioning
- **Feature comparison table**: Your features vs. competitors
- **"Secret sauce"**: What's your unfair advantage?

**Example structure:**

- Competitors: List 3-5 main competitors
- Our advantages: "10x faster, 5x cheaper, better UX"
- Defensibility: Network effects, proprietary data, patents

### 9. Team

- **Founders and key team members**: Names, photos, backgrounds
- **Relevant experience**: Previous companies, domain expertise
- **Advisors**: Notable advisors or board members
- **Why this team**: Why are you uniquely positioned to win?

**Include:**

- Previous exits or notable achievements
- Domain expertise (years in industry)
- Complementary skills (tech + business + domain)

### 10. Financials & Ask

- **Financial projections**: 3-5 year forecast (revenue, key metrics)
- **Funding ask**: How much are you raising?
- **Use of funds**: What will you spend it on?
- **Milestones**: What will you achieve with this funding?

**Example structure:**

- "Raising $2M seed round"
- "Use of funds: 60% engineering, 25% sales, 15% ops"
- "Milestones: Launch v2, reach $1M ARR, expand to 3 new markets"
- "12-18 month runway to Series A"

## Design Best Practices

### Visual Hierarchy

- **Large, bold titles**: Make slide topics clear
- **Limited text per slide**: 3-5 bullet points max
- **Consistent formatting**: Same fonts, colors, spacing throughout

### Color Scheme

- **Stick to 2-3 colors**: Brand colors + neutral gray
- **High contrast**: Ensure readability
- **Professional appearance**: Avoid gaudy or distracting colors

### Typography

- **Sans-serif fonts**: Modern, clean appearance (e.g., Helvetica, Arial, Roboto)
- **Readable font sizes**: Minimum 20pt for body text, 36pt+ for titles
- **Consistent hierarchy**: Title, subtitle, body text clearly differentiated

### Data Visualization

- **Use charts and graphs**: Better than tables or text for trends
- **Simple charts**: Avoid 3D effects and unnecessary complexity
- **Highlight key points**: Use color or annotations to draw attention

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

### Content Mistakes

- **Too much text**: Slides should support your talk, not replace it
- **Vague claims**: "Revolutionary," "disruptive" without evidence
- **Ignoring competition**: Claiming no competitors is a red flag
- **Missing traction**: Especially for later-stage companies
- **Unrealistic projections**: "Hockey stick" growth without justification

### Design Mistakes

- **Inconsistent branding**: Different fonts, colors, styles
- **Low-quality images**: Pixelated or stretched images
- **Cluttered slides**: Too many elements competing for attention
- **Animations and transitions**: Usually distracting, keep minimal

### Presentation Mistakes

- **Reading slides word-for-word**: Slides support your narrative
- **Going over time**: Practice to stay within time limits
- **Lack of energy**: Enthusiasm is contagious
- **Not knowing your numbers**: Be prepared for deep dives on metrics

## Tailoring for Different Audiences

### Investor Pitch (Fundraising)

- Focus on: Market size, traction, unit economics, team
- Include: Clear ask, use of funds, timeline to next milestone
- Emphasize: Growth potential, scalability, return on investment

### Sales Pitch (Business Development)

- Focus on: Problem, solution, ROI for customer
- Include: Case studies, testimonials, implementation timeline
- Emphasize: Value proposition, competitive advantages, ease of use

### Product Launch Pitch

- Focus on: Product features, user benefits, market need
- Include: Demo, pricing, availability
- Emphasize: Innovation, user experience, market fit

## Pre-Pitch Checklist

- [ ] Deck is 10-15 slides (maximum 20)
- [ ] Each slide has one clear message
- [ ] All claims are backed by data or evidence
- [ ] Financials are realistic and defensible
- [ ] Team slide shows relevant expertise
- [ ] Competitive analysis is honest and thorough
- [ ] Design is clean, professional, and consistent
- [ ] No typos or grammatical errors
- [ ] File is saved as PDF for sharing
- [ ] Appendix with detailed backup slides prepared

## Appendix Slides

Always prepare backup slides for deep dives:

- Detailed financial model
- Product roadmap
- Go-to-market strategy details
- Technical architecture
- Customer case studies
- Regulatory/compliance information
- Additional team bios
