15 Slides you NEED on your Pitch Deck - Startups 101

Summary

This video script provides a comprehensive guide to crafting a compelling pitch deck, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and answering key investor questions. It outlines the ideal structure, from the status quo and product sections to market growth and the team's qualifications, highlighting the need for clear, concise information that can be consumed within four minutes. The speaker shares insights from creating hundreds of pitch decks, resulting in over $300 million raised, and offers a downloadable template to assist founders in presenting their business effectively.

Takeaways

• 📈 The script emphasizes the importance of a structured pitch deck in fundraising, highlighting a successful approach that has contributed to over 300 million dollars raised.
• 📑 The pitch deck is likened to a story, detailing the company's achievements and aspirations, and is crucial for engaging investors amidst a sea of metrics and day-to-day operations.
• ❓ The deck should answer fundamental questions about the market opportunity, the solution offered, the target audience, growth trajectory, and the team's capability to effect change.
• 📧 Most pitch decks are initially consumed via email, thus needing to be concise and compelling enough to secure a meeting with an investor.
• 🕒 The pitch deck should be designed to be consumed within about four minutes to ensure it holds the investor's attention and effectively communicates the key points.
• 🔑 The script underlines the significance of each slide in the deck, with a focus on clarity, brevity, and relevance to the overarching narrative of the company's story.
• 🛠️ The product section should be flexible, yet concise, effectively showcasing what the company has built, how it works, and who it serves, without overwhelming the reader.
• 📈 The market section is pivotal, addressing growth and scalability, and should include a go-to-market strategy and an honest assessment of market size and potential.
• 💡 The 'Why Us' section is critical in differentiating the company from competitors, focusing on market understanding and unique insights that the team brings to the table.
• 💼 The team section should feature key individuals with the relevant expertise and experience necessary to achieve the next fundable milestone.
• 💰 The conclusion of the pitch deck should seamlessly transition into the financial ask, detailing the funding required, terms, and intended use of funds, reinforcing investor confidence.

Q & A

What is the purpose of a pitch deck according to the script?

A pitch deck is a story about what a company has achieved and wants to continue to achieve, designed to convince investors by answering key questions about the opportunity, product, growth, and the team's ability to change the status quo.

How much money was raised last year using the pitch deck approach mentioned in the script?

Over 300 million dollars was raised last year with decks that were written or designed using the approach described in the script.

What is the main goal when creating a pitch deck for an email?

The main goal is to create an 'email deck' that can answer the pitch deck's key questions within about four minutes, ensuring it is concise and easily digestible for investors who consume it on their own time.

What are the key questions a pitch deck needs to answer?

The key questions a pitch deck needs to answer are: What opportunity have you discovered in the market? What have you built to tackle it and how does it work? Who is it for? How much are you growing and will you continue to grow? And why are you and your team the ones to change the status quo?

Why is it important to keep the structure of the pitch deck in a certain order?

Maintaining a certain order in the pitch deck is important because it ensures the story is coherent and logical, making it easier for investors to follow and understand the company's value proposition without breaking the narrative flow.

What is the significance of the 'status quo' section in a pitch deck?

The 'status quo' section is significant as it sets the stage by explaining the current market situation and the problem that the company aims to solve, thus justifying the need for the product or service being pitched.

How should the product section of a pitch deck be structured?

The product section should focus on what has been built to address the market opportunity, how it works, and who it is for, often including screenshots, a step-by-step diagram of the product, and a clear explanation of its benefits and unique selling points.

What is the importance of the market section in a pitch deck?

The market section is crucial as it demonstrates the potential for growth and the company's understanding of the market dynamics, including the go-to-market strategy, market size, and how the business intends to capture its share.

Why is the 'Why Us' section important in a pitch deck?

The 'Why Us' section is important because it establishes why the team behind the company is uniquely positioned to succeed in the market, often by highlighting the competition's shortcomings and the team's industry expertise and unique advantages.

What should be the focus of the 'ask' section at the end of a pitch deck?

The 'ask' section should focus on the financial aspects of the pitch, including the amount of funding being sought, the terms of the investment, and how the funds will be used to achieve the company's next milestones.

What is the role of a tagline in a pitch deck?

A tagline in a pitch deck serves as a concise, five to seven-word description of what the company does, providing a clear and straightforward understanding of the business without using marketing jargon.

Why is it recommended to use screenshots over a demo video in a pitch deck?

Screenshots are recommended over demo videos because they are quicker to consume and ensure that the interface of the product can be clearly seen, whereas a video may not be watched in full, and it takes up more of the investor's limited time.

How should the team section of a pitch deck be approached?

The team section should highlight key individuals with the relevant skills and experience to bring the company to its next fundable milestone, focusing on industry expertise and related achievements rather than unrelated accolades.

What is the significance of the 'why now' slide in the 'Why Us' section of a pitch deck?

The 'why now' slide, while optional, can be useful to highlight time-sensitive opportunities or advantages that the company has over competitors, such as market timing or unique insights that provide a competitive edge.