What makes a good pitch deck (2 mins)

I see a lot of companies fund raising and here are my thoughts

Articulate the business model

• Vision

• The problem and the target audience

• The solution and revenue model

• Why now? This is crucial - most companies that pop benefit from good timing

• Marketing/sales strategy - phased if possible. Mention any flywheels.

• Competition analysis and points of differentiation - don’t be too self-serving…

What stage are you at?

• Traction - key metrics but revenue obviously key

• Current financials & unit economics if possible - explain how this will improve

• Team - highlight relevant experience, stress if you or your co-founders have previously a) had an exit b) been a founder c) worked at a VC-backed startup d) worked in big tech or companies related to what you’re doing (in that order)

The ask...

• What are you raising and on what terms?

• How will it be spent?

What are common mistakes?

• Weak problem

• Unclear solution

• Unsupported assumptions

• Unclear beachhead - when you enter a market, it’s going to be easier if you can own a niche

• Unclear audience - along the lines of “If we get just 1 percent of this market we’ve made it.” Problem is that the solution probably only serves a segment of this market. And more importantly, investors want to back a market leader, not a hanger-on.

What makes a good deck great?

• Start with a story - don’t make it a TED talk but this can be helpful to convey the problem, especially if unfamiliar to investors

• Should be self-contained i.e. possible to be understood without it being presented

• Exit strategy - of course we all want to change the world etc but how am I going to get a return as an investor? What have similar exits been like (the buyer and multiple)? And why can you make it happen?

A final thought - investors are disproportionately swayed by social proof i.e. other investors that have committed, especially if prominent. You should mention this if you can.

What would you add in? Let me know - I’m still learning