15 Slides you NEED on your Pitch Deck - Startups 101

The Status Quo (00:02:14)

• Discusses current market conditions and the startup's vision for a solution
• Explains the opportunity spotted in the market
• Showcases the product, explaining its function, target customers, milestones, roadmap, and business model
• Includes go-to-market strategies and market size potential
• Highlights why the startup team is positioned to change the status quo and how they outpace the competition

Status Quo & Product (00:05:07) & Tech Infrastructure Slide (00:09:13)

• Status quo tied to a clear market opportunity with real-world data
• Problems should be undebatable facts, not opinions
• Solution slides should offer a high-level view of what the company does, potentially without product features
• Underlines the importance of addressing a true market need—investors stop if unconvinced
• Demonstrates the startup's market expertise with solid, well-thought-out statements
• Product slides show the built solution, using screenshots and captions for quick consumption
• Features are explained as user benefits, "showing" is preferred over "telling"
• Unique technology can be detailed with a tech infrastructure diagram, useful for blockchain companies, among others

Market Validation Slide (00:09:23) & Audience Slide (00:09:53) & A Case Study (00:10:23) & Business Model (00:11:17)

• Market validation proves the concept with real examples, showing understanding of industry willingness
• Audience slides define the target customer persona, indicating focused feature and growth strategies
• Case studies demonstrate product adoption, utility, and impact on other businesses, indicating target industries and key decision-makers
• Business model slides clarify the revenue model without projections, focusing on how customers are charged
• Roadmap outlines product milestones and near-term goals funded by the proposed capital round

Market Section (00:11:54)

• Identifies growth trends and future growth potential
• Traction slide must show growth on core KPIs like revenue or active users, excluding vanity metrics
• Charts are preferred for visual representation of growth trends over time, providing context for recent figures

Go to Market Slide (00:12:41)

• Focus on one or two deeply developed go-to-market strategies.
• Include unique economics and costs if strategies are already in use.
• For new strategies, provide a detailed plan with timeline, budget, and expectations.
• Experience with the strategies is beneficial for proving effectiveness.
• Emphasize reaching the next fundable milestone with the raised capital.

Seed Funding and The Market Slide (00:13:41) & (00:14:12)

• Seed funding rounds for software companies typically require a live product and solid revenue growth.
• The goal is to reach the next funding milestone such as Series A.
• The market slide should show potential annual revenue specific to the business.
• Calculate annual revenue with the formula: potential customers x annual revenue per customer.
• Confirm that the business model matches customer acceptance and market fit.
• Understanding the number of potential customers is critical.

Competitors and Team (00:17:29)

• Convey superior market understanding and why the team is better than competitors.
• Use comparisons that show clear market insight, such as feature lists or approaches revealing competitor weaknesses.
• Highlight team members with skills crucial for reaching the next milestone.
• Focus bios on industry expertise, related experience, and concrete achievements.

Finding Co-Founders (00:16:49)

• Industry expertise and related past experience are important in team bios.
• Ivy League education is less impressive than relevant experience.
• A 'why now' slide can be beneficial to indicate urgency or market opportunity timing.
• Frame a 'secret sauce' slide to show unique technology or connections that provide a competitive edge.

The Secret Sauce and Financial Estimations (00:17:29) & (00:17:49)

• Present unique advantages like technology or network connections that build a protective moat against competitors.
• Conclude with financial estimation and ask slides detailing the amount of capital being raised, the terms, and use of funds.
• The last slides are not story-driven but are crucial for financial planning.