Pitch Deck Resources

Building a pitch deck isn’t as simple as putting your company logo and some bullet points about your product into a slideshow — there’s a lot of details that need tending to and many, many things to consider before presenting anything to a potential investor. There are hundreds of blogs, websites, tutorials, and templates out there to help guide you through the process of creating a good pitch deck, but how do you know which ones are worth the time and effort and which aren’t? And how do you break down all of those resources so you know what’s what? Well we’ve gone ahead and done that for you. Below, you’ll find a repository of hand-selected links that correspond to key points in the process of building a killer pitch deck. Click each of the icons below to be taken to the corresponding section of resources, or scroll through at your own pace. Either way, this is your best one-stop-shop for pitch deck resources.

Click each of the icons below to be taken to the corresponding section of resources:

elevator pitch

the market

solution/ product

business model

competitors

management team

advisors

financials

the ask

summary slide

example decks

general resources

Elevator Pitch

The Elevator Pitch slide conveys what the business is about and identifies who or what the potential customers are, and lays groundwork for discussion later in deck regarding problem, solution, market size and trends. This is your first chance to impress your audience and grab their attention — don’t squander it.

The Market

This slide is meant to tell your audience about the problem your product solves in the market. The problem should be identified in the simplest way possible (in terms that everyone can understand) and in such a way that illustrates how big the problem is.

Solution / Product

This slide is all about Product Market Fit. Product Market Fit is “a value hypothesis [that] identifies the features you need to build, the audience that’s likely to care, and the business model required to entice a customer to buy your product.” State solution as a contrast to the problem. Describe key features that your potential customers have identified, note which ones are key differentiators, and highlight any competitive advantages your product enjoys. The best evidence of a good product market fit in a post-revenue concern is a growing number of customers that are using the product and reluctant to give it up (i.e., low churn).

Business Model

Explain how the company acquires customers and generates revenue. Identify sales channels. Identify the specific target market with which your product will begin (geography, demographic, or whatever it might be) and illustrate how the company will grow. The purpose of this slide is to demonstrate the business has a customer pipeline.

Competitors

The purpose of the Competition slide is to visually highlight how your product differs from the competition. One way to do this is to include a competitive matrix—Competitors on the X axis, Competitive Attributes on the Y axis. Match these Competitive Attributes with features identified and explained on the “Solutions” slide. Another way is with a Petal Diagram or a Magic Quadrant.

Management Team

The purpose of the Management Team/Advisory Team slide is to provide investors evidence that the team can execute the business plan at least in the near term. Identify management team roles and relevant experiences in the management and advisory team’s background that gives credence to the ability to execute.

Advisors

Investors are keen on knowing whether you have the support and steady guiding hand of someone who’s been through this before. Use this slide as an opportunity to put their minds at ease. Name all of your advisors and what they bring to the table in terms of experience and your relationship with them.

Financials

The purpose of the Financials slide is to identify key assumptions, milestones that will be accomplished with funding, and to communicate a clear path to cash flow breakeven (i.e., the point when business is financially successful and has no additional need for capital injections or debt just to keep the business alive)

The Ask

This is it — the big moment. This is when you formally state what kind of investment you’re seeking. This can be a very intimidating moment in your pitch, but don’t worry, the resources below will help guide you.

Summary Slide

Example Decks

Below is a list of some of the better decks we’ve seen out there that are publicly viewable. Don’t copy, but draw inspiration and motivation from what others have done. Pay attention to decks that operate in a similar space to your business.

General Resources

Some of the best advice and resources out there just doesn’t fit well into one of the above categories. Some of this advice is broad, some of it is more granular, but all of it is great.