Startup guide

THE PERFECT PITCH DECK RECIPE

Imagine you meet a potential investor over a cup of coffee or on a plane, and you provide them with an overview of your project using what is at hand - a napkin and a pen.

The idea of it is a short effective speech that does not require visual demonstration. You present the project within a short timeframe – from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Deliver the speech as if you are riding an elevator with Donald Trump or Elon Musk.

Deck once stood for cards. Today, presenters use slides they comment on to display the project info.

A pitch deck is a startup presentation that helps investors learn more about your business and decide whether they should invest in the project. The perfect pitch deck reveals your idea, sells it to investors or a fund, and gets them to say yes.

This is the kind of presentation we are going to discuss.

An easy way to condense the whole thing into key points and get quick feedback.

Napkin Pitch

Elevator Pitch

Key Format: Pitch Deck

Choose one of these pitch types to match the social situation and the investor-startup relationship stage

Pitch Deck Figures

the average presentation time frame

10 to 19 slides

statistically, the best pitch deck presentation size

What Is a Pitch, and What Is Pitch Deck?

A pitch is a brief but well-structured project presentation that provides an overview of your business to potential investors.

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Before we get into the structure and details of designing the perfect pitch deck, there are a few rules of thumb to learn.

Pitch Deck Rules

Creation rules

scroll to the right

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Not everything that matters to you will make sense to investors. Your project may have a long inspirational story behind it, but most investors' time is precious so they won't be able to spend it on your storytelling. It may seem that investors want as much information as possible, but statistically, the most successful pitch decks comprised no more than 19 slides.

Stick to key semantic pitch deck blocks (our guide covers them) and do not abuse the attention of your audience.

Rule 3: Respect Investors’ Time

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There are different approaches to creating a pitch deck presentation. The most radical ones recommend making 20-word-long slides: 1 slide = 1 phrase = 1 thought. This works for pitch decks that you present to investors live. In this case, you can talk the main content through.

If your pitch deck will be reviewed and read by investors before the actual presentation, more words are required. However, try not to overload your slides. A pitch deck is NOT a book about your project

Rule 2: Don’t Overload Your Pitch Deck Slides

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A pitch deck is a marketing tool. This implies you must think like a marketer when creating one:

Rule 1: Think Like a Marketer

At least 10% of these businesses presented us with their pitch decks. As presentations go, there is no one-size-fits-all pitch deck structure. Otherwise, all projects would look the same in the eyes of investors.

Nevertheless, there are typical must-have semantic blocks. We will drill down into each of them, point out the soft spots, and contemplate the best pitch deck cases.

For example, Traction and Milestones can be presented using one slide and a single set of ideas. However, in this guide we break these points down one by one to give you the deepest possible dive into the narratives that any investor wants to see in a pitch deck.

The Afford.Capital team has assessed 6,000+ projects

Introduction

Some elements can be combined into one slide or one semantic block

The Perfect Pitch Deck Structure

Structure

Many startup teams are looking for the perfect pitch deck structure, the very formula that will who investors and talk them into saying yes.

We have to disappoint you here: the perfect structure does not exist. What does exist is visual erudition.

Milestones

Problem

Team

Solution

Competition

Product Description

Financial Indicators

Market Size and Opportunities, Target Audience

Investments and Using Funds

Business Model and Growth (Traction)

Contacts

NB!

Also, keep in mind that some of the structural blocks of the pitch deck can shuffle and complement each other.

Most importantly, make sure your pitch deck develops a single storyline, where each new slide complements the previous one. For example, here is one of the options for the semantic line opening

The example of Pitch Deck structure by Visme creators

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An introduction is the first slide of your pitch deck. This block might seem simple, but many investors note that it is the most important one. You won't get a second chance to make a good first impression. So work through your first slide thoroughly. Try testing it out with someone you think is your target audience.

The first slide should be concise and visually appealing.

Key Elements Breakdown

What should be included in the slide?

Project name

Value Proposition or Brand Promise

Value proposition examples:

Other examples of value propositions for websites and project presentations:

This one is clear

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

This point captures the essence of your project in one sentence

"We make Happy Meals for adults"
"We are Sephora for pets"

Bitly

This is what a strong intro pitch deck block looks like

Key Elements Breakdown

Almost any pitch deck starts with a description of the problem the product solves. An investor gives a go-ahead for a startup if it solves a market or target audience problem which has no solution yet. This is this gap that the startup will fill in the future.

In this block, you name two or three problems that your product solves without going into detail yet.

The text should be as concise and clear as possible so that the investor understands your goals in a couple of seconds.

A detailed description of the problem. It is worth noting that this pitch deck is more likely to target previously interested investors: small text will not be visible on the slide when presented online or at an offline meeting.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

A good problem description from the first Airbnb pitch deck

More examples from the pitch decks of our startups

In this case, the problem layout is divided into three slides for a more progressive and deep immersion into the topic. We have to take into account that not all investors may be familiar with WEB3 and immediately understand the problems of the crypto market.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Another example of problem analysis from an Afford.Capital portfolio startup

Листать вправо

The semantics of the solution block follow logically from the problems mentioned above. What you need to do here is explain briefly and clearly how your startup will solve the problem of the market or target audience.

the solution should clearly and logically correlate with the problem stated. This must as well work for the investors who do not have expertise in your niche.

Обратите внимание на логику изложения: Решение (Solution) достигается двумя ключевыми инструментами, которые детально описаны в следующих слайдах

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

A slide from the same Airbnb pitch deck shows in large type the solution to each of the three problems that were highlighted on the previous slide.

Точно так же в питч-деке нашего стартапа после проблемы идет ясное решение

Note

и временных границах, раскрывать проблему 
на 4 слайда может позволить себе тот проект, который располагает бОльшим запасом времени на презентацию.

Всегда помните о целях вашего питч-дека

Смысловой блок решения логично вытекает из описанных выше проблем. Кратко и ясно опишите, как ваш стартап решит проблему рынка или целевой аудитории.

решение должно ясно и понятно коррелироваться с описанной проблемой. Даже для тех инвесторов, кто не имеет экспертности в вашей нише.

Pay attention to the logic of the presentation: the Solution is achieved by using two key tools, which are described in detail in the following slides

Блок «Решение»

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

На слайде из того же питч-дека Airbnb крупным шрифтом показано решение для каждой из трех проблем, которые были подсвечены слайдом ранее

Similarly, in our startup’s pitch deck, a clear solution follows the problems listed

Обратите внимание

One problem can take four slides only if your project has a large time allowance for the presentation.

Always keep in mind the goals of your pitch deck and the time limits given

Листать вправо

This slide responds to simple questions:

If you present an online service or an app, include screenshots to demonstrate their features.

Depending on the type of pitch and the time limit, even a demo video may be appropriate here.

By conducting a pitch deck presentation in person, you can showcase your product.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Here’s a product presentation made by Trym startup

If the product is tangible, make sure to use professional photos featuring different angles and use cases

Whether a startup receives funding is often determined by the market. For instance, Afford.Capital hardly ever considers startups pursuing a small market limited to one country or a too narrow target group.

If you are going to operate in a market that is too small, investors may decide that the potential for return on investment is too low, hence it is too risky to fund you.

What matters is the total volume and target indicators, TAM, SAM, and SOM.

It is most convenient and informative to illustrate this data with user-friendly infographics, as done in the examples below.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

This great example of a market demo is taken from the original Mint pitch deck

This is the slide to share the results of your research and analyze the market the company operates in

Whether a startup receives funding is often determined by the market. For instance, Afford.Capital hardly ever considers startups pursuing a small market limited to one country or a too narrow target group.

If you are going to operate in a market that is too small, investors may decide that the potential for return on investment is too low, hence it is too risky to fund you.

What matters is the total volume and target indicators, TAM, SAM, and SOM

It is most convenient and informative to illustrate this data with user-friendly infographics, as done in the examples below.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Example of market volume disclosure from the pitch deck of our portfolio project

This is the slide to share the results of your research and analyze the market the company operates in

Whether a startup receives funding is often determined by the market. For instance, Afford.Capital hardly ever considers startups pursuing a small market limited to one country or a too narrow target group.

If you are going to operate in a market that is too small, investors may decide that the potential for return on investment is too low, hence it is too risky to fund you.

What matters is the total volume and target indicators, TAM, SAM, and SOM.

It is most convenient and informative to illustrate this data with user-friendly infographics, as done in the examples below.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Example of market volume disclosure from the pitch deck of our portfolio project

This is the slide to share the results of your research and analyze the market the company operates in

This slide is all about growing your business. Investors tend to fund the projects that have already shown their first results. Therefore, it is important for them to trace the dynamics aka traction: where you started and what you have achieved so far.

In this slide, you want to include the numbers: income, ROI, MVP launch indicators, and unit economics. The more relevant business metrics you can provide, the higher the investor will appreciate the manageability of the startup and your entire project.

Also, in the slide, you need to disclose how you plan to earn an income, and what successful cases you have yet implemented. Justify the project monetization forecasts.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Here’s how our projects present their current performance and success

For clarity, most startups include a graph that displays show the growth curve.

This slide is all about growing your business. Investors tend to fund the projects that have already shown their first results. Therefore, it is important for them to trace the dynamics aka traction: where you started and what you have achieved so far.

In this slide, you want to include the numbers: income, ROI, MVP launch indicators, and unit economics. The more relevant business metrics you can provide, the higher the investor will appreciate the manageability of the startup and your entire project.

Also, in the slide, you need to disclose how you plan to earn an income, and what successful cases you have yet implemented. Justify the project monetization forecasts.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Here’s how our projects present their current performance and success

For clarity, most startups include a graph that displays show the growth curve

Milestones are the key points in the development of the project. Often, this slide is combined with a Roadmap, showing both the past stages of startup development and the planned steps in one go.

Roadmap and Milestones help potential investors see the whole picture, and understand how the project will look like in the future and what exactly you offer them to invest in.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Roadmaps are often presented in map or diagram format, but sometimes more detailed options are appropriate

To put it simply, this slide shows where you started, where are you now, and what your plans for the future are.

Milestones are the key points in the development of the project. Often, this slide is combined with a Roadmap, showing both the past stages of startup development and the planned steps in one go.

Roadmap and Milestones help potential investors see the whole picture, and understand how the project will look like in the future and what exactly you offer them to invest in.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Roadmaps are often presented in map or diagram format, but sometimes more detailed options are appropriate

To put it simply, this slide shows where you started, where are you now, and what your plans for the future are

For some investors, their startup team is even more important than their idea, numbers, or Roadmap. The Airbnb launch story is well-known: investors were not inspired by the idea of the service, but the startup succeeded thanks to the strong close-knit team. Investors funded the project because they believed in people.

The strong team finalized the concept, and eventually, Airbnb became the massive business we know today.

First of all, the audience of your pitch deck is interested in the background of the key team players, their motivation, and the qualities which determine the success of the project.

Try to limit yourself to a small number of descriptions - at this stage of interaction, investors are unlikely to consider each player in detail, they rather care about the picture of the team as a whole. Do not forget about the "coaches" of the team – startup advisors. They are worth mentioning because recognizable advisers also add points to the rating of the project in the eyes of the investor.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Here’s a neat example of a team presentation

In this semantic block, you need to disclose the team in sufficient detail to inspire confidence in potential investors

For some investors, their startup team is even more important than their idea, numbers, or Roadmap. The Airbnb launch story is well-known: investors were not inspired by the idea of the service, but the startup succeeded thanks to the strong close-knit team. Investors funded the project because they believed in people.

The strong team finalized the concept, and eventually, Airbnb became the massive business we know today.

First of all, the audience of your pitch deck is interested in the background of the key team players, their motivation, and the qualities which determine the success of the project.

Try to limit yourself to a small number of descriptions - at this stage of interaction, investors are unlikely to consider each player in detail, they rather care about the picture of the team as a whole. Do not forget about the "coaches" of the team – startup advisors. They are worth mentioning because recognizable advisers also add points to the rating of the project in the eyes of the investor.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Roadmap is often presented in a map or chart format, but sometimes more detailed versions are appropriate

In this semantic block, you need to disclose the team in sufficient detail to inspire confidence in potential investors

You may be tempted to ignore this block. Think twice before doing this. To reveal competitors and your competitive strengths in the pitch deck presentation is to unveil your in-depth preparation and the ability of the project to compete effectively in the market.

To create an effective key message that the pitch deck audience needs, answer the following question: why is your product better than the competition?

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Airbnb reveals competition in their first pitch deck

You may be tempted to ignore this block. Think twice before doing this. To reveal competitors and your competitive strengths in the pitch deck presentation is to unveil your in-depth preparation and the ability of the project to compete effectively in the market.

To create an effective key message that the pitch deck audience needs, answer the following question: why is your product better than the competition?

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Clear infographics which clearly show the advantages BuzzFeed has over its competitors in their pitch deck

Along with the main slide, this is one of the most important slides in your presentation. What it should include:

Potential investors realize that it is impossible to calculate the numbers with absolute accuracy at a distance of 3-5 years ahead. However, you must come up with a financial plan and prove that you have the expertise, resources, and understanding of how to implement it.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

A smart way of presenting financial indicators with the calculation of 3 scenarios for the development of the project

Much of this information will change along the way - and that's okay

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data on the projected growth of the company for the next 3-5 years

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Complete financial details (and business model if you haven't presented it before)

03

crypto projects are required to present startup tokenomics

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how much money you have already raised and how much more you expect to raise

Along with the main slide, this is one of the most important slides in your presentation. What it should include:

Potential investors realize that it is impossible to calculate the numbers with absolute accuracy at a distance of 3-5 years ahead. However, you must come up with a financial plan and prove that you have the expertise, resources, and understanding of how to implement it.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

A smart way of presenting financial indicators with the calculation of 3 scenarios for the development of the project

Much of this information will change along the way - and that's okay

01

data on the projected growth of the company for the next 3-5 years

02

Complete financial details (and business model if you haven't presented it before)

03

crypto projects are required to present startup tokenomics

04

how much money you have already raised and how much more you expect to raise

Along with the main slide, this is one of the most important slides in your presentation. What it should include:

Potential investors realize that it is impossible to calculate the numbers with absolute accuracy at a distance of 3-5 years ahead. However, you must come up with a financial plan and prove that you have the expertise, resources, and understanding of how to implement it.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

and then a presentation of tokenomics and investment allocation

Much of this information will change along the way - and that's okay

01

data on the projected growth of the company for the next 3-5 years

02

Complete financial details (and business model if you haven't presented it before)

03

crypto projects are required to present startup tokenomics

04

how much money you have already raised and how much more you expect to raise

Along with the main slide, this is one of the most important slides in your presentation. What it should include:

Potential investors realize that it is impossible to calculate the numbers with absolute accuracy at a distance of 3-5 years ahead. However, you must come up with a financial plan and prove that you have the expertise, resources, and understanding of how to implement it.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Information about requested investments is sometimes put on a separate slide

Much of this information will change along the way - and that's okay

01

data on the projected growth of the company for the next 3-5 years

02

Complete financial details (and business model if you haven't presented it before)

03

crypto projects are required to present startup tokenomics

04

how much money you have already raised and how much more you expect to raise

The final slide of your pitch deck presentation. Its content depends on the goal you pursue: to consolidate the intention of investors to fund the project after a personal meeting, or, on the contrary, to reach an in-depth personal contact, or maybe you spoke to investors, and the next step is to obtain financing?

This will determine the specific call to action that you put on the last slide. The most classic story is to leave contacts and indicate your openness to questions, suggestions, and cooperation.

Здесь вы кратко – желательно в одном предложении – формулируете суть вашего проекта

«Мы готовим Хэппи Мил для взрослых»
«Мы — Sephora для домашних животных»

Bitly

Another example of the final slide from the UnoFarm project

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social networks links

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link to the product website

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link to the key players of the team so that the investor can contact the project further

What works here

What does a good contact section look like?

If you present your pitch deck presentation live, a QR code is appropriate

What Should Any Startup Have? Except for Pitch Deck

What else?

In addition to the pitch deck, you will have to create a standard list of documents that any investor, fund, or accelerator expects from you.

Some documents from the list can be combined into one, but one way or another, the project must provide information contained in them to investors/funds:

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Secondary package of documents

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Investment Agreement / SAFT

Proposal

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Company Incorporation

Company Overview

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Biography of the Founders

Financial Summary

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05

White Paper

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Total Supply

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Media Kit

10

One Pager At-a-Glance

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Elevator Pitch

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Pitch Deck

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Product / Service Presentation

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Do’s and Don’ts

Sales Feedback

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FAQ

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Finders (Agent) Agreement

Confidentiality Agreement (NDA)

These documents are required to promote and develop the project

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01

Financials

Business / Marketing / Operation Plan

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Documents that can be called key, but you often receive them on request

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