5 Tips For Creating The Ultimate Pitch Deck To Get Your Startup Funded

Ive been seeing a lot of pitch decks lately. As a TechStars mentor, Ive been fortunate to get to know the SmartOn, Edvisor.io, and CreatorBox teams over the last few months and watch them develop and refine their pitches. Ive also seen numerous pitches uploaded to our new TrackBat platform, which enables entrepreneurs to track if potential investors are going through their decks to gauge interest.

All of this got me thinking, what makes a great pitch deck?

1. Make a point

If your audience doesnt understand what youre offering to provide, then youve failed. Every slide you make and every word you speak should work to explain and clarify that purpose, because thats why your audience is there in the first place.

2. The 10/20/30 rule

Guy Kawasaki, one of the worlds foremost marketing experts and a man whose name should start to be on the tip of your tongue if it isnt already, coined the now-ubiquitous 10/20/30 Rule. Basically, your presentation should be no longer than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and include text in a font no smaller than 30 point.

One of the worst mistakes you can make while pitching is to surrender to Death by PowerPoint, which is basically just really bad use of PowerPoint. That includes not following the 10/20/30 rule, not including images or video or anything visually appealing, and making the presentation your primary method of communication (rather than you). Dont do it. Listen to Guy.

3. Its all about a problem and a solution

Sure, theres lots of other stuff in your pitch. But at the end of the day, that point we talked about is your unique solution to a nagging problem that hopefully has massive potential for success. Present the problem almost right off the bat, and remind the audience why its so incredibly annoying and how many people it affects. Once they realize its something that really needs fixing, lay your solution out for them. At this early stage, dont hit them with too much technical detail or behind-the-scenes informationkeep it clean and simple, and make sure they understand your value proposition.

Also, be sure to tie in your story. Make your audience realize the opportunity exactly how you did. Make them feel that excitement. If the audience gets it, everything else can be smooth sailing.

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5 Tips For Creating The Ultimate Pitch Deck To Get Your Startup Funded