If you are reading this, congratulations are in order! Pitching to investors is certainly a bold move, and it shows that you are ready to take your startup to a new level. So, if you are about to pitch to investors soon in an effort to raise that much needed capital, you are in the right place. Your pitch deck is an essential element of how you will secure those funds. If you are feeling a little lost on how to begin, this blog will give you a clear idea and help you understand the world of pitch decks, focusing specifically on how to create one that captures the attention of potential investors. 

First off, we will take a look at the structure of the deck. Most presentations follow a standard outline so we will look at this structure and outline what content needs to be included in each of them. For investors, your deck is the first impression of your business, so it really should capture their attention. 

However, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. There are so many resources available on the internet as many accelerators, venture funds, successful startups, and internet personalities have detailed what they think are the ideal contents of a pitch deck, but the truth is, they all have the same content.

This is where you present your case, your problem and your premise, and your proposed solution. This is a critical part of your pitch because it will determine if you can capture an investor’s attention for the rest of the presentation. It’s by no means a rule set in stone, but some of the most common problems seen with pitch decks are around structure, like making a pitch deck too long or missing key slides that are essential for understanding the company’s story.

Four Questions to Answer in Your Pitch

A pitch needs to answer four core questions, and each corresponds to a section of the deck:

• What opportunity have you discovered in the market?
• What is the company building to tackle it?
• How much is the company going to grow?
• Why are you and your team the best to succeed?

If you already have a deck, match it against these four questions to ensure you’re answering them clearly. If you don’t have a deck, use these questions as a guide while writing it, making sure to zoom out from time to time for a sanity check to ensure you’re actually answering these questions.

Create the Perfect Opening

The cover slide of your pitch deck should include a quick blurb of what your company does. This isn’t your marketing slogan, just a short explanation of your business. An example would be “We help founders understand fundraising,” Practice with strangers to see if they grasp what you’re saying. Optionally, you can include a “traction teaser” slide. If your company is doing well, this can hook investors early, giving them perspective on the exciting opportunity. Stick to charts over numbers because they tell a story, while numbers are just a snapshot of time. If your growth isn’t that exciting yet, don’t worry about a traction teaser.

Setting the Market Context

Now, moving to the status quo section. This answers the question, “What opportunity have you discovered?” Typically, it takes one to three slides. These are, market overview, problem, or business opportunity. Think of the problem slide as the opportunity to show the pain your market or customers are experiencing. This shouldn’t be a minor inconvenience, but something more substantial like wasted money or time. The problem slide should focus on real issues, not opinions, and ideally be backed by data.

Not all companies solve problems as some jump on business opportunities. For example, if your company is developing a mobile app for a market that is currently wide open without a problem that needs solving, you don’t need to include a problem slide. Instead, you can focus on the growing market opportunity.

Showcase the Solution

It’s easy to get caught up in explaining too much about the product, but remember that the pitch deck isn’t just about the product. It is more about execution, growth, and why your team is right to succeed. A good product section provides context, shows how your product solves the problem, and moves on. The product slide should visually showcase the product across a couple of slides, focusing on features and breakthroughs. Avoid using video demos in your deck since many investors view them on the go, and video isn’t always watched.

Growth Potential

A crucial yet often forgotten slide is the target audience slide. The deck should explain who your perfect customer is. The answer should never be “everyone.” Not knowing your audience is a big red flag. You can complement this with a case study slide, showing how your solution benefited a specific customer, which doubles as both a target audience and a success story.

For the business model slide, avoid over-complicating things with forecasts. Simply detail how you make money. Is it subscription, usage based or commission based? Keep it simple and clean. Place the roadmap slide right after the business model, as it provides a bridge between the product section and the market section, focusing on growth.

The go to market slide should explain the unique strategies you’ve developed to grow your business. It’s not just a list of marketing tactics. If you’re raising a pre seed round, explain how you plan to acquire your first customers. Show the conversion journey, how you’ll get in front of your target audience, and how you plan to use investor capital to fuel that growth. This is a crucial slide, especially for companies raising pre-seed or seed rounds, as a lot of the funding is intended for growth.

Next is the Total Addressable Market (TAM) slide, which many founders get caught up on. TAM is not about the size of the problem or wasted money but about how big your business can get. Calculate this by multiplying the number of customers by revenue per customer. This slide shows your company’s potential for growth.

Highlighting Your Team’s Strength

The final section which is the “Why Us” must give your audience a clear and concise understanding about why your team is the best for the job. In terms of the competitor slide, highlight the things that you understand about the market which your competitors have overlooked. And of course, let’s not forget the secret sauce slide where you showcase the unique or unfair (as some would call it) advantages that your company has.

To Conclude,

So there you have it, this sums up all the key points you need to keep in mind when putting together a pitch that will capture attention and stay memorable. Try your best to keep the content as simple as possible when you are putting it together. By keeping these key points in mind at all times, securing that deal will be so much easier. We wish you good luck as you begin this exciting journey in bringing your startup to life. Remember, SetHub is only one call away if you need any help along the way! Over the years, we have helped hundreds of startups in finding their footing in Dubai and beyond.