At the heart of a pitch deck, founders should articulate that they observed a problem, felt a spark, and were so moved by that initial inkling that building a solution became their mission. A founder’s passion for what they’re working to create flows from the heart.
A compelling pitch deck will acknowledge a startup’s main competitors—and then filter them out. It will highlight other key players in the space and make a compelling case about where they fall short.
As the pitch deck power center, the brain should articulate all the work involved in turning that big picture spark-of-an-idea into something more substantive with tactical components, planned milestones, and demonstrated traction in the market.
A pitch deck should breathe excitement into the room when it’s leveraged by a founder as part of a pitch meeting. That enthusiasm should be contagious to the investors in the room.
Ideation comes to a head at the, er, arms. A pitch deck should explain who will do the heavy lifting and how—from building the startup’s foundation to all of its constituent parts. Who’s on the team, and how have they honed the muscles necessary for this job?
A pitch deck should be more substance than style, but what’s on the outside—the branding and organization—is vital, too. Founders should take care to present their slides in a concise, uncluttered way—it reflects their ability to focus on what’s important and articulate it clearly.