How to prepare a pitch deck: What it must contain & what you should watch out for
Too complicated, too detailed, or incomplete. Even pitch decks like these end up in investors’ hands. Often, they go straight into the trash. Take a look at what a pitch deck should include and why you should prepare it even before you start thinking about investment.
For startups, a pitch deck is an essential document for approaching an investor. They present their product, team, or business model in it. The catch is that top investors receive more than 600 pitch decks a year. And standing out in such a crowd isn’t easy.
You must expect that an investor won’t spend tens of minutes studying your pitch deck and thinking about it. That’s why it isn’t a good idea to go into too much detail. According to Miloš Sochor, who co-manages the JIC Ventures fund with Radim Kocourek, this is the most common mistake.
“A pitch deck should be as short as possible—10 slides are enough. And it should be written clearly. So that—to put it bluntly—even your grandmother could understand it,” says the managing partner of JIC Ventures.
After all, investors may not be experts in the field you operate. And if the pitch deck is too technical, you’ll quickly lose their attention.
A clear structure is key
If you want your pitch deck to have the best chance of success, give it a clear structure. First and foremost, you have to focus on the problem you’re solving.
And right on the second slide, show how your product solves it.
It’s essential that the solution aligns with the problem outlined. “Sometimes companies focus too much on their product’s features. And they forget to explain how it solves the problem they were talking about,” notes Miloš Sochor.
What a pitch deck must contain
- Description of the problem you’re solving
- Your solution to this problem
- Information about the target market
- Description of your product
- Product track record
- Your business model
- Comparison with competitors
- Go-to-market strategy
- Information about your team
- Financial projections
- Requested investment
The pitch deck must also include target market information, a go-to-market strategy, or a team introduction. What is very important is a comparison with competitors—this is where you can showcase your advantages and give investors reasons to choose you.
Investors pay close attention to the differences between your solution and your competitors'. “It is essential that your differentiation matters to the customer. If you differ only in minor details, an investor will likely prefer a larger and more established competitor,” emphasizes Miloš Sochor.
Key question: Are you ready to grow?
It’s important to dedicate one slide in your pitch deck to financial projections. This is where you demonstrate how you are prepared for future growth.
Why is this important to investors?
Because the expected return on investment from venture funds is tenfold. Therefore, the investor must see that you are prepared for the rapid growth of your company. And that you are ready to lead dozens of employees and constantly push the company to grow.
“This isn’t for everyone. It’s important for founders to realize early on whether they want to go down this path,” notes one of the leaders at JIC Ventures.
That’s also why it’s a good idea not to wait until you’re about to raise funds to put together your pitch deck. “Even before fundraising, a pitch deck will help you organize your thoughts. You’ll essentially create a ‘blueprint’ of the company’s current state, the problem it solves, and its goals,” explains Miloš Sochor.
Think even about fonts and graphics
When preparing your pitch deck, pay attention to seemingly minor details. One of these is font size. Investors often open pitch decks on their phones. Therefore, you need to ensure that everything is easy to read, even on a small screen.
Graphic design is also important. If you just prepare a PowerPoint presentation, it will look outdated. Fortunately, you now have AI tools available to help you with the graphics in your pitch deck.
Don’t be afraid to use them. An outdated-looking presentation would only hurt your case. “If you don’t use AI even for your own presentation, it could be a sign that you’ll soon fall behind in real-world operations,” adds Miloš Sochor.
Startups that use JIC’s services have an advantage. They can rely on the services of its consultants, who will advise them on how to put together a pitch deck. And they’ll help fine-tune the final document so nothing important is missing—and so that it has the best possible chance of capturing investors’ attention.