Pitch Deck

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a visual presentation—typically 10–15 slides—that concisely summarizes the business concept of a startup or company. The goal is to spark the interest of investors, partners, or customers and to include a clear call to action.

The pitch deck is the central communication tool for founders: it is presented in investor meetings, sent in advance by email, and used at startup events. Guy Kawasaki coined the “10/20/30 rule”: a maximum of 10 slides, a maximum of 20 minutes, and a minimum font size of 30 pt.

The ideal structure: 12 slides

Proven structure for an investor pitch deck:

1. Title: Company name, tagline, contact details—the first impression matters
2. Problem: What specific problem do you solve? For whom? Make the jobs-to-be-done of the target audience clear
3. Solution: Your product or service—clear, easy to understand, visual. How do you solve the problem better than others?
4. Market: TAM, SAM, SOM—how big is the market opportunity? Data from the competitive analysis
5. Business model: How do you make money? Pricing strategy, revenue streams, unit economics—visualized with the Business Model Canvas
6. Traction: Achievements to date—users, revenue, partnerships, milestones. Proof of product–market fit
7. Competition: Positioning matrix—where do you stand in comparison? What is your USP?
8. Go-to-market: How will you win customers? Sales strategy and growth channels
9. Team: Who is behind the company? Relevant experience and capabilities
10. Financials: Revenue forecast, key metrics, break-even point
11. Ask: What do you need? Funding requirement, use of funds, terms offered
12. Vision: Where is the journey heading? The long-term vision and next milestones

Design and layout

Content alone is not enough—the visual quality influences perception:

• Consistent branding: Use colors, fonts, and imagery from the brand identity
• Minimal text: A maximum of 3–5 bullet points per slide—the deck supports the talk; it does not replace it
• Data visualization: Show numbers as graphics, charts, and diagrams—not as walls of text
• Storytelling: The deck tells a story: problem → solution → opportunity → team → ask
• Professional templates: Tools such as Canva, Pitch, or Figma offer startup templates

Pitch deck types

Depending on the audience, the focus differs:

• Investor deck: Focus on market size, traction, team, and return potential. The financials slide is critical
• Customer deck (sales deck): Focus on the problem, solution, and concrete customer value. The value proposition is central
• Partner deck: Focus on shared synergies and win-win scenarios
• Send-ahead deck: For sending in advance—more text, self-explanatory, understandable without a presenter
• Demo-day deck: For big stages—large font, strong visuals, maximum 5 minutes

The most common pitch deck mistakes

• Too many slides: More than 15 slides is tiring—focus on what matters
• No clear problem: If the problem is unclear, nobody is interested in the solution
• Feature focus instead of value: Investors are not interested in WHAT you build, but WHY it is relevant
• Unrealistic numbers: “We address a $50 billion market” without explanation destroys credibility
• Ignoring competition: “We have no competition” is not a strength—it shows a lack of market understanding
• Underestimating the team: Investors invest in teams, not just ideas
• No clear ask: Without a concrete call to action, the pitch remains ineffective

Practical tips for a compelling pitch

• The 30-second rule: In the first 30 seconds, it must be clear what you do and why it matters
• Use storytelling: Start with a concrete story—a real customer problem
• Back it up with numbers: Support every claim with data—traction, market data, customer feedback
• Practice, practice, practice: The best pitch decks fail because of poor delivery
• Get feedback: Pitch to non-experts—if they understand it, you are on the right track
• Pitch lean: Show that you validate rather than speculate