A pitch deck is a brief presentation, not a full business plan. It's a key tool for startups. This Balinh.com guide explains what it is, its purpose for investors, and the essential slides.
What is a pitch deck and its purpose in securing funding?
A pitch deck (also called an investor deck or startup presentation) is a presentation. Specifically, it's a brief presentation that provides an overview of your business. Its format is slides—usually 10-20.
Entrepreneurs use pitch decks and startups use pitch decks for one primary reason: the purpose is to secure funding.
This funding presentation is what you show to investors, like angel investors or venture capital firms. But the immediate goal is to get a meeting. Investors review pitch decks very quickly, so you have to make a strong impression.
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| What is a pitch deck |
It's important to know that a pitch deck is not a business plan. Instead, a pitch deck summarizes the business plan. It’s a high-level business plan summary. Think of it as the trailer for your movie.
The best pitch decks do more than list facts. A great pitch deck tells a story. It’s your business pitch for your startup pitch, designed to get investors excited. As we say at Balinh.com, a pitch deck seeks funding, but it does so by building confidence and excitement. A pitch deck secures a meeting where the real work begins.
The essential slides every investor presentation must have
A standard investor presentation follows a logical order. These are the key slides in a pitch deck that you cannot skip.
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| The essential slides every investor presentation must have |
The problem: defining the pain point
This is your hook. The problem slide identifies a problem or pain point that customers face. You must convince investors that this is a real, significant problem worth solving.
The solution: your unique value proposition
Right after the problem, you introduce your answer. The solution slide presents a solution. This solution slide explains your product or service and how it directly addresses the pain point you just mentioned.
The market size: identifying the opportunity (TAM/SAM/SOM)
Investors need to know the potential return. The market slide shows the market size. This is where your market analysis shines. You must define your market, often using TAM (Total Addressable Market), SAM (Serviceable Available Market), and SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market). The market size slide defines TAM.
The business model: how you make money
This is a critical part of entrepreneurship. The business model slide answers the most important question: How you make money. It explains revenue streams, pricing, and customer lifetime value.
Traction: showing proof of concept and validation
Ideas are great, but proof is better. The traction slide demonstrates market validation. The traction slide shows progress. This can include user growth, sales, key partners, or positive press. It proves your concept isn't just a theory.
The competition: your competitive advantage
You are not operating in a vacuum. The competition slide details competitors. It analyzes competitors but, more importantly, shows your unique value proposition. Why are you different? What's your sustainable advantage?
The team: building credibility
Especially in the early stages, investors are betting on you. The team slide highlights founders and key members. The team slide introduces founders and their relevant experience. Its entire job is to build credibility.
Financial projections: outlining the financial future
This slide looks ahead. The financials slide includes projections. It lists projections for key metrics, like revenue, for the next 3-5 years. This is a core part of your financial projections for the startup ecosystem. The financials slide projects revenue.
The ask: the funding request and use of funds
You must end with a clear call to action. The Ask slide states the funding request. This funding amount should be specific (e.g., "$1M seed funding"). You must also clearly detail the use of funds—where will that money go?
Pitch deck vs. business plan: what's the difference?
This is a common point of confusion. A pitch deck differs from the business plan. They are not the same thing.
A pitch deck is a concise, visual slide deck. Its presentation length is 10-20 slides. Its goal is to spark interest and tell a story.
A business plan is a comprehensive document. It's a detailed document, often 30-50+ pages, with in-depth market analysis and financial projections.
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| Pitch deck vs. business plan: what's the difference? |
A pitch deck is not a business plan. You use the pitch deck to get the meeting. You often use the business plan later during due diligence.
Key takeaways from successful pitch deck examples
Looking at successful pitch deck examples is one of the best ways to learn.
We've all seen the legendary Airbnb pitch deck. It is a masterclass in simplicity. It perfectly defined the Problem, Solution, and Market Size. Airbnb has a successful pitch deck that is still used as a prime example.
The same goes for the original Uber pitch deck (when it was "UberCab"). It clearly identified a massive pain point and presented a clean, scalable solution. Uber has a successful pitch deck that demonstrates how to frame a new market.
You can find many pitch deck template files online, but studying how these giants got their start shows you how to tell a compelling story.
A great pitch deck is a vital startup tool. It’s your story, your map, and your key to getting that crucial investor meeting. What are your tips? Share this Balinh.com article or comment below!
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