How To Create The Best Seed Stage Pitch Deck

[james2000]

As I mentioned in my previous post earlier, I'm trying to lower the barrier of entry to the entrepreneurial world. I spent months trying to book my first meeting with a venture capitalist, and I created 30+ drafts of my pitch deck the night before. There was not 1 place where I can find the best formula that fits for me. So, I wanted to share my learnings here on Reddit (already posted similar material on my personal blog and YouTube startup fundraising series.)

Really — making the best best pitch deck has a lot to do with your industry, experience, etc. But in most cases, seed stage pitch decks are pretty standard. Here's my copy/pasta from my blog:

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The basics​

There’s a ton of articles out there that give pitch deck examples of conglomerates like AirBnB and Uber. But times have changed and those examples are outdated — in terms of design and “vibes”. At the seed stage, you’re going to be interacting with young venture capitalists who invest based on your energy and potential. They already know that you could be the next AirBnB. Show them how in as little time as possible.

Here are the key components that every seed startup’s deck should include:

1. Problem
2. Why now?
3. Your solution
4. Your proof of traction / experience / proof of concept / testimonial (can be up to 2 slides)
5. Your go-to-market strategy
6. How big your idea can become (revenue model + addressable market — should be 2 slides)
7. Your team (why are you the expert?)

Common mistakes​

The most common mistakes I’ve seen are:

1. Doing too much! Those 7 points I listed should be more than enough to get you in the door with a VC. Remember from the first blog article that you’ll be sending them your comprehensive data room after the first couple of meetings.
   
   Do not make fancy transitions. Do not write essays into your deck. Do not hire a designer for this. I recommend using something a simple tool like pitch.com to make everything yourself!
2. Not creating a storyline. This is a huge mistake that ruins the raise for many talented teams. If none of your slides are connected into 1 big story line, VCs will judge you based on the information you put into each slide. For example, they’ll say “Hm, I’m not sure if your TAM projections are accurate” . . . even though you may only be slightly off.Everyone wants to invest in something that “changes the world.” The best decks flow through each slide seamlessly like a story book. The “why now” leads into the “solution” which leads into the “revenue model” which leads into the “TAM” and so on and so forth.
   
   This may be difficult to judge for yourself. The best way is to read through the deck and see if you can start talking about the next slide while you’re wrapping up the current slide. That’s how you know your transitions will be smooth!
3. Not using docsend.com! Or a similar platform that you can use to track who is opening your deck and who they’re sending it to. Not only does it give you good analytics on which slides are performing well . . . it discourages folks sending your deck to who you don’t want to!

Full series​

1. What you need to prepare (blog version)
2. How to turn your startup idea into a real business (blog version)
3. How to build the best seed stage pitch deck
4. How to focus on the “right” key metrics
5. How to “wow” investors in your startup pitches
6. Understanding the SAFE (financing documents)
7. How to plan your financials around your seed round