What to Put in a Pitch Deck for Your Brand (and What to Leave Out)

Your pitch deck has one job: earn the next conversation. Investors see many decks, and they decide quickly whether yours deserves a meeting. Here's what to put in a pitch deck, what to leave out, and how to make it easy to say yes.

This guide is part of our personal branding guide for founders and supports our roadmap to attract investors and partners.

The 12 essential slides

1. Title: company name, one-line description, your name and contact
2. Problem: who has it, how painful it is, how they cope today
3. Solution: what you do and why it works
4. Why now: what's changed that makes this the right moment
5. Market: who you sell to and how big the realistic opportunity is
6. Product: screenshots, demo or how it works
7. Traction: revenue, customers, growth, retention, partnerships
8. Business model: how you make money and your unit economics
9. Go-to-market: how you'll acquire customers, and what it costs (CAC)
10. Competition: alternatives and why you win
11. Team: why this team can do it
12. The ask: how much you're raising, what it funds, and key milestones it gets you to

Presenting traction

Traction is often the most persuasive slide. Show:

• A clear chart of revenue or users over time
• Retention or repeat purchase data
• Notable customers or partners (with permission)
• Media coverage and recognition (why coverage matters)

Be precise and honest. Every number should be something you'd defend in due diligence.

Financials

• Summarize, don't paste a spreadsheet
• Show key assumptions behind projections
• Keep projections grounded; ambitious is fine, fantasy isn't

We'll cover forecasting in financial projections for a growing business.

What to leave out

• Dense paragraphs of text
• Buzzwords without substance
• Every feature you've built
• Unverifiable claims ("no competitors," "conservative projections" that aren't)
• Credentials, awards or publications that aren't accurate and current

Design tips

• One message per slide, stated in the slide title
• Large type, simple charts, consistent brand colours
• Readable without you in the room for the send-ahead version
• Test on a phone screen. Many investors skim decks on mobile.

Your deck is only part of the picture

Before the meeting, investors will research you. Make sure your website, LinkedIn and media coverage tell the same story as your deck. See what investors find when they Google you.

The pre-send checklist

• [ ] The problem and solution are clear in 30 seconds
• [ ] Traction is specific and verifiable
• [ ] The ask and use of funds are stated
• [ ] Numbers match your website, LinkedIn and other materials
• [ ] Contact details on the first and last slides
• [ ] Legal advice obtained on how you're raising

After the pitch

Follow up within a day with thanks, answers to open questions and next steps. Then keep investors warm with regular updates, even those who said "not yet." See how to write investor updates. For partnership conversations, use a tailored proposal instead; see how to write a partnership proposal.