The 3-Minute Rule
DocSend studies show venture capitalists spend an average of 2 minutes and 42 seconds analyzing a pitch deck. If your problem slide is cluttered or your business model slide requires a magnifying glass, your deck will be discarded into the archive pile.
The 12 Canonical Slides
Keep your slide deck focused and eliminate filler paragraphs:
- 1. Cover Slide: Clean logo, one-sentence thesis, and founder contact info.
- 2. The Problem: The acute commercial pain point your customer experiences daily.
- 3. The Solution: Your value proposition and unique product capability.
- 4. Market Sizing: Defensible TAM, SAM, and SOM figures with verified citations.
- 5. Product & Demo: Screenshots, workflow visual, or user journey diagram.
- 6. Business Model: Pricing tiers, gross margins, and revenue monetization mechanics.
- 7. Traction & Milestones: MoM growth, pilot contracts, revenue, or active users.
- 8. Go-To-Market (GTM): Customer acquisition channels, payback, and partnerships.
- 9. Competitive Landscape: 2x2 matrix showcasing your unique moat.
- 10. Leadership Team: Why this team is uniquely qualified to execute.
- 11. Financial Projections: 3-year revenue, gross margin, and burn forecast.
- 12. The Ask: Funding amount, runway duration, and key milestones to achieve.
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