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Pitch Deck Checklist

18 things investors check before they decide whether to keep reading. Work through each item before your next pitch meeting — your score updates as you go.

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Content & story

6 items
Problem slide is clear and relatable
An investor who doesn't know your industry can understand the problem in 10 seconds.
Solution is clearly differentiated from alternatives
Not just "we do X" but "we do X differently because Y, unlike [current options]".
Market size includes a credible source
TAM/SAM/SOM with a cited source. Invented numbers damage credibility more than missing numbers.
Business model is explained clearly
How do you make money? Who pays, how much, how often.
Traction or proof points are present
Users, revenue, waitlist, pilot customers, letters of intent — any evidence that people want this.
Team slide shows why you're the right team
Relevant experience, domain expertise, or an unfair advantage. Not just job titles.

Numbers & claims

6 items
Financial projections are present (3–5 year)
Revenue, expenses, and net — even rough projections are better than none. Show you understand unit economics.
CAC and LTV are estimated (or explained)
Customer acquisition cost and lifetime value. If pre-revenue, show your assumptions.
Funding ask is specific
"We're raising $500K" — not "we're looking for strategic investment". Vagueness signals unpreparedness.
Use of funds is broken down
What specifically will the money be spent on? Engineering, sales, marketing — with approximate allocations.
Revenue model is unambiguous
Subscription, one-time, usage-based, marketplace fee — one clear answer.
Competitive landscape is addressed
Who else is doing this, and why are you different? Saying "no competition" is a red flag.

Design & delivery

6 items
Slide count is 10–14 for investor pitches
Investors have seen thousands of decks. Concise is a signal of clarity. More than 15 slides is usually a problem.
One main idea per slide
If you need to explain which part of the slide to look at, it has too many ideas.
No walls of text
Bullets, not paragraphs. If someone has to read more than 30 words per slide, it's too dense.
Visual style is consistent throughout
Same fonts, colors, and spacing. Inconsistency suggests lack of attention to detail.
Every chart has a labeled takeaway
"Revenue growing 40% MoM" not just a line chart. Tell the reader what to conclude.
Deck is understandable without a presenter
Investors share decks with partners and associates. If it only works with you explaining it, you lose control of the narrative.

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