Why I love writing pitch decks (and what I've learned helping raise $500M)
Feb 11, 2025
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What actually works
Your deck needs to pass one simple test: **can an investor explain your business to their partners after one read?** Not the technical details. Not your entire go-to-market strategy. Just the core thesis.
Most decks fail this test. They bury the point under market sizes, feature lists, and complex diagrams. But clarity beats complexity every time.
The art of the setup
The problem slides needs to funnel. Here's a real example that worked:
We started with an undeniable fact: The average American diet isn't giving people the right balance of nutrients. This is why 80% of US consumers take a supplement daily. Simple, factual, impossible to argue with. Got every investor nodding.
Then we funneled down to market reality: Despite this being a $49B market, current products aren't enjoyable to consume. The proof? Look at gummies. They've grown 10x faster than traditional pills, creating a $17B market by themselves. This isn't just data - it's evidence that customers are actively looking for better ways to take supplements.
Only then did we position our solution: Building the most enjoyable and effective way to get your supplements. By this point, investors already believed in the problem. They saw the market proof. Our solution felt inevitable, not speculative.
Why sequence matters
Here's the thing about metrics: Everyone has them. Everyone has growth stats. But when you lead with them, investors get skeptical. They've seen a thousand hockey stick graphs. They're trained to doubt them.
But when you first build agreement through undeniable facts, when you let investors discover the opportunity alongside you, those same metrics hit completely different. Now they're not just numbers. They're validation of an insight the investor already believes in.
It's like letting them in on a secret, but proving it's real. I've watched this play out in pitch after pitch. When we lead with traction, investors look for problems. When we lead with the problem and use traction as validation, investors lean in.
Think about that supplements example. If we'd opened with "We're growing 300% year over year in the supplement space," investors would have asked "So what?" Instead, we built the case for why supplements needed reinvention. By the time we showed our growth metrics, investors were thinking "Of course you're growing. This makes perfect sense."
Beyond the raise
Here's something interesting: the best pitch decks become more than fundraising tools. They become strategic documents that shape how companies grow.
I've watched founders use their pitch narrative to align their teams, focus their product roadmap, and close key hires. When you get your story right, it impacts everything.
Why this matters now
The market's getting tougher. Investors are looking for clarity. They need to understand your business fast, and they need to be able to explain it to others even faster.
Your pitch deck isn't about showing how smart you are. It's about making your opportunity so clear it feels obvious.
Remember this: Your metrics shouldn't create belief. They should confirm it.
I'm currently taking on new pitch deck projects for Q2 2024. If you're:
Raising your next round
Need a clear, compelling narrative
Want investors to immediately understand your opportunity
Learn more about my pitch deck process or reach out
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