Content for Founders/ Thinking About Pitch Deck Content

-While I’ve only been in the VC space for a little over a year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet over a dozen founders and read through roughly 100 pitch decks. Here are some observations.

· Things are easier for VC’s when you clearly articulate and identify a problem. I have a solid understanding of business and different sectors. However, as a VC I have nowhere near the understanding/ domain experience of founders and their teams. For all intents and purposes assume that VC’s are average consumers, dumb it down! When the deck is highly technical it takes longer to read through, I may utilize google a lot and still not understand the issue completely. People cannot present and argue for funding a company that they cannot fully understand.

· Avoid super long decks with very little content, do you really need a 40–50-page deck with barely any content on each slide? Often these deck slides are full of one-word sentences per slide. No one wants to read a 50-page deck with no real content. Be as concise as possible.

· Things I like to see:

a. (simplified) identifiable problem, large TAM, TOM, CAGR

b. Product differentiation (what’s the value add in your product/ service, uniqueness)

c. Is the MVP finished and operating? How long did it take to build, what problems has the product/ service encountered? What steps have been taking to address it?

d. Market B2B or B2C? if you’re starting in a B2C market will you eventually target enterprise to scale?

e. Customer Feedback, what are users saying? What’s the retention rate and CAC? How will customer success be managed?

f. 5-year outlook (I love to see broad industry macro outlook, future catalysts that will drive demand for product).

g. Are there any additional functionalities that increase the MOAT of your product?

· Another tip; directly answer questions. Even if the answer is less than ideal. It shows honestly and realness. My mentors have instilled in me the importance of empathy in the VC space. VC’s should exhibit empathy and understanding towards founders and their problems and look to provide solutions.

hope this helps!