A pitch deck is a set of slides which describes your company, product or idea in picture form. It's often used by startups to sell their businesses but can also be used as a communication tool. A pitch deck has the same components as any other presentation, each with the intent to convince and express the unique benefits of your business idea.

What is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck or investor pitch deck is a brief presentation given by an entrepreneur to a potential investor. The presentation contains information about a succinct yet comprehensive overview of your business, the industry it operates in, your startup's unique selling proposition, its current grip and future goals, and how you plan to achieve these objectives. Essentially, it is a tool designed to convince investors to put their money into your venture. In a nutshell, a pitch deck is a presentation crafted to give data on the business, its products and services, and its financials.

Usually, there are two types of pitch deck: - email deck and presentation deck. The presentation deck typically runs for about 20 minutes and highlights key information about the business. The pitch is designed to elicit an emotional response in the listener.

The pitch deck is the perfect way to introduce your startup to potential investors. It can be used to either send an email or to present to them in person. This document is like your sales pitch, and it needs to be convincing in order to make the investors understand your business in the way that they are used to. Your pitch deck is the key to getting your startup in front of potential investors. However, just because you have their attention doesn't mean you've automatically won their investment. It takes time and effort to negotiate a deal with an investor, so your pitch deck needs to make the next meeting possible and get them interested in your company.

What does an investor expect from your pitch deck?

An investor wants to see a well-organized and well-thought-out pitch deck that clearly communicates your business idea, your target market, your product or service, your competitive landscape, your financial projections, your team, metrics that show potential for growth, and a vision that is worth believing in. We don’t want to be left guessing what your business is all about. We don’t want to have to poke around the internet to try and figure out what you do.

In the words of Steve Jobs, “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

What and How Many Slides Are Included In A Pitch Deck Presentation?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the number of slides you need in your pitch deck will vary depending on the specifics of your business and presentation. The average for most startups is 20 slides. Any more than this, and your audience may lose attention or fail to make it through the entire deck. However, a pitch deck for Series A funding round and Pre-seed rounds can be different and makes sense.

In general, shorter presentations are better for most founders — if you go past 20 minutes with no breaks, you risk losing your audience.

An investor pitch deck presentation should include a cover slide, an introduction slide, company overview slides, The team product or service slides, market opportunity slides, financial slides, and a conclusion slide. There are several other considerations which will help you create a successful deck:

Conduct research and focus on the objective of your presentation. Be sure to include a picture in your presentation.

After you have a clearer picture of the information that you wish to include in your deck, it is time to begin building your slides. Try to simplify your business. It should also be easy to read, concise, and clear. The overview and purpose of your company or business is the first slide and should serve as an introduction to your company. Your presentation should include a catchy title, the founding team, the problem you are solving, the solution you provide, and any industry awards or recognition.

Another section is the product and business model. This may be the largest part of your pitch deck. It should explain the product and how it works, including screenshots or mockups of the product and/or website.

According to Feedough.com, there are 12 most important slides that a pitch deck should have:

• Company/Purpose/Intro

• Problem

• Solution

• Why Now

• Offering

• Market

• Competition

• Traction

• Business Model

• Team

• Financials

• Ask

Tips to make your pitch successful

A pitch deck is a presentation that is used to raise money for a business. It typically contains between 10 and 20 slides and should be no more than 10 minutes long. A pitch deck is like a short movie, with every slide representing a scene. Ideally, each scene should have an image that communicates the concept of the slide and a clear, concise headline that explains the content of the slide.

One useful strategy is to use your logo in some way on every slide of your pitch deck. If you can’t afford professional design services, simply take a screen shot of your logo from your website and paste it into your presentation software. This will make your presentation more professional-looking, and give you something to put on every slide.

If you want a great example of this strategy, check out how Y Combinator uses their logo in all of their pitch decks.
Moreover, you can improve your startup pitch by making it personal. Your startup pitch needs to be tailored to each investor who will be listening to it. The slides should emphasize things that are relevant to the particular audience. A pitch deck is an organized presentation used to introduce your startup idea to a potential investor.

Pitch decks are an entrepreneur's first line of communication with potential investors. They act as a sales pitch, introducing the startup in a way that investors are used to hearing. So, totally it is better to:

• Make a great first impression.

• Be clear and concise.

• Tailor your pitch to the audience.

• Be passionate about your idea.

• Simplify your business

• Make an informative and honest presentation

• Practice, practice, practice.