The 10-Slide Pitch Deck

Best Practices

• +Use a clear, memorable one-line tagline that explains what you do
• +Include your logo and company name prominently
• +Add a compelling visual or product screenshot
• +Keep it clean -- no clutter, no walls of text

Common Mistakes

• -Using a generic tagline like 'disrupting the X industry'
• -Cramming too much information onto the cover
• -Forgetting contact info (name, email) on the slide

Best Practices

• +Start with a relatable story or statistic
• +Quantify the problem -- how many people are affected?
• +Show why existing solutions fall short
• +Make the investor feel the pain

Common Mistakes

• -Being too broad or vague about the problem
• -Spending too long on context before getting to the point
• -Not validating that the problem actually exists

Best Practices

• +Lead with the outcome, not the features
• +Use a product screenshot or demo if possible
• +Explain in one sentence what you do
• +Show why your approach is uniquely suited

Common Mistakes

• -Overloading with technical details too early
• -Not connecting the solution back to the problem
• -Describing features instead of benefits

Best Practices

• +Use bottom-up analysis, not just top-down TAM
• +Show your serviceable obtainable market (SOM) realistically
• +Include market growth trends
• +Reference credible data sources

Common Mistakes

• -Claiming a $1T TAM without explanation
• -Using only top-down sizing ("If we get 1% of...")
• -Ignoring the competitive landscape in sizing

Best Practices

• +Clearly articulate revenue streams
• +Show gross margins or path to margin expansion
• +Explain pricing strategy and why customers will pay
• +Demonstrate unit economics potential at scale

Common Mistakes

• -Having too many revenue streams without focus
• -Not addressing customer willingness to pay
• -Ignoring cost structure and margins

Best Practices

• +Show revenue, users, or engagement growth over time
• +Highlight key milestones and inflection points
• +Include unit economics if available (LTV, CAC, payback)
• +Show month-over-month growth rate

Common Mistakes

• -Showing vanity metrics (total signups vs. active users)
• -Hiding poor retention behind acquisition numbers
• -Not providing context for the metrics

Best Practices

• +Highlight relevant domain expertise
• +Show prior startup or industry experience
• +Include notable advisors or board members
• +Demonstrate founder-market fit

Common Mistakes

• -Listing every employee instead of key team members
• -Not explaining why the team is uniquely suited for this problem
• -Overemphasizing credentials over relevant experience

Best Practices

• +Use a 2x2 matrix showing your differentiation
• +Be honest about competitors -- investors know them
• +Show your sustainable competitive advantage
• +Explain switching costs and defensibility

Common Mistakes

• -Claiming you have no competitors
• -Underestimating incumbents or adjacent players
• -Using a feature comparison table that makes you win everywhere

Best Practices

• +Present 3-year projections grounded in realistic assumptions
• +Show current monthly burn rate and unit economics
• +Highlight the path to breakeven or profitability
• +Use bottom-up projections tied to your go-to-market plan

Common Mistakes

• -Showing hockey-stick projections without supporting assumptions
• -Ignoring burn rate or cash position
• -Making projections that imply 100x growth with no explanation

Best Practices

• +Be specific about the amount and terms
• +Break down use of funds into key categories
• +Tie the raise to 18-24 months of runway
• +Show what milestones the raise will unlock

Common Mistakes

• -Being vague about how funds will be deployed
• -Asking for too much or too little for the stage
• -Not connecting the raise to next-round milestones