The pitch deck: the 10 elements you need
The pitch deck is the document you use to tell the story of your company to those who might fund it. It is not just any presentation: the people evaluating it read dozens of decks and form an opinion within the first few minutes. The difference between a “yes, tell me more” and a “no” is almost never the idea, but how you structure it. Here are the ten elements that must not be missing.
1. The problem
Open with the problem you solve, not with your product. Who has it? How painful is it? How widespread is it? If the problem is not clear and keenly felt, everything else loses its force. Be concrete: one real scenario is worth more than ten adjectives.
2. The solution
Only now does your product arrive, presented as the answer to the problem. Explain in a single sentence what it does and why it is better than the current alternatives (including “doing nothing”). Avoid technical jargon: the person evaluating needs to grasp the value, not the architecture.
3. The market
How big is the opportunity? Build the market bottom-up — target customers times price times frequency — not “1% of a billion-dollar market”. A market calculated from the ground up is credible; one imposed from the top sounds like wishful thinking.
4. The product
Show the product: screenshots, a demo, a real workflow. If you have a working version, say so. Seeing something tangible reduces perceived risk and sets those who execute apart from those who merely design.
5. The business model
How do you (or will you) generate revenue? Price, units, recurrence. Even a reasoned estimate beats silence. The person evaluating wants to understand how one franc invested becomes more francs over time.
6. Traction
Numbers speak louder than promises: customers, revenue, growth, letters of intent, pilots. If you are very early and have no revenue metrics, show signals of demand (waiting lists, interviews, conversion rates). Traction is what turns a story into proof.
7. The competition
No one is truly without competitors: if you say “we have none”, the person evaluating assumes you do not know the market. Position yourself honestly against the alternatives and explain your defensible advantage: technology, data, costs, network, timing.
8. The team
For investors, the team weighs as much as the idea. Show who you are, what you have already achieved and why you are the right people for this problem. Name the skill gaps you intend to fill: awareness is more credible than presumption.
9. The numbers and the plan
A lean two- or three-year projection: revenue, main costs, milestones. You do not need hundred-line models; you need coherence between ambition, milestones and budget. A plan that names the risks and how to mitigate them is more solid than one that denies them.
10. The ask
Close with a clear request: how much you are raising, for what purpose, to reach which goal. “We are seeking a round to reach X customers / Y in revenue within Z months.” The ask turns interest into a concrete conversation.
How to build a deck that holds up
A few cross-cutting principles:
- One idea per slide: a title that asserts, not one that describes.
- Numbers before adjectives: “innovative” does not convince, a data point does.
- Consistency throughout: deck, business plan and cap table must tell the same story. Inconsistencies get noticed.
- Concision: ten to fifteen slides are enough. The deck opens the door; it is the conversation that closes it.
How we help
At SIH ONE we prepare founders for the encounter with investors: deck structure, equity story, credible numbers and consistency with the cap table and plan. Having also sat on the other side of the evaluation table, we build the narrative with the logic of those who make the decision.
Want to fine-tune your pitch before the next round? Talk to the Ventures division.