So, what makes a great pitch deck?
1. Do not shirk on the design
No matter what your business, the deck should look enticing to read. There are so many free tools, such as Canva, to make it look great. There is no excuse to send a bland, boring, unexciting deck. If you are presenting a D2C/B2C product then there really is no excuse – if you can’t make your deck dazzle then we’d have very low expectations that you’ll be able to make your brand dazzle.
2. The deck is a brochure, not a thesis
It is intended to get an Angel excited about the opportunity and book a call with you, not to tell them every single element of the business and the sector. Angels/VCs will invariably flick through a deck first, if it is over 15 slides and very wordy, they will probably move onto the next one. Keep it short and to the point.
3. Be clear and concise
If an Angel does not know what the product/business is within the first 3 slides, they probably won’t carry on. Cut to the chase, what are we going to be reading about.
4. Keep it simple, stupid.
Problem, solution, market opportunity, competitors, team, financials. Take the reader on a very simple story/flow.
5. Avoid lengthy explanations
If your business/product is complicated or sector-specific, remember that people reading your deck won’t have the knowledge you have. Cut the jargon and explain everything clearly. If an investor can’t get their head around the deck this will put them off too… even if the opportunity is real and great.
6. Do your research on the Angel/VC
You don’t necessarily have to tailor the deck to each meeting but tailor the intro email/LinkedIn message. Show that you have read what investments the Angel has already made and why you would fit their portfolio and why they would be a good Angel to help take your business forward.






Some tips on impressing on a pitch meeting:
1. Listen
Answer any questions directly and succinctly. Do not deflect and go off on a long rambling answer.
2. Be honest
If you don’t know an answer be honest. It’s a good attribute of a founder to be keen to learn and improve.
3. Passion & Knowledge
Show why you are so passionate about this project and also knowledgeable about the industry you’re in.
4. Personality
Investors want to connect with the founders and get a feel for you. We don’t want robots with a pitch deck.
5. Commitment
Investors want to see that you are ready to put everything you have into the company and it’s not just a fun new side project.