How to Build a Pitch Deck for a Tech Startup
Practice4 minInnovialabs editorial team
In short
A pitch deck is 10–15 slides that answer an investor's questions in order: what problem you solve, how, for whom, what is already proven, how you make money, who is on the team and how much money you need and for what.
What a pitch deck has to do
A pitch deck is a short presentation for investors. Its job is not to close the deal on the spot but to get the next meeting. Investors see many decks, so the one that wins makes it clear within a couple of minutes: the problem is real, the solution works, and the team can deliver it.
The basic structure: problem → solution → market → traction → business model → competition → team → ask. One idea per slide.
Slide-by-slide structure
1. Title slide
Name, one sentence on what the product does, contact details. For example: "Online booking for private clinics". Avoid vague words like "innovative platform".
2. Problem
Describe a specific pain of a specific customer. Who suffers, how they solve it today and why that is bad. Findings from customer interviews are stronger than any general statement.
3. Solution
How the product solves the problem. Show a screen or a simple diagram, not a feature list. Two or three key capabilities are enough.
4. Demo or how it works
Screenshots of the main flow or a link to a short video. More on demos below.
5. Market
How many potential customers there are and how much they will pay. Calculate bottom-up: number of customers in the segment times the average price is more convincing than a big figure from a general report. Show which segment you start with.
6. Traction
The most important slide for an investor. Real data only: users, revenue, month-over-month growth, pilots, signed letters of intent. If there is no product yet, show demand validation: a waitlist, pre-orders, interviews.
7. Business model
Who pays, for what and how often. Subscription, commission, one-off sale. If you know your customer acquisition cost and lifetime value, show them.
8. Competition
An honest table or map: who solves the same problem and how you differ. "We have no competitors" reduces trust — the current way of solving the problem is always a competitor.
9. Team
Founders and key people with relevant experience. Why this particular team can build the product.
10. Ask
How much you are raising, how long it will last and where it goes: development, marketing, hiring. Which milestones you will reach before the next round.
How to present the product demo
- One scenario, not a tour of every feature: the user's path from problem to result.
- Realistic data instead of "test123" and empty screens.
- A backup: record a demo video in case the internet or server fails.
- Keep it short: the demo should take a small part of the meeting, leave the rest for questions.
- If the product is still a prototype, say so directly. A clickable prototype is a normal early-stage step.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| Too much text on slides | One point and one image or number per slide |
| Market size from a general report | Bottom-up calculation for your segment |
| "We have no competitors" | Compare with alternatives, including spreadsheets and manual work |
| No specific amount in the ask | Amount, runway and allocation by category |
| Technical details instead of value | Mention technology only if it is a real advantage |
| Unrealistic financial forecast | A forecast based on clear assumptions |
Two versions of the deck
Most founders make two versions:
- for presenting — minimal text, you do the talking;
- for sending by email — more explanation so the deck makes sense without you.
Send a PDF rather than an editable file, and check that it opens well on a phone.