Pitch Decks by Brett Adcock

— Follow a proven structure — The best decks tackle the following: → Company purpose → Problem → Solution → Team → Product → Biz Model → Market/TAM → Financials → Competitors

— Declare an enemy — You want to create common ground immediately in a pitch. Don't make it "Your Company vs The Investors". Make it "All of Us vs The Problem". Put the investors on your side ASAP. E.g. The common enemy for Tesla is fossil fuels.

— Clarify the problem — No one will invest without understanding the real problem you solve. You have to give clarity on: → What the problem is → Who it affects → What current solutions exist → Why those solutions are failing Then explain why you're the best at solving it

p.s. Investors love seeing founders solving a personal pain point.

"I couldn't find a solution for X issue so I created Y" Having a personal problem you are trying to solve makes you the customer.

— Accentuate your social proof — If you have: → High User Engagement → Product Market Fit → A dynamic team → Proven sales Highlight this in your deck. Investors want to know you have momentum and opportunities outside of their investment.

— Sell the benefits — There will be a time to showcase your features. Investors want to know the benefits your product brings to the market. These benefits highlight the real opportunity. e.g. Figure: no more 8 hour days & high attrition, robots can work 20 hours a day.

— Talk long-term — Investors need to know that this is a 10-year (minimum) project for you and your team. Commit by showing your massive plans, broken down by milestones. E.g. Year 1: we will accomplish X, Year 5: we will accomplish Y, etc.

— Give succinct data — Have every bit of data in your back pocket, but only show the key notes. If you show everything, none of it will bear weight in the pitch. If you show the most important points, it will stick in investors' minds.

Pro Tip: Bring a pitch deck to meetings with an extended Appendix. The Appendix includes answers to every possible question you might encounter. Over time as you field new questions, add them to the Appendix.

— Customize your format — Meeting with Sequoia? They have a recommended format. Chatting with First Round? They could have a different pitch deck preference. Research if the Partner has a recommended deck format, and use it. They're telling you how they think. Align with them

— Talk openly about risk — Investors know that every opportunity is risky. You aren't going to trick them into thinking otherwise. But you can show that you: → Have thought your idea through → Believe you will overcome the risks → Are realistic (enough) about your company

Let's recap: → Follow a proven structure → Declare an enemy → Clarify the problem → Accentuate your social proof → Sell the benefits → Talk long-term → Give succinct data → Customize your format → Talk openly about risk