How to Make a Pitch Deck for Startup - Step-by-Step Guide
Making a pitch deck for your startup feels daunting. You've got one shot to capture investor attention, and you're not sure where to start.
Good news: creating a pitch deck follows a proven formula. This guide walks you through every step, from blank canvas to investor-ready deck.
Quick Overview of Steps
- Define your audience and goal
- Write your narrative first
- Create the slide structure
- Design for clarity
- Add data and visuals
- Review and refine
- Prepare for sharing
Step 1: Define Your Audience and Goal
Before opening any design tool, answer these questions:
Who is this deck for?
- Early-stage VCs?
- Angel investors?
- Accelerator applications?
- Strategic partners?
What's your specific goal?
- Get a first meeting
- Pass to partners for deeper review
- Secure a term sheet
Different audiences need different emphasis. Angels might care more about founder story. VCs want market size and scalability. Know your audience.
Step 2: Write Your Narrative First
The biggest mistake founders make is jumping straight into slides. Don't.
Write your pitch as a story first:
Start with a one-page document covering:
- The problem — What pain exists and for whom?
- Your insight — What do you know that others don't?
- The solution — How do you fix the problem?
- Why now — Why is this the right moment?
- Why you — Why is your team uniquely positioned?
- The opportunity — What's the potential outcome?
Once your story flows on paper, converting to slides is easy.
Step 3: Create Your Slide Structure
Now map your narrative to slides. Here's the proven structure:
Opening Section (Slides 1-3)
- Title slide — Name, tagline, contact
- Problem — Hook them with the pain point
- Solution — Show how you fix it
Proof Section (Slides 4-6)
- Product/Demo — What you've built
- Traction — Evidence it's working
- Market — Size of the opportunity
Business Section (Slides 7-9)
- Business model — How you make money
- Competition — Your position in the market
- Go-to-market — How you grow
Closing Section (Slides 10-12)
- Team — Why you'll win
- Financials — Your projections
- The ask — What you need
Step 4: Design for Clarity
Your deck doesn't need to be beautiful. It needs to be clear.
Design principles:
One idea per slide — If a slide needs explanation, it's too complex.
Big fonts, minimal text — No one should squint. 30-point minimum.
Consistent styling — Same colors, fonts, and layouts throughout.
White space is your friend — Don't fill every inch of the slide.
Tools for Creating Your Deck
Free options:
- Google Slides — Collaborative, easy to share
- Canva — Beautiful templates, beginner-friendly
- Figma — More control, design flexibility
Paid options:
- PowerPoint — Industry standard
- Keynote — Mac-native, beautiful defaults
- Pitch — Built for startups
Pick what you're comfortable with. The tool matters less than the content.
Step 5: Add Data and Visuals
Numbers and images make your deck convincing.
For data:
- Use charts instead of tables when possible
- Label axes clearly
- Highlight the key insight (circle it, make it bold)
- Source your data
For visuals:
- Product screenshots show what you've built
- Customer logos build credibility
- Team photos humanize your company
- Icons make bullet points scannable
What to avoid:
- Stock photos that feel generic
- Clip art or dated graphics
- Charts with too many data points
Step 6: Review and Refine
Your first draft won't be your final deck. Plan for iteration.
Self-review checklist:
- Can each slide stand alone?
- Is there one clear idea per slide?
- Would a stranger understand it without explanation?
- Are all numbers accurate and sourced?
- Does the story flow logically?
Get external feedback:
- Share with other founders
- Test with advisors or mentors
- Practice with friendly investors
Common feedback you'll hear:
- "Too much text"
- "I don't understand the business model"
- "What's your unfair advantage?"
Fix these issues before sending to real investors.
Step 7: Prepare for Sharing
How you share your deck matters as much as what's in it.
Export Options
PDF — Best for email sharing. Preserves formatting.
Link to Google Slides — Easy to update, but less polished.
Pitch deck platform — Secure sharing with analytics.
Why Analytics Matter
When you email a PDF, you have no idea:
- Did they open it?
- Which slides did they spend time on?
- Did they forward it to partners?
Use a tool like Papermark to track engagement:
Common Startup Pitch Deck Mistakes
Learn from others' errors:
Mistake 1: Too much jargon Investors see pitches across industries. Don't assume they know your space deeply.
Mistake 2: Burying the traction If you have impressive numbers, lead with them. Don't hide traction on slide 10.
Mistake 3: Unrealistic projections $100M revenue in year 3? Investors will roll their eyes. Be ambitious but credible.
Mistake 4: No clear ask Don't make investors guess. "We're raising $1.5M for 18 months of runway" is clear.
Mistake 5: Copying famous decks too closely Airbnb's deck worked for Airbnb. Your deck needs to work for you.
Pitch Deck Examples by Stage
Pre-Seed Deck Focus
- Heavy on problem and vision
- Team credentials matter more
- Show early validation (signups, waitlist)
Seed Deck Focus
- Traction becomes critical
- Product should be live
- Clear path to product-market fit
Series A Deck Focus
- Metrics and unit economics
- Scalable go-to-market
- Team depth and execution
After You Send: Following Up
Your work doesn't end when you send the deck.
Track engagement — Tools like Papermark show when investors open your deck.
Follow up strategically — If someone spent 10 minutes on your deck, they're interested. Reach out.
Update and iterate — Each conversation teaches you something. Update your deck accordingly.
Conclusion
Making a pitch deck for your startup is a process: write your story, structure your slides, design for clarity, and prepare to share. Don't try to be perfect on the first try. Iterate based on feedback.
The best pitch decks aren't the most beautiful — they're the clearest. Tell your story simply, back it up with data, and make it easy for investors to say yes to a meeting.