How to Design a Pitch Deck
Out of thousands of pitch decks created every day, only a few succeed and get funded. So, no matter how good your business idea is and how experienced you are, if you fail the pitch, you'll struggle with fundraising.
It's not about luck—it's about a deep understanding of what your potential investors need and how to present your project correctly with the pitch deck as a key component.
So, how do you make a pitch deck that helps you get funded? How do you win the attention and trust of investors and nurture their interest in your idea? This guide will answer all the questions a startup founder may have.
What is Pitch Deck?
A pitch deck is a well-structured, concise presentation that effectively showcases your business idea and its potential to investors.
Every business idea or company needs financing to reach its full potential, and more often than not, that money comes from investors. So, entrepreneurs need to find a way to communicate their ideas to potential investors to get them on board and invest in the business. In other words, they need a pitch deck.
As strange as it may sound, the core purpose of a pitch deck is not to secure funding but to pique the interest of potential investors. You will want to present your idea in a way that intrigues investors to set up a meeting.
It's not just a set of slides about your project. It's a condensed business case designed to inspire and convince.
At its core, a pitch deck answers three critical questions investors may ask:
- What existing, urgent problem are you addressing?
- How does your idea solve this problem?
- What makes your business valuable as an investment?
Why Is It So Important?
A pitch deck isn’t just a formality—it’s what investors expect and can be your key to standing out. Here’s why:
- Pitch decks are the universal startup language and a natural part of the fundraising process.
- A well-designed deck may turn complicated business ideas and data into simple, clear concepts that make your business plan easy to grasp.
- Unlike other formats like speeches or larger presentations, a pitch deck can give a deep enough grasp of your project in minutes.
Investors don’t want fluff; they want clarity, conviction, and proof you’re worth their time and money. Every slide in the pitch deck structure counts, and how you present them can make or break your chances.
What Happens if You Skip a Pitch Deck or It’s Weak?
First, if you’re missing a pitch deck, you may look poorly prepared or alien to the habitual decision-making process. But that's not all:
- Without a strong deck, your vision will likely get lost: potential investors may just not pay too much attention to your speech without highlights and well-structured storytelling.
- In a sea of startups, blending in is the fastest way to get skipped. Investors won’t think twice—they will just move on.
- Without an outstanding pitch deck, you risk failing to stand out, making the uneasy battle even harder.
Creating a pitch deck for investors is not just about checking boxes to ensure you have "that document everyone expects." You need to make it your secret sauce to inspire others with your confidence and lay the first brick of trust.
What Does a Perfect Pitch Deck Structure Look Like?
Think of your pitch deck as your first handshake with investors. It demonstrates what your business is, proves why they should care, and answers the questions investors may have.
Let’s break this down into a structured pitch deck outline.
The First Slide
The impression you make is what sets the tone for the whole conversation. And here, it's all about the title slide.
For NIL Clubs, our client in the financial tech space, their first slide included:
- The main title: "Empowering Students with NIL Clubs," which also contains the project name and target market—all in one short sentence.
- The subtitle: "Understanding NIL Clubs and Their Benefits."
- Their logo: a clean, modern mark that reflects the product's data-driven focus
Your title slide should work just as hard to make an unforgettable first impression.
Problem Statement: Defining the Why
The first real hook is your problem statement. It’s not just defining the issue as is—it’s about making investors see the problem is real, burning hot, and in high demand. You need to clearly spot the pain points of your target customer in the form of a statement, data, commitment, or situation description.
Market Opportunity
After you present the problem, the next step is to explain why solving it is a profitable market opportunity. Clarify the size of the addressable market, its growth trends, and how it relates to your solution. Use graphs to demonstrate current market trends and their potential. Explain how you are going to obtain a meaningful share.
Solution
Then, after you have pointed out the problem and defined the market opportunity, it's time to introduce your solution as the game changer. Describe your product or service and how it challenges the status quo, what makes it unique, and how it solves the core issue directly.
Keep it simple: don’t load your speech with professional jargon to seem knowledgeable—rather, focus on the facts about the main problem and the solution you have.
Competition
Every business has its competitors, and investors expect you to know yours. Briefly present the current major players on the market and explain what you do differently—for example, a more modern technology or a better experience for target customers.
A comparison table can be a great way to show and visualize how you beat the competition in key areas.
For example:
Choose two to three key differentiators and explain how these add value, i.e., how they generate value, cost savings, and faster implementation.
Business & Monetization Model
The next important thing to focus on is how your company will make money and how you plan to scale.
This is where you can highlight your revenue streams, CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), LTV (Lifetime Value), and show scalability. It's a good idea to use visuals like flow charts or diagrams to explain your model visually.
First, rely on visuals like flow charts or diagrams to explain your model, and second, stress scalability to validate how your business can scale up effectively.
Current Status and Traction
Show your progress on this project with metrics. Show sales figures, even if they are just from initial tests, established partnerships, and the growth of your customer base. Use clean visuals like graphs to show your potential return and growth.
This slide shows that your business idea is more than a concept—it’s already happening or is ready to rocket.
Team Behind the Plan
"Investors bet on the jockey, not the horse"—it's a popular saying in startup circles. It doesn't only mean a startup founder but the whole team behind the idea.
So, on the next slide, focus on your founding team, their core competencies, and how their skills complement each other. This will be proof that you can actually do it.
Financial Projections
Next, show a financial roadmap. In other words, it's the time for revenue streams and profitability timelines.
Financial projections are easier to understand when presented as tables or charts. But don't get too optimistic; focusing on realistic, data-driven plans is better.
Call to Action
One of the most effective yet overlooked pitch presentation tips is to keep your message ending with a clear CTA. Describe how much you’re funding and how you intend to use it.
End the presentation with a thank you and your contact info.
How Long Should Your Pitch Deck Be?
There’s no magic number for how many slides a perfect pitch deck should have, but here’s what we know:
- You have only up to 4 minutes of investors' time.
- DocSend’s data shows the average deck has 19 slides.
- Guy Kawasaki, a seasoned investor and venture capitalist, recommends keeping it to just 10 slides, covering the pure essentials.
But one thing is clear: less is more. Investors' time is limited, so it's better to use it wisely.
Successful Pitch Deck Examples
We have listed above the 'market average' of best practices. But not all pitch decks are the same. There's no standard simple formula that everyone should use—otherwise, it would be even harder to stand out.
Here are a few examples of successful startups with great and compelling pitch decks that show all these principles in action. Some are from famous companies, while others are more niche-specific, but all have successfully raised funds.
Airbnb's Pitch Deck
This pitch deck is a master class in simplicity and clarity. It focuses on the existing issue and how the company will challenge the status quo. Result? With the help of this exact presentation, they raised $600K in 2008.
Why it’s good:
- Focused. All slides focus on important aspects of a pitch deck, with one core idea per page.
- Data-driven. Airbnb included clear numbers to prove that it was a real opportunity.
- Visual. The information is presented in a very clear visual way, and every slide speaks for itself.
Quantillium’s Pitch Deck
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Quantillium, one of our clients, is another bright example. Their pitch deck demonstrates a good balance between presenting technical information, addressing their specific target market, and being human-friendly, providing investors with necessary data and nurturing interest.
Why it’s good:
- Clear niche. Quantillium offers its unique solution—a unified API for financial filings from 30 countries. While the issue may not be clear to everyone, it is for those who understand the industry.
- Numbers. The whole deck is focused on numbers—literally, every statement has its proof.
- Traction. Specifically, stats like “150K filings annually” and “10 years of history” demonstrate the current state of the product and its existing success.
Tinder’s Pitch Deck
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Tinder’s pitch deck is an example of a compelling story inside a short, concise, and bullet-effective presentation. It demonstrates the problem in the most relatable way, and the company’s solutions are presented with clarity and charm.
Why it’s good:
- Problem. Tinder illustrates the burning dating problem in a way that instantly resonates.
- Visuals. The mockups of the app's functionality help clearly imagine the product in action.
- Monetization. It wasn’t just a fun idea but a strong business opportunity demonstrated with numbers.
NIL Club’s Pitch Deck
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You have already seen several slides from the NIL Club above when we discussed the structure of a good pitch deck, but let's dive deeper. This deck is an example of how a pitch deck can create an emotional connection and, at the same time, present a sustainable business model.
Why it’s good:
- Mission. By focusing on student-run fan communities, NIL Club wins hearts while making a strong case for its market.
- Monetization. The deck highlights fees and average earnings per student, giving investors a clear view of the potential revenue streams.
- Trust. Including guardrails for compliance shows investors that the company is thinking ahead and proactively addressing risks.
For More Inspiration
We highly recommend you go through as many pitch decks as you can: famous worldwide companies, small (yet successfully funded) niche products, your market, and other markets. It's important to train your eye and form a catchy and relatable concept you can turn into an investor-winning pitch deck. PitchDeckHunt is a great place to search for those examples.
Do you want a shortcut? Rely on professionals' experience—contact us to ensure your pitch deck will stand out. Let's Talk!
How to Make a Pitch Deck That Wins
Preparation is the beginning and the core. Solid research, clear messaging, and thoughtful design combine to make every slide great.
Here's how to set the stage for success with a powerful pitch deck outline:
Prepare Well
It's not about assembling slides from a typical template or scenario but about creating a pitch deck for investors that resonates. To make it possible, you need to feel your audience, think about your messages, and back it up with compelling content.
1. Mind your audience
The first question is: who are your potential investors?
Are they venture capitalists, angel investors, or corporate partners? Each type has different interests and, most importantly, investment criteria. For example, venture capital investors will probably focus on financials first (growth potential, potential return, etc.), while angel investors will probably care more about vision and innovative ideas. Match your tone and content to their expectations, and you’ll have an edge over the other presentations they’ll see.
2. Define the main message
Your pitch deck should revolve around one central idea—whether it’s your solution, market potential, or team strength. Keep it simple and memorable, and avoid using too much industry jargon. A sharp takeaway ensures your business stays top of mind.
3. Gather key data
Metrics like market size or customer acquisition cost back up your case, while visuals like mockups, charts, or testimonials add credibility to what you show. Don't overload your document with 'soap metrics': everything included should be there for a specific purpose—build trust and convince.
4. Think about the style
You'll need to make your pitch deck content practical, readable, and captivating. Before starting to craft anything, think about how you will present your idea. Will it be a story, like Tinder? Or a data-focused presentation, like Quantillium? Or will you find your own way?
4. Research best practices
Learn good pitch deck examples, but don't spare time for that. To understand how to make a good pitch deck, take the best ones and break them down into elements: how they build their story, how they present data, how they visualize, etc.
Design Your Pitch Deck
Your pitch deck template should make your message clear, sticky, and impactful. Each slide should fit together seamlessly, guiding investors through a smooth storytelling flow.
1. Create a well-structured pitch deck outline
Draft your pitch deck structure by putting all of your ideas in order, one by one. Start with a strong intro, outline the problem, present your solution, and end with your funding request. This first step is not about beauty—it's about structure that ensures your presentation will impact.
2. Do the copywriting
The next step is creating the pitch deck content. Following the storyline you have created, ensure each slide presents information in a brief, clear, and easy-to-gasp way.
3. Design it
Now it's time for beauty. Based on the structure and text of your pitch deck, try to follow your branding style and make the deck really clear. Use colors, fonts, icons, and images representing your company and make the information easy to understand.
And finally, design for impact. Use bold visuals and brief, concise statements like Shopify: “One platform, every channel, any device.” Your goal isn’t just to inform, and your task isn't to be shy—you're there to leave an impression.
Who Should Do the Job?
A good, bright, resonating pitch deck opens doors, while a poor one leads to losing investment opportunities. So, you must learn how to make a good pitch deck and who exactly should do it.
Here are the main options.
Pitch Deck Template Tools
If you have a strict budget, using a ready-made pitch deck template may be a good solution.
Pre-designed pitch deck templates from services like Canva, Slidebean, or Envato can help you create an effective presentation. All in all, it's mostly about content and senses. However, without strong design and storytelling skills, your DIY deck may appear too weak to create the desired impact.
In-House Designer
If you already have an in-house designer, brand consistency and quicker iterations are advantages. However, with a pitch deck, effectiveness is much more important. Not all designers specialize in investor-focused presentations, so it's better to think twice before applying an easy solution.
Third-Party Designer
Hiring a professional agency or freelancer specializing in pitch decks may yield the highest quality results—if chosen well. If your candidate has successful examples in their portfolio, they probably know how to craft presentations that keep attention and build trust. While more expensive, it can be a time-saver compared with the DIY option and a game-changer in the battle for investors' interest.
Your choice depends on your budget, working style, and final expectations. A successful pitch deck isn’t just a presentation that many designers can make—it’s the first impression you can't make twice. Make it count.
How to Choose the Right Designer to Make a Pitch Deck
If you want to hire a contractor to design your pitch deck, choosing wisely is critical. Otherwise, it can become another presentation that won't make a difference.
Here's how to choose:
- Portfolio. First, do they have pitch decks? Second, do you like their styles? Then, dive deeper—check their works for storytelling, clarity, and ability to make ideas look simple and contagious.
- Knowledge. Jump on a call with them to ask about prices and terms and ascertain how much they know about pitch decks, their role in the fundraising process, and ways to make them effective.
- Audience. Whether you’re addressing data-driven VCs or narrative-focused angels and whether your market is more technical or 'soft,' the agency should choose the right tone and style to click with your audience's thoughts and emotions.
- Feedback. Client reviews tell a lot about an agency or designer. Look on their website—no one will put a negative review there—and on third-party platforms like Clutch.
Create Your Winning Pitch Deck With Us
The Lazarev agency specializes in user experience and B2B, so we know how to present complex ideas, and business is our home turf. We help startup founders design resonating pitch decks, and we’d love to create yours. Let's Talk
To Wrap It Up: Pitch Presentation Tips
- Use your first title slide to introduce your idea in a bright way and grab immediate attention.
- Present a burning problem, your product as the best solution, and the obtainable market opportunity with clarity and focus.
- Create confidence with the help of data: traction (if it exists), realistic financials, and a solid business model will help you demonstrate the real potential of your idea.
- Use clean, impactful visuals to support your storytelling and highlight the main points.
- Whether you are going to DIY or use professional help, make sure your deck meets the expectations of your potential investors.
A winning pitch deck doesn’t just tell—it sells. It shows investors why your vision is worth their time, trust, and capital.
Now you have all the pitch presentation tips, winning examples, and insights from this guide, which means you know how to make a pitch deck that stands out, and you’re ready to begin the journey. We wish you the best of luck with it!
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