What are the best ways to help a startup refine their pitch deck for investors?

Firstly, your 1st pitch deck is never perfect; always 'test' it out on less important stakeholders/investors first before you move on to more important ones. Secondly, it really helps if you're or have experience on the buy side too so that you know what they're on the lookout for. Hence, if you don't have experience, start to get yourself (in)vested into PE/VC deals.

Follow the old saying “perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”. Focus on the core of your pitch, keep it short and simple

Before you even pitch to a VC, make sure you research who they are what they’re investing in and what’s the preferred check size. If the information is not available don’t be worried about reaching out to them and asking the questions.

To refine a startup's pitch deck for investors, focus on the problem and unique solution, tailor the content to the audience, and use clear, jargon-free language. Highlight your team's expertise and the market potential with relevant research. Include realistic financial projections and specific funding needs. Use a clean, professional design with engaging visuals like charts and graphics. Practice your pitch for smooth delivery and anticipate investor questions. Finally, seek feedback from mentors or peers to identify and improve weak areas. A successful pitch deck succinctly tells a compelling story about your startup’s potential and scalability.

En plus de personnaliser votre pitch deck pour différents investisseurs, n'oubliez pas d'incorporer une démonstration claire de la proposition de valeur de votre startup. Montrez comment votre solution résout un problème existant sur le marché. Lorsque les investisseurs voient non seulement la pertinence de votre produit, mais aussi son impact potentiel, cela renforce votre crédibilité et suscite un intérêt plus profond. Connectez l'émotion à la logique, offrant ainsi une vision complète et captivante de votre entreprise.

Tailor your pitch deck to the specific interests and expectations of your target investors. Understand their preferences, industry focus, and investment criteria to make your presentation more compelling.

Para mim não existe dica melhor do que: treinar, treinar e treinar. Além de pegar vídeos de pitchs já gravados de startups de setores parecidos que vão estar disponíveis no youtube.

1. Clearly define the problem and solution: Start by clearly articulating the problem that your startup aims to solve. Highlight the pain points experienced by your target market and demonstrate how your solution uniquely addresses these challenges. Ensure that your solution is presented in a concise and compelling manner, emphasizing its benefits and competitive advantages. 2. Develop a compelling value proposition: Investors are always seeking opportunities that offer exceptional returns. Clearly communicate the value proposition of your startup, highlighting the potential for revenue growth, market expansion, and scalability. Showcase your unique selling points and explain how your business model generates sustainable advantages.

When refining your pitch deck, tap into the psychology of your investors. Each investor has unique triggers and risk tolerances that go beyond the surface criteria. For instance, VCs may value market disruption as much as traction. Angel investors might look for a deep societal impact along with your personal story. Thus, craft a narrative that resonates with these deeper, often unspoken preferences. Also, use language that connects emotionally, not just technically. This creates a compelling pitch that engages investors on a more profound level, making your startup stand out in their minds.

For deep tech startups, pitch decks can be even more treacherous due to the complex nature of their problem and solution. They possess brilliant technological advancements but ones that are often difficult to articulate in just a few words or product images. When I work with deep tech startups, I often bring an industrial designer or children’s book illustrator to design their decks, skillfully transforming their ideas into stories that captivate potential investors. Humans are wired to absorb information from illustrated examples. That's because illustrations can distill complex ideas into digestible visual narratives that inspire confidence and understanding. They can be the secret weapon to your daunting pitch 🤫💥✍️

A longer deck doesn't always mean better. The majority of investors only spend 7-9 seconds on each slide of your deck. And there is a big drop-off rate after slides 5 - 6. That's your moment to impress the investors very captivating “why” is the problem and your unique insight on how you are going to solve that problem. Make sure you extra-validate the problem before presenting the deck.

Before you start filing a pitch deck with charts, graphs and text boxes, first take the time to write 8-10 bullet points telling your startup's story. These bullets answer the Who, What, Why, Why Now, and Why You, and How Big in addition to explaining your customer problem. Congratulations! Each bullet point is the header of a new slide. You can now fill the slide page with supporting evidence for each declarative statement made in the slide header. That way, if someone *only* reads the slide headers, they get the whole story in less than 30 seconds.

La clarté et la concision sont cruciales pour que les investisseurs comprennent rapidement votre proposition de valeur. Un message simple et percutant permet de captiver leur attention et facilite la mémorisation de votre présentation. Optez pour des explications directes, des visuels impactants et évitez les détails superflus. Un pitch deck efficace se concentre sur l’essentiel, laissant aux investisseurs une impression claire et positive de votre startup

Present your ideas clearly and concisely. Avoid jargon and unnecessary complexity. A straightforward and easily understandable pitch increases the likelihood of capturing investors' attention and interest. Visualization: Use a clean and visually appealing design for your pitch deck. Minimize text and emphasize key points through infographics or diagrams. For example, represent your business model with a simple flowchart. Short Video: Develop a concise video animation that explains your product or service in a visually engaging way. Focus on the core value proposition and how it addresses a specific problem in the market.

Ninguém está tão interessado no seu produto quanto você. Menos é mais. Evitar ficar querendo dar aula ou explicando demais é uma ótima dica.

A pitch deck isn't just about conveying information; it's about storytelling. Investors remember stories and experiences more than facts and figures. Create a narrative arc in your presentation. 1) Start with the problem in a way that evokes an emotional response. 2) Introduce your solution as a journey, not just a product. 3) Highlight the transformative impact of your solution, both for users and the market. Also, think about the 'why' behind your startup. Why does this problem need solving? Why are you the right person to do it? This emotional and narrative approach makes your pitch not just informative, but also memorable and impactful.

Sempre coloque fontes nas informações. Evite achismos e não fale jargões. O ideal é trazer dados que realmente fazem sentido dentro de uma história melhor e principalmente como eles se conectam com toda a tese que você está construíndo.

Demonstrate the validity of your business assumptions through market research, customer feedback, or successful pilot programs. Investors appreciate evidence-backed claims, so showcase how you've tested and validated key elements of your business model.

Show investors how you've adapted based on feedback, not just your initial assumptions. Highlight pivots and changes made in response to market and customer insights. This demonstrates resilience and adaptability. Investors value teams that are prepared to evolve with changing market dynamics. This approach proves you're not just data-driven, but also agile and forward-thinking.

Emphasize any achievements, milestones, or significant traction your startup has gained. This might include user acquisition, revenue growth, partnerships, or successful product launches. Traction builds confidence in your startup's viability and potential for success.

Articulate a compelling vision for the future of your startup. Clearly communicate your long-term goals, the problem you're solving, and how your solution aligns with market trends. Investors want to see a visionary perspective that extends beyond immediate challenges. Visualization: Develop a roadmap infographic outlining your long-term vision, key milestones, and growth projections. Use visuals to represent your startup's journey and future trajectory. Short Video: Create an animated video that paints a vivid picture of the future you envision. Use visuals to convey how your solution could evolve and impact the market over time.

Feedback is crucial for refining a startup's pitch deck, as it offers diverse perspectives and highlights areas needing improvement. It helps ensure the pitch is clear, compelling, and resonates with potential investors, addressing their concerns and interests. This process of receiving and integrating feedback is vital for accurately presenting the startup's value proposition and market potential. Don't just rely on your colleagues, share it will people who you think will challenge your idea - that's where the best feedback comes from.

Always bear in mind that VCs are trying to assess whether you (and co-founders) are capable of 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 ! Watching a pitch deck presentation is an opportunity to VCs to understand your views and beliefs, you assertivity, your biases, your understanding of how a business works. Yes, the product/service is important. But the fundamental part is your ability to transform that product/service in an a viable and sustainable business. VCs are asking: Can those guys really build a business? Can I trust them? Am I willing to be a minority shareholder in their company, probably for many years ahead?

There is no best way but have your deck reviewed by trusted peers who have done the do before. Refining means that you have to incorporate feedback particularly from those potential investors who have rejected you. Get information rather than the noisy "you're too early"... Your deck is telling a story about a problem, a market and how you will solve the former and make a dent into the latter...in short, how your vision will make money.