Pitch Deck Creation Checklist

Pitch Deck Creation Checklist

A strong pitch deck can make or break your fundraising round. Use this checklist to ensure your deck covers everything investors expect to see, in the right order, with the right depth.

Slide-by-Slide Checklist

#### Slide 1: Title Slide

[ ] Company name and logo

[ ] One-line tagline or value proposition

[ ] Founder name(s) and contact info

[ ] Round details (e.g., "Seed Round - INR 3 Crore")

#### Slide 2: Problem Statement

[ ] Clearly defined problem with data points

[ ] Who faces this problem (target audience)

[ ] Current solutions and why they fail

[ ] Personal story or real example if possible

#### Slide 3: Solution

[ ] Your product/service in simple terms

[ ] Key features (max 3-4)

[ ] Screenshot or product demo visual

[ ] Why your solution is 10x better

#### Slide 4: Market Opportunity

[ ] TAM (Total Addressable Market)

[ ] SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market)

[ ] SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)

[ ] Market growth rate and trends

[ ] Source citations for all numbers

#### Slide 5: Business Model

[ ] How you make money (revenue streams)

[ ] Pricing structure

[ ] Unit economics (CAC, LTV, margins)

[ ] Path to profitability

#### Slide 6: Traction & Milestones

[ ] Key metrics (users, revenue, growth rate)

[ ] Month-over-month or quarter-over-quarter growth

[ ] Notable customers or partnerships

[ ] Product milestones achieved

#### Slide 7: Competitive Landscape

[ ] Competitor comparison matrix

[ ] Your unfair advantage or moat

[ ] Why you will win in this market

[ ] Positioning map (optional but effective)

#### Slide 8: Go-to-Market Strategy

[ ] Customer acquisition channels

[ ] Sales strategy (self-serve, sales-led, PLG)

[ ] Marketing plan highlights

[ ] Partnership strategy

#### Slide 9: Team

[ ] Founder photos and brief bios

[ ] Relevant experience and achievements

[ ] Key hires and their roles

[ ] Advisory board (if notable)

#### Slide 10: Financials

[ ] Revenue projections (3 years)

[ ] Key assumptions behind projections

[ ] Current burn rate and runway

[ ] Break-even timeline

#### Slide 11: The Ask

[ ] Amount you are raising

[ ] Use of funds breakdown (hiring, product, marketing, etc.)

[ ] Expected milestones with this capital

[ ] Timeline for the round

#### Slide 12: Appendix (Optional)

[ ] Detailed financial model

[ ] Additional product screenshots

[ ] Customer testimonials

[ ] Technical architecture (if relevant)

Design Best Practices

Keep it under 15 slides for the main deck

Use consistent fonts and colors (max 2-3 colors)

One key message per slide

Use visuals, charts, and graphs over text walls

Ensure readability at presentation distance

Include your logo on every slide

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Too much text on slides (use the notes section instead)

Unrealistic financial projections without clear assumptions

Ignoring competition or claiming "no competitors"

Missing unit economics

No clear ask or use of funds

Generic team slide without relevant experience

Outdated metrics or data

Formatting Tips

Save as PDF for email sharing (under 5MB)

Use 16:9 aspect ratio

Test on both projector and laptop screens

Have a short (5 min) and long (15 min) version ready