- Investors spend only a few minutes on a deck; DocSend found average review time fell to under three minutes in 2022[1].
- Prepare the deck in the order investors expect, your key numbers from memory and a one-line answer to "what do you do?"
- In the room: problem before product, answer the question asked, then stop.
- Follow up within a day with the answers you owed. It is where many founders win or lose the second meeting.
Why preparation matters more than polish
Investors see a lot of companies. DocSend, which tracks how investors read decks shared through its platform, found that average time spent on a deck fell to just under three minutes in 2022[1]. In a meeting you may get 30 minutes, of which the first five decide how the rest goes.
That is not a reason to rush. It is a reason to prepare, because the founders who come across as sharp in those minutes are usually the ones who did the work beforehand.
A week before: the deck and the numbers
Put the deck in the order investors expect
Most investors are used to a familiar order: purpose, problem, solution, why now, market, product, traction, business model, competition, go to market, team and the ask. Sequoia's widely shared business plan outline follows much the same sequence[2], and Y Combinator's seed deck advice stresses a clear narrative over detail[3]. Our pitch deck guides by industry walk through each slide for your sector.
Know your numbers without looking
Revenue, growth rate, gross margin, burn, runway and the one metric that matters most for your sector. If you hesitate on these, investors wonder what else you have not looked at. Our pitch deck guides by industry list the numbers investors check in 20 sectors.
Research the investor
What stage do they invest in, what cheque size, which companies in your space have they backed? A founder who knows the investor's portfolio can explain why this deal fits it.
Two days before: rehearse out loud
Run the pitch out loud, with a timer, at least twice. Then ask someone to interrupt you with the hardest questions they can think of. Write down every question you struggled with and prepare a short, honest answer.
Prepare a one-line answer to "what do you do?" that a stranger would understand. If it needs a second sentence to make sense, keep working on it.
In the meeting
- Start with the problem and the customer, not the technology. Investors back markets and teams before they back features.
- Show the product early. A real screen or demo is more convincing than three slides describing it.
- Answer, then stop. Long answers that drift into other topics suggest you are not sure.
- Say "I don't know, I'll find out". It is far better than guessing. Write the question down where they can see you do it.
- Be clear about the ask. How much, on what terms if you know them, and what it buys in months and milestones.
Within a day: follow up
Send a short thank-you email the same day. Include answers to anything you could not answer in the meeting, a link to the deck, and one line on what happens next. Many investors read the deck again before deciding on a second meeting, often without you there to explain it. It has to stand on its own.
The deck still has to look like a company
When an investor forwards your deck to a partner, the deck speaks for you. A deck with a consistent design, the same colours and type as your product, and clear slide titles tells them the team is careful. A rushed, mismatched deck makes them wonder what else is rushed.