Pitch Deck Tips from Sam Eisenberg of DesignForDecks

These takeaways come from a conversation with Sam Eisenberg, a serial entrepreneur, marathon runner, and inspiring leader. He’s also a top authority on startup pitch decks, and startups collectively raised billions of dollars with the pitch decks he helped design and craft with his company DesignForDecks. Here are some important takeaways that came up in our conversation: Know Your Deck’s Purpose: - Before you start, clarify the purpose of your deck. Is it a teaser to generate interest? Is it for a live presentation at a pitch competition or a one-on-one with a potential investor? Understand the aim to curate content effectively. Answer the 3 Most Critical Questions in an investor’s mind: - Why is this a problem worth solving?: Ensure you drive home the importance of the issue at hand. Convey the magnitude of the problem in terms relatable to an investor, be it in terms of dollars, hours, manpower, or any tangible metric. - Why are we the right fit?: Why is your team the most qualified to solve this problem? Highlight your team’s unique strengths, industry-relevant experience, and past successes. If the team is less seasoned, emphasize the distinctiveness of your solution. - Why now?: Convey the timeliness of your venture. Why is now the optimal moment for your solution to hit the market and for investors to get on board? Craft a Clear Narrative: - Whether it’s a teaser or a full presentation, your deck should weave a coherent story, highlighting your strengths and addressing potential concerns proactively. Tailor to Your Audience: - If you’re reaching out to a specific investor or accelerator, do your homework. Many top-tier investors provide guidelines on the format and content they prefer. Adhering to these can set your deck apart from the rest. Visuals Really Do Matter: - Investors sift through countless decks. Make yours memorable with clean, clear, and compelling visuals. Avoid the pitfalls of dense text and poor color choices. Your visuals should complement and amplify your message, not detract from it. Even if only subconsciously, investors (and anyone else seeing your deck for that matter) will sense whether your deck has a clean or sloppy design. A neat pitch deck makes you look like a pro, while a sloppy design makes you look, well, sloppy. That being said, working on the deck design is the last step, after the narrative and content are already agreed upon and structured. Having a strong, well-designed deck that tells a compelling and clear narrative, will increase your chances of achieving your goals. Make sure you get it right, and consider having some professional support from an expert on the subject.