What Investors Want to See in a Pitch Deck: A Panel Discussion
How to Put Together A Pitch Deck That Investors Will Love
Founders and fund managers who are preparing a pitch deck and want to know what family offices and private investors look for first.
What this talk covers
A panel of investors each name what they want to see in a pitch deck. Randy wants reality, meaning numbers the founder can back up, plus bios of the team. Another panelist uses a people, process and product lens and says that if a founder cannot describe the product within 30 seconds, interest is gone. Projections should show a best case, a base case and a worst case.
The talk also covers vetting the people behind the deck. One panelist said some family offices hire investigators to review personal financials, because a company can end up used as a piggy bank. Another relies on groups like Family Office Club for due diligence and prefers funds holding many companies, such as one with 40. Two closing speakers asked for realistic proformas and for fewer adjectives and adverbs.
The 5 big lessons
- Back up every number. Randy says founders often cannot support the numbers in their pitch deck. He wants the deck to show reality and wants the founder to be able to prove each figure.
- Show the team with bios. Investors want to know who is running the business and what experience they bring. Bios on the team help build the trust needed before anyone gives money.
- Explain the product quickly. One panelist uses people, process and product as a checklist. If the product cannot be explained within 30 seconds, his attention is lost, and math-heavy explanations make it worse.
- Include best, base and worst cases. One panelist said he has never seen a proforma go down. Showing a best case, base case and worst case helps investors judge how far projections may stray from reality.
- Use facts, not flowery words. One speaker strongly dislikes adjectives and adverbs that carry no meaning. He looks for quantitative information instead, and another panelist asked for a level of reality in the proforma.
Quotes from the session
"Lots of times they cannot back up the numbers in the pitch deck. And then the other thing is, I want to see bios on the team."
"It's a beautiful sunny day every day of the week, and eventually it always rains."
"When people build up everything with these wonderful words that carry no meaning."
Facts and figures
- One panelist uses the people, process and product framework to judge a pitch deck.
- A founder who cannot describe the product within 30 seconds loses this investor's attention.
- One panelist said he prefers funds that hold many companies, and mentioned one with about 40.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: How to Put Together A Pitch Deck That Investors Will Love. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around fund structure options, investor due diligence and offering documents. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.
Related questions
- How long should an investor pitch deck be?Keep your investor pitch deck to about 10 to 19 pages.
- What is an investor teaser and what goes in it?An investor teaser is a one-page, one-sided PDF that tells an investor what your deal is and why it is compelling in two or three ways.
- What financial slides should a fund manager's deck include?A fund manager's deck should show the numbers an investor tests first.
Questions about this video
What should be in a pitch deck according to these investors?
They named financials, who is running the business, operations, projected returns, history and the team's experience. Bios on the team and numbers that can be backed up were stressed.
Why do investors want a worst case in the projections?
One panelist said that in his experience a proforma never goes down, and another said that eventually it always rains. Best, base and worst cases show how the plan holds up when results fall short.
Do investors check the people behind a deal?
One panelist said some family offices hire investigators to review personal financials. The concern is that a desperate owner may make desperate decisions or use the company as a piggy bank.
Put this into practice with the pitch deck grader. See all pitch decks resources.
