2. OVERVIEW
• (Insert “wow!” descriptive text with a compelling
proposition, no more than ten words)
Note: Tips have been included in the
Notes section below. If you plan to
share this deck with prospective
investors you may want to remove
the tips from all of the slides in the
deck. You can also read my blog
post for more information.
3. PROBLEM / OPPORTUNITY
• (What searing pain do you cure?)
• (Or, what great opportunity do you tap?)
• (How many people/organizations feel this pain or
provide this opportunity?)
4. UNFAIR ADVANTAGES
• (Advantage 1)
• (Advantage 2)
• (Advantage 3)
• (How do you maintain unfair advantages?)
One-sentence “wow!” explaining exactly, tactically what you do. There should be no question about what business you are in and who your customer is after this sixty-second description.
Explain the pain you solve or opportunity you exploit
What makes you special? Why will you win? What are your unfair advantages? Why is the field tilted in your direction? It can be technology, relationships, founders. “We’re smart, hardworking, and really believe” doesn’t cut it. Everybody says that. Hightly unlikely that it’s patents too.
This is the place to do a demo. Ten minutes is long enough. Try not to get sucked into a long demo so you can’t finish your presentation.
How will you introduce your product or service? How will you achieve critical mass? Sorry but “we’ll go viral” isn’t a strategy. Neither is “word-of-mouth.”Tactics, tactics, tactics--not wishful thinking
Assume that the audience knows as much, and maybe more, about the segment as you do. If you say “we have no competition,” it usually means that you’re either (a) clueless or (b) addressing a market that doesn’t exist.The reason why you want to show what you can’t do is to build your crediblity. If you’ll admit how your competition is better than you, people are more likely to believe you when you discuss how you’re better than your competition.
How will you make money? Don’t show multiple revenue streams and don’t try to make the point that you’re inventing a new way to make money. Take your best shot and run with it. The most important thing to explain is the assumptions in your business model and how they determined the financial projections in the previous slide.
No one can forecast that far ahead, but people want to see your vision for how the company evolves. Be conservative—put up numbers that you are 90% confident that you can meet. But don’t say that you’re being conservative because you’re not—you’re pulling numbers out of the air and you have no idea what will happen.
3-4 key people. Highlights only. Use the logos of recognizable past employers. Do not list your accountant, law firm, and other vendors. You’re paying them. They’re not “investing” in you. If you’re going to list advisors, ensure that they are really well-known for the market you’re going after.
Where are you now? What are the next 2-3 big milestones?