How to not suck at pitch decks.

Your deck probably needs a lot of work.

If I were a betting man, I’d bet that your pitch deck is mid af (Note for boomers: this is how GenZ says “boring and mediocre”). Conventional wisdom tells entrepreneurs to think of pitch decks as powerpoint business plans, but business plans are THE WORST kind of boring. But let’s be clear; conventional wisdom isn’t wrong, it simply doesn’t create a framework for how to create a GREAT deck. So, my friend whom I sincerely apologize to for calling your deck trash, let’s learn a quick lesson from modern marketing.

Over time, old-school advertisements on TV and Radio slowly evolved into mini movies that portray real life situations in funny or dramatic ways. This allowed brands to help more customers see themselves within the brand. If executed well, it’s an incredibly successful technique. Stale robotic advertisements are out, identity-based marketing is in.

Raising capital is no different. You are marketing to an investor who takes pride in their identity. If you want them to pay attention, you’ve got to make them see themselves in your pitch. On god, no cap. (Note for boomers: this how GenZ says “I swear this is true”)

If you’ve got a pitch deck filled with gold-standard slides that every investor expects to see, congratulations; you’ve done the bare minimum. Now your job is to keep them interested in those slides by making sure they can relate with your core truth. You can start by adding two new placeholder slides at the beginning of your deck.

In your first slide, show them that you are an authority with credibility. Give them a glimpse into the background of your team. Begin your story by helping them see themselves in you. A little credibility goes a long way.

In your second slide, show them that you are the truth teller. Give them a problem or a source of pain that they’ve DEFINITELY felt before. Declare a core truth that will leave them no choice but to agree with your position. Tell them something indisputable until you can clearly see them nodding their heads in agreement. Once they’re vibing with you and you’ve felt that brand alignment, they’ll be much more interested in deciding if they’re buying what you’re selling.

On each slide that follows, reaffirm your core truth in small but meaningful ways. Each slide should maintain focus on the gold standard of pitch decks, but slip in a statement that tethers the slide back to brand alignment. Remind them of that terrible problem you’re solving while you show them your plans to crush the market. If you can keep their heads nodding throughout the whole pitch, then congratulations; your deck isn’t trash!

Wishing you all the rizz 😉