Pitch Deck Patterns

Slide Structures

Seed Stage (10-12 slides)

1. Title + one-line hook
2. Problem (make them feel it)
3. Solution (clear, visual)
4. Demo/product (show, don't tell)
5. Market size (bottom-up TAM)
6. Business model (how you make money)
7. Traction (metrics, growth rate)
8. Competition (honest positioning)
9. Team (why you, specifically)
10. Ask (amount, use of funds, milestones)

Series A+ (12-15 slides)

Add: unit economics, go-to-market strategy, expansion plan, financial projections

Strategic/Partnership

Different structure entirely: shared problem, mutual value, specific proposal, timeline, next steps.

Slide Design Rules

One Idea Per Slide

If a slide needs "and also..." it's two slides. Complexity belongs in the appendix.

Headlines Are Insights, Not Labels

• Bad: "Revenue Growth"
• Good: "Revenue tripled after launching self-serve in March"
• The headline should carry the point even if nobody reads the body.

Data Storytelling

• Every chart needs an insight headline
• Annotate the specific data point that matters
• Remove gridlines, reduce axis labels, kill chart junk
• Use color to highlight the story, gray out the rest
• Left-align numbers in tables, right-align currency

Visual Consistency

• One font family throughout
• One accent color for emphasis
• Consistent chart styles (don't mix bar and pie randomly)
• Same layout grid across all slides
• Logo placement doesn't move

Text Reduction

Read your slide. Cut 50%. Read again. Cut 30% more. What remains should be speakable in 30 seconds.

Anti-Patterns

• Wall of text slides (this is a document, not a deck)
• Clip art or generic stock photos
• Busy backgrounds that compete with content
• Inconsistent formatting slide to slide
• Appendix items in the main deck
• More than 3 bullet points per slide
• Animations/transitions that add time without meaning