vc-pitch-deck

Use the YC seed sequence: title, problem, solution, traction, metrics, insights, business model, market, team, ask. Write the narrative as 10-15 bullets where each bullet becomes one slide's title, and order the middle from most to least impressive.

There is no universal count; it depends on the artifact. Send-ahead teaser decks run 5-12 slides, presented decks 10-15, demo-day decks 5-7, and funded decks average around 19 pages. Pick by artifact and stage, not by dogma.

Include one headline metric plus 4-6 numbers maximum, a trajectory chart with time context, incremental figures beside cumulative ones, and one acknowledged weakness with its fix. Pre-revenue startups can substitute paid pilots, LOIs, or design partners from the proof stack.

It depends on relationship stage and leverage. A teaser avoids forwarding a full deck without context, but sending a thin teaser to an interested investor can convert interest into a pass. When an investor asks for more, send the most detailed deck available.

Top red flags include an unclear company description on slide 1, cumulative-only or double-axis charts, top-down TAM claims, GTM slides listing channels instead of one working strategy, and missing ask slides. About 70% of pitches never actually ask for money.

Do not use it for deciding round size, valuation, terms, or the fundraising narrative itself, which belong to a strategy skill, nor for investor lists, outreach, or meeting logistics. It only renders an existing narrative into the deck artifact and reviews decks.