Determining the optimal length of pitch deck

A pitch deck is a visual presentation used in various business scenarios. It is designed to showcase a business, startup, or project to potential investors, partners, or stakeholders. Pitch deck slides highlight essential information, aiming to craft a compelling narrative that demonstrates the project’s viability and potential for success. The goal is to captivate the audience and persuade them of the value and promise of the venture. What types of pitch decks are most common?

• Investor pitch. It is used for startup fundraising. An investor presentation covers the problem you offer to solve and explains how you will do it. It also highlights important details like the business model, market opportunity, financial outlook, and team. The main goal is to show how the investors can benefit and why the business has strong potential for growth.
• Client presentation. It is used to win new clients or projects and must be specifically tailored for a particular client. Such a pitch often includes key information like benefits, features, pricing and case studies. The goal is to explain how your offerings can solve the client’s challenges in the best possible way or add value to their business.
• Sales pitch. This presentation type is focused on convincing potential customers to purchase a product or service. It emphasizes product features, benefits, competitive advantages, and customer testimonials to drive sales.
• Partnership pitch. This pitch showcases mutual benefits, collaborative opportunities, and how the partnership can create value for all parties. It is aimed at forming strategic alliances or partnerships.

If you analyze pitch decks of successful companies, you will quickly notice that they all differ in length. This is because there is no universal formula for pitch deck structure. Besides, its length often depends on a variety of factors.

• Industry norms. Different industries have their own slide count recommendations. For instance, tech startups often use shorter, catchy decks to quickly highlight innovation and market potential. On the other hand, industries like real estate or manufacturing require a more detailed presentation.
• Audience. Think about who will be viewing your pitch. If your audience is well-versed in your niche, they will appreciate a more in-depth presentation. For example, seasoned investors in the tech sector like detailed decks proving technical prowess.
• Business complexity. How complicated is your project? If your product or business model involves intricate details, you will probably need more slides to explain everything clearly. For instance, a startup developing a new technology platform may require additional slides to cover technical specifications.
• Business stage. Early-stage startups often keep things brief and focus on the core idea and potential. In contrast, established companies add more details on financials, market position, and growth plans. For example, a Series A funding pitch might present a vision and traction, but a Series C company should show detailed financial forecasts and scalability plans.
• Presentation style. Your personal style and preferences also matter. Some presenters opt for a more visual approach with fewer high-impact slides, and others tend to offer multiple slides with more details.

Remember, the goal is to create a pitch deck that effectively communicates your message and keeps your audience engaged.

Investor pitch length is a subject of endless debate among entrepreneurs and investors. The general consensus is to keep pitch decks concise, but a lot depends on funding rounds, too.

• Early-stage startups – a recommended pitch should contain 5-10 slides with the focus on the core idea, problem-solution fit, market opportunity, and initial traction.
• Series A startups can expand their pitches to 15-20 slides. They need to provide more detail on the team, financial projections, market analysis, and competitors.
• Later-stage startups’ pitches may be quite long – 20-30 slides. They require in-depth information on financials, market position, growth strategy, and partnerships.
• Established companies. 10-15 slides are usually enough. These should show key achievements, growth plans, and investment opportunities.

What do investors say?

While theory is nice to know, practical advice is invaluable. Investors review countless pitches each year. On average, a venture capitalist sees around 5,000 pitches annually. Out of these, they may take a closer look at 600 to 800 and finally decide to invest in just 0 to 2 deals!

Co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at Greylock Partners, Reid Hoffman, looks for concise and informative pitch decks. He values decks that clearly show the vision and market opportunity but acknowledges that more detailed information is also fine for complex business models. Greylock Partners invested $12.8 million in LinkedIn during its Series B funding round in 2004, thanks to this pitch. By the way, it contained 37 slides!

Andreessen Horowitz, an influential venture capital firm with an interest in early-stage technology companies, advocates effective storytelling in a pitch deck in addition to its conciseness. Slack received $42.75 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz during its Series B funding round in 2014. This investment was part of a larger $120 million round, which significantly helped Slack become a powerful communication platform.

Founder of AngelList, Naval Ravikant, prefers pitch decks of around 10-12 slides. He values clarity and believes that a short presentation lets investors quickly grasp the business opportunity. Uber is among his notable investments. However, the exact amount he personally invested is not publicly disclosed.

You may present your business in any way. However, investors expect some traditional information about your startup. So, what slides are must-have when pitching to investors?

• Introduction. Start with a brief overview of your company, your mission and vision.
• Problem-solution slide. Clearly outline the problem your business aims to solve and describe how you will do it.
• Market analysis slide. Describe the market size and potential for your solution. Include data and trends to support your claims.
• Business model. Explain how your company makes money. This could include pricing strategies, sales channels, and revenue streams.
• Traction. Share any milestones, customer testimonials, or key metrics that demonstrate your up-to-date progress.
• Competitor analysis. Do not underestimate the competition, and explain how you differentiate from them.
• Team. Introduce your team members with details on their relevant experience and expertise.
• Financial projections. Provide an overview of your finances, including revenue forecasts and funding needs.
• Investment ask and opportunity. Clearly state the investment you are seeking and how investors will benefit from your company.

If you want your deck to stand out, here are some simple yet effective tips for keeping it professional yet engaging.

• Keep it simple. Stick to the essentials. Present only the key points of your business idea, and avoid adding unnecessary details. Use straightforward language to make sure your audience understands your message quickly and clearly.
• Make it visually appealing. A great pitch deck isn’t just about words - it’s also about visual perception. Use clear, high-quality images and charts to make your points. Keep the design clean and attractive to grab and hold your audience’s attention.
• Use storytelling techniques. Your pitch deck flow should be like a story. Start with an engaging introduction, then guide your audience through the problem you’re solving and how you’re doing it. A good story makes your pitch memorable and persuasive.
• Keep consistent design. Your pitch deck should look professional. Use the same colors, fonts, and layout throughout the presentation. Consistent design helps reinforce your brand and makes your pitch easier to follow.

You may use a seemingly ideal pitch deck template; however, it is not a guarantee of success. Investors must catch perspective and charisma in your slides to want to know more about your business. So, sometimes, the length of the presentation moves into the background. Here are two successful cases to prove it:

Intercom’s first pitch deck helped the company secure $600K in 2011. The brief, 8-slide deck outlined their goal to create a CRM and messaging tool for SaaS companies. By March 2018, Intercom had raised $125M in Series D funding, reaching a $1.28B valuation. In February 2020, the company reported over $150M of annual revenue.

MySQL, an open-source database, raised $38 million before it was purchased by Sun Microsystems in 2008. Sun was later bought by Oracle for $7.4 billion. The 2003 Series B pitch deck from MySQL, shared by its former CEO, has an impressive length - 186 slides!

While pitch deck length is an important consideration, it is not the only determinant of success. The quality of the content, the clarity of your message, and audience engagement are equally crucial. A well-structured, informative, and visually appealing pitch deck has more chance of sparking an investor’s interest. The goal is not to pack as much information into as few slides as possible. Instead, you must deliver a clear and compelling message that encourages investors to support you.

However, while creating a pitch deck, don’t overlook the importance of design. If you encounter challenges, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! At DreamX, we specialize in guiding businesses through the complexities of pitch deck creation. From expert presentation tips to full-cycle pitch design, our team is ready to assist you every step of the way!