1. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Template (From the book: The Start-up J Curve)The Start-up J Curve

2. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck General Deck Guidelines KISS – Keep It Simple. Be succinct. Don’t have more than 3-4 points per slide Don’t have anything on a slide that forces middle-aged men and women to squint. Skip fancy graphics Shoot for 15 slides total, no more than 20. It’s OK to leave some of the finer details out. You can elaborate in the ensuing discussion. Don’t read off your slides. Slides should illustrate the points you want to make, not serve as speaking notes.

3. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Company Purpose Explain your unique value proposition in one, preferably short, sentence. Weak example: We make the best damn widgets money can buy. Strong example: [Company name] makes widgets obsolete.

4. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck The Problem What is the problem that you are trying to solve for people? What is the pain of the customer? How does the customer handle this today? Personalize this if possible – How did this problem affect you personally?

5. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck The Solution What is your solution? Why is it so much better than the other available options? How will your product be used? Sample use cases.

6. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Why Now? Put your current/proposed product in historical context. Why wouldn’t it have worked before? Why will it work now? What recent technological trends and advances make it possible or more likely now?

7. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Market Size What is the profile of your target customer? What is the Total Addressable Market (TAM) and how do you define it? What is the projected market growth rate? What part of that market can you realistically obtain? Be reasonable!

8. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck The Competition What are your key competitive advantages? Make a chart with the competitors in columns and features in rows. Make a chart where the X and Y axis represent 2 key value propositions and position your company vs. the competitors.

9. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck The Product Explain the product, including key features and functionality Technology and any intellectual property Explain the product development roadmap Discuss any customer feedback to date

10. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Customer Acquisition What is the customer acquisition strategy? Define the acquisition channels What is the expected cost to acquire customers? Describe any customer traction to date and how you gained those customers.

11. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Business Model What is the expected business model? – How will the company earn revenue? Which financial and operational metrics are notable and what are they? – Unit economics including product costs – Customer acquisition cost – What is the expected customer lifetime value (LTV) – Customer retention, engagement and churn metrics – Overhead

12. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Team Specialties and key responsibilities of each team member List any previous industry experience Include any previous startup experience Board of Directors/Advisors

13. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Team Motivation Why does the team care about the problem? What motivated the founders to start the company What do the founders hope to achieve? How long do the founders want to do this?

14. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Current Situation List all key accomplishments to date State of the product Customer acquisition progress Staffing Near term goals

15. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Financials P&L with monthly columns going back one year or since inception Current and expected burn rate History of previous fundraising Cap table

16. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck The Deal The proposed deal structure for the financing Fundraising progress to date and status

17. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Use of Funds What key milestones will the investment allow the company to achieve What resources (people, assets) will the company need to achieve them How long the money is expected to last Timeline with key milestones

18. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck Post Presentation Demo the product, even if it’s a mockup Address any questions or concerns Inquire about interest level & average investment size. Discuss next steps

19. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck About The Start-up J Curve The Start-up J Curve is a book by Howard Love, who has founded or co-founded 15 start-ups and invested in over 50 companies. The book gives entrepreneurs a roadmap to help guide them through their start-up journey. Available at howardlove.com and amazon.com.

20. The Startup J Curve Perfect Pitch Deck More Info To download template, visit howardlove.com See Sequoia “Writing a Business Plan” at www.sequoiacap.com