Pitch Deck Examples + Slide-by-Slide Template Builder
The slides every startup pitch deck needs, in the order investors expect, examples of strong headlines for each, and a free builder that outlines your deck.
By Onward ScoutPublished 2 min read
Free tool · runs in your browser
Pitch deck outline builder
Fill in twelve short prompts. Get a ten-to-twelve slide pitch deck outline in the order investors expect, with one headline per slide that you can paste straight into your slides.
Nothing you type here is uploaded or stored by Onward Scout; the tool runs entirely in your browser.
A startup pitch deck tells one story in ten to twelve slides: title, problem, solution, why now, market, product, traction, business model, competition, team and the ask. The builder above turns twelve short prompts into a slide-by-slide outline with a headline for each slide.
What slides does a pitch deck need?
In short
Title and one-liner, problem, solution, why now, market size, product, traction, business model, competition, team, and the ask with use of funds. Each slide makes one point, stated in its headline, so the deck reads on its own without you in the room.
Order follows the investor's questions: what is it, why does it matter, why now, how big, does it work, how does it make money, why you, and what do you need. If a slide does not answer one of those, it belongs in the appendix.
What do strong pitch deck examples have in common?
In short
Headlines that state the point ("14 pharmacies, $4,200 MRR, growing 30% a month") instead of labels ("Traction"), one idea per slide, real numbers, a bottom-up market estimate and a specific ask. They are short enough to read in a few minutes.
| Slide | Weak headline | Strong headline |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | "The problem" | "Owners spend 30+ hours a month reconciling insurance payments" |
| Market | "Huge market" | "19,000 independent pharmacies × $3,600 a year = $68M" |
| Traction | "Traction" | "14 pharmacies, $4,200 MRR, up 30% month over month" |
| Ask | "Investment" | "Raising $1.5M to reach 300 pharmacies in 18 months" |
How long do investors spend on a pitch deck?
In short
Not long: a few minutes per deck. That is why headlines carry the story and why the traction and ask slides must be impossible to miss. Design for the skim, then add depth for the meeting.
DocSend's research found that investors spend less than 3 minutes reviewing pitch decks[DocSend]. YC's application guidance makes a related point about writing: the best answers are the most matter of fact and marketing-speak is treated as noise[Y Combinator, How to Apply]. The same applies to slides.
Where will you use your pitch deck?
In short
In investor emails and meetings, accelerator and competition applications, and grant or partner conversations. Keep one master deck, a short emailed version and a presenting version with fewer words; update traction monthly.
Accelerators often want the deck alongside written answers; our YC application drafter produces answers in the same plain style. Before you share numbers, model the round with the cap table calculator, so the ask on your last slide matches the ownership you are willing to give up. Accelerators remain a big early door: Brookings found US accelerators made a median investment of $100,000 in the startups they backed from 2005 to 2015[Brookings, 2016].
Frequently asked questions
How many slides should a pitch deck have?
Ten to twelve for a first meeting or an emailed deck. Put detail in an appendix or a separate data room rather than adding slides.
What is the most important slide in a pitch deck?
Traction, if you have it; the problem and solution if you do not. Investors look for evidence that customers want what you are building.
Should I send my pitch deck before the meeting?
Usually yes, as a link you can track rather than an attachment. Keep a slightly different presenting version with fewer words for live pitches.
Do accelerators ask for a pitch deck?
Many do, alongside written answers. The same deck can serve both if every slide has a clear headline that stands on its own.
Put your deck in front of the right programs and investors
Onward Scout matches your deck to accelerators, competitions and investors at your stage, and drafts each application for your approval.
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