investor-pitch-deck-builder
investor-pitch-deck-builder
Mission: Create a compelling investor pitch deck that tells your startup story, demonstrates market opportunity, proves traction, and makes a clear ask. Build a 10-15 slide deck that gets you meetings, progresses conversations, and closes rounds.
STEP 0: Pre-Generation Verification
Before generating HTML output, verify all placeholders are populated:
Score Banner Placeholders
-
{{COMPANY_NAME}}- Company name -
{{ROUND_NAME}}- Round type (Pre-Seed/Seed/Series A) -
{{TIMESTAMP}}- Generation timestamp -
{{RAISE_AMOUNT}}- Target raise amount (e.g., "$2.5M") -
{{VALUATION}}- Post-money valuation (e.g., "$12M") -
{{MRR}}- Current MRR (e.g., "$85K") -
{{TAM}}- Total addressable market (e.g., "$47B") -
{{SLIDE_COUNT}}- Number of slides (e.g., "12") -
{{PITCH_TIME}}- Target pitch time (e.g., "12 min")
Content Section Placeholders
-
{{EXEC_SUMMARY}}- 4 exec summary cards (pitch, ask, why now, milestones) -
{{SLIDE_CARDS}}- 12 slide preview cards with thumbnails -
{{SLIDE_DETAILS}}- Detailed content for key slides (problem, solution, traction) -
{{METRICS_CARDS}}- 4 traction metric cards -
{{COMPETITOR_MATRIX}}- 2x2 competitive positioning grid -
{{TEAM_CARDS}}- 3 team member cards -
{{FINANCIAL_TABLE}}- 5-year projection table -
{{FUNDS_CARDS}}- 4 use of funds breakdown cards -
{{DESIGN_CARDS}}- 4 design/storytelling guidance cards -
{{NEXT_STEPS}}- 6 prioritized next step items
Chart Data Placeholders
-
{{REVENUE_LABELS}}- JSON array of month labels -
{{REVENUE_DATA}}- JSON array of MRR values -
{{CUSTOMER_LABELS}}- JSON array of quarter labels -
{{CUSTOMER_DATA}}- JSON array of customer counts -
{{PROJECTION_LABELS}}- JSON array of year labels -
{{PROJECTION_DATA}}- JSON array of ARR projections -
{{FUNDS_LABELS}}- JSON array of fund category names -
{{FUNDS_DATA}}- JSON array of fund percentages
STEP 1: Detect Previous Context
Ideal Context (All Present):
- problem-validation-study → Problem statement, customer pain points
- customer-persona-builder → Target customer, market size
- product-positioning-expert → Unique value proposition, differentiation
- competitive-intelligence → Competitive landscape, competitive advantages
- revenue-model-builder → Business model, unit economics, pricing
- metrics-dashboard-designer → Traction metrics, KPIs, growth rate
- go-to-market-planner → GTM strategy, customer acquisition
- financial-model-architect → Financial projections, runway, ask amount
Partial Context (Some Present):
- problem-validation-study → Problem definition available
- revenue-model-builder → Business model available
- metrics-dashboard-designer → Traction data available
No Context:
- None of the above skills were run
STEP 2: Context-Adaptive Introduction
If Ideal Context:
I found outputs from problem-validation-study, customer-persona-builder, product-positioning-expert, competitive-intelligence, revenue-model-builder, metrics-dashboard-designer, go-to-market-planner, and financial-model-architect.
I can reuse:
- Problem statement ([X])
- Target customer ([Y])
- Value proposition ([Z])
- Competitive landscape (competitors: [A, B, C])
- Business model (revenue streams, pricing, unit economics)
- Traction metrics (MRR: [$X], growth: [Y% MoM], customers: [Z])
- GTM strategy (channels, CAC, LTV)
- Financial projections (revenue forecast, burn rate, runway)
Proceed with this data? [Yes/Start Fresh]
If Partial Context:
I found outputs from some upstream skills: [list which ones].
I can reuse: [list specific data available]
Proceed with this data, or start fresh?
If No Context:
No previous context detected.
I'll guide you through building your investor pitch deck from the ground up.
STEP 3: Questions (One at a Time, Sequential)
Pitch Deck Basics
Question PDB1: What round are you raising?
Fundraising Stage:
- ☐ Pre-Seed ($250K - $1M) — idea to MVP, finding product-market fit
- ☐ Seed ($1M - $5M) — product-market fit, scaling early traction
- ☐ Series A ($5M - $15M) — proven business model, scaling GTM
- ☐ Series B ($15M - $50M) — scaling operations, expanding markets
- ☐ Series C+ ($50M+) — mature company, aggressive growth or M&A
Your Round: [e.g., "Seed — raising $2.5M"]
Your Ask:
- Amount Raising: [e.g., "$2.5M"]
- Valuation (if applicable): [e.g., "$10M post-money valuation"]
- Use of Funds: [What will you use the money for? e.g., "60% product, 30% GTM, 10% ops"]
Question PDB2: What is your fundraising narrative?
The Story Arc (every great pitch follows this structure):
- Problem: The world has a problem (customer pain point)
- Solution: You've built something that solves it (product/service)
- Market: The opportunity is huge (TAM, SAM, SOM)
- Traction: You've proven it works (metrics, customers, revenue)
- Vision: You're going to win (competitive advantage, team, roadmap)
- Ask: You need capital to accelerate (how much, what for)
Your 1-Sentence Pitch (the "elevator pitch"):
- [e.g., "We're building the Stripe for construction, enabling $10T in transactions annually"]
Your 3-Sentence Pitch (the "Twitter pitch"):
- Problem: [e.g., "Construction companies waste 30% of project budgets on manual processes"]
- Solution: [e.g., "We automate procurement, invoicing, and payments in one platform"]
- Traction: [e.g., "We've processed $50M in transactions for 200+ contractors in 12 months"]
Slide-by-Slide Content
Question S1: TITLE SLIDE — What is your company tagline?
Title Slide Elements:
- Company Name: [Your company name]
- Tagline: [One sentence — what you do, for whom]
- Example: "Stripe for construction" or "Figma for data teams"
- Contact: [Your name, title, email]
- Round: [e.g., "Seed Round — $2.5M"]
Your Tagline: [e.g., "The operating system for construction teams"]
Question S2: PROBLEM SLIDE — What problem are you solving?
Problem Statement (3-5 bullet points):
- Keep it customer-centric (not "the market lacks X", but "customers struggle with X")
- Use concrete examples, stats, or quotes
- Show pain intensity (time wasted, money lost, frustration)
Example:
- "Construction companies waste 30% of project budgets on manual processes"
- "Project managers spend 10+ hours/week chasing invoices and approvals"
- "Payment delays cause cash flow issues for 70% of subcontractors"
Your Problem Statement (3-5 bullets):
- [Problem 1] — [stat or quote]
- [Problem 2] — [stat or quote]
- [Problem 3] — [stat or quote]
Visual (if available):
- Photo of frustrated customer
- Chart showing cost/time waste
- Quote from customer interview
Question S3: SOLUTION SLIDE — What is your solution?
Solution Statement (2-3 sentences):
- How do you solve the problem?
- What is your product/service?
- What makes it different/better?
Example:
- "BuildFlow automates procurement, invoicing, and payments for construction teams in one platform"
- "Contractors save 10+ hours/week and reduce payment delays by 80%"
Your Solution Statement:
- [2-3 sentences describing your product/service and impact]
Visual (critical for this slide):
- Product screenshot
- Product demo video (embedded or link)
- Before/After comparison
Key Features (3-5 bullet points):
- [Feature 1] — [What it does, why it matters]
- [Feature 2] — [What it does, why it matters]
- [Feature 3] — [What it does, why it matters]
Question S4: MARKET OPPORTUNITY — How big is the market?
Market Sizing (TAM, SAM, SOM):
-
TAM (Total Addressable Market): Total market demand for your solution (if everyone in the world who could use it, did use it)
- Example: "Construction industry = $10T global market"
-
SAM (Serviceable Available Market): Portion of TAM you can realistically target with your product/service
- Example: "U.S. commercial construction = $800B"
-
SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): Portion of SAM you can realistically capture in the next 3-5 years
- Example: "Targeting 5% of U.S. commercial construction = $40B"
Your Market Sizing:
- TAM: [e.g., "$10T global construction market"]
- SAM: [e.g., "$800B U.S. commercial construction"]
- SOM: [e.g., "$40B (5% of SAM) over next 5 years"]
Market Trends (2-3 bullet points):
- What tailwinds support your business? (e.g., "Digital transformation in construction accelerating post-COVID")
- [Trend 1]
- [Trend 2]
Visual: Concentric circles (TAM → SAM → SOM) or bar chart
Question S5: BUSINESS MODEL — How do you make money?
Revenue Model (1-2 sentences + pricing table):
Your Revenue Streams (choose 1-3):
- ☐ Subscription (SaaS): Monthly/annual recurring revenue
- ☐ Transaction Fee: % of GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)
- ☐ Marketplace: Commission on transactions
- ☐ Licensing: Per-user or per-deployment fee
- ☐ Freemium: Free tier + paid upgrades
- ☐ Usage-Based: Pay-per-API call, per-GB, etc.
- ☐ Services: Professional services, implementation, training
Your Primary Revenue Model: [e.g., "Subscription (SaaS) — $99/mo per user"]
Pricing Table (if applicable):
| Plan | Price | Target Customer |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/mo | Solo contractors |
| Pro | $299/mo | Small teams (5-20) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Large firms (50+) |
Unit Economics (critical for investors):
- ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): [$X/month]
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): [$X]
- LTV (Customer Lifetime Value): [$X]
- LTV:CAC Ratio: [X:1 — target 3:1 or higher]
- Gross Margin: [X% — target 70%+ for SaaS]
- Payback Period: [X months — target <12 months]
Your Unit Economics:
- ARPU: [$X]
- CAC: [$X]
- LTV: [$X]
- LTV:CAC: [X:1]
- Gross Margin: [X%]
Question S6: TRACTION SLIDE — What have you achieved so far?
Traction = Proof that your business is working (the most important slide for investors)
Traction Metrics (choose 3-5 that best demonstrate growth):
For Early-Stage (Pre-Seed, Seed):
- ☐ Revenue: MRR, ARR (e.g., "$50K MRR, 20% MoM growth")
- ☐ Customers: # of paying customers (e.g., "200 paying customers")
- ☐ User Growth: # of users, signups, activations (e.g., "5,000 users, 40% MoM growth")
- ☐ Product Metrics: DAU, WAU, MAU, retention (e.g., "D30 retention: 50%")
- ☐ GMV (for marketplaces): Gross Merchandise Value (e.g., "$50M GMV processed")
- ☐ Pilots/LOIs: Signed pilots or letters of intent (e.g., "10 enterprise pilots signed")
For Growth-Stage (Series A+):
- ☐ Revenue Growth: MRR/ARR growth chart (e.g., "ARR: $5M → $10M in 12 months")
- ☐ Customer Growth: Logo count (e.g., "500 → 1,200 customers in 12 months")
- ☐ Net Revenue Retention: NRR (e.g., "120% NRR — customers expanding")
- ☐ Market Share: % of target market captured (e.g., "5% market share in U.S.")
Your Traction Metrics (choose 3-5):
- [Metric 1] — [Value + growth rate]
- [Metric 2] — [Value + growth rate]
- [Metric 3] — [Value + growth rate]
Visual (critical):
- "Hockey stick" chart (revenue, users, or GMV over time)
- Cohort retention curve (if strong retention)
- Logo wall (if you have recognizable customers)
Milestones (recent achievements — 3-5 bullets):
- [Milestone 1] — e.g., "Launched product in Q1 2024"
- [Milestone 2] — e.g., "Hit $100K MRR in Q3 2024"
- [Milestone 3] — e.g., "Signed first Fortune 500 customer in Q4 2024"
Question S7: PRODUCT DEMO — How will you show your product?
Product Demo Options:
- ☐ Live Demo (during pitch — risky but impressive if it works)
- ☐ Video Demo (2-3 minutes — embedded in deck or link)
- ☐ Screenshots (3-5 key screens showing core workflows)
- ☐ Interactive Prototype (Figma, InVision link)
- ☐ No Demo (if product is too complex or too early)
Your Demo Approach: [Choose one]
Key Screenshots (if using screenshots — 3-5):
- [Screen 1] — [What it shows — e.g., "Dashboard: Real-time project overview"]
- [Screen 2] — [What it shows — e.g., "Invoicing: One-click payment approvals"]
- [Screen 3] — [What it shows — e.g., "Analytics: Budget tracking and forecasting"]
Demo Talking Points (what to highlight — 3-5):
- [Point 1] — e.g., "10x faster than manual spreadsheets"
- [Point 2] — e.g., "Real-time collaboration for distributed teams"
- [Point 3] — e.g., "Mobile-first for on-site usage"
Question S8: COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE — Who are your competitors?
Competitive Positioning (show 2-4 competitors + you):
Competitor 1: [Name — e.g., "Procore"]
- Strengths: [e.g., "Market leader, enterprise-focused"]
- Weaknesses: [e.g., "Expensive, complex, legacy UI"]
Competitor 2: [Name — e.g., "Buildertrend"]
- Strengths: [e.g., "Popular with residential builders"]
- Weaknesses: [e.g., "Limited features for commercial construction"]
Competitor 3: [Name — e.g., "Manual spreadsheets + QuickBooks"]
- Strengths: [e.g., "Familiar, low cost"]
- Weaknesses: [e.g., "Error-prone, time-consuming, no real-time collaboration"]
Your Company:
- Competitive Advantages (why you win — 3-5 bullets):
- [Advantage 1] — e.g., "10x faster implementation (days vs. months)"
- [Advantage 2] — e.g., "50% cheaper than incumbents"
- [Advantage 3] — e.g., "Mobile-first design for on-site teams"
Visual: 2x2 Matrix (plot you + competitors on two axes)
- Example axes: "Price" (low → high) vs. "Ease of Use" (hard → easy)
- You should be in the top-left or bottom-right (differentiated position)
Question S9: GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY — How do you acquire customers?
GTM Strategy (2-3 primary channels):
Your Channels (choose 2-4):
- ☐ Outbound Sales (cold email, cold calls, LinkedIn outreach)
- ☐ Inbound Marketing (content, SEO, paid ads)
- ☐ Product-Led Growth (free trial, freemium, viral loops)
- ☐ Partnerships (integrations, resellers, channel partners)
- ☐ Community / Word-of-Mouth (referrals, user communities)
- ☐ Events / Trade Shows (industry conferences, demos)
Your Primary GTM Channels (rank by importance):
- [Channel 1] — [e.g., "Outbound sales to commercial contractors"]
- [Channel 2] — [e.g., "Inbound marketing via content (SEO, case studies)"]
- [Channel 3] — [e.g., "Partnerships with construction software companies"]
GTM Metrics:
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): [$X]
- Sales Cycle: [X days/weeks/months]
- Conversion Rate: [X% from lead to customer]
- Payback Period: [X months]
Customer Acquisition Roadmap (next 12 months):
- Q1: [Goal — e.g., "Launch outbound sales team (2 AEs, 1 SDR)"]
- Q2: [Goal — e.g., "Launch SEO content strategy (50 articles)"]
- Q3: [Goal — e.g., "Sign 3 channel partnerships"]
- Q4: [Goal — e.g., "Hit $1M ARR"]
Question S10: TEAM SLIDE — Who is building this?
Team Members (3-6 people — founders + key hires):
Founder 1: [Name]
- Title: [e.g., "CEO & Co-Founder"]
- Background: [One sentence — previous company, relevant experience]
- Example: "Former VP Product at Stripe, built payments platform to $10B GMV"
- Why this person?: [What makes them uniquely qualified?]
Founder 2: [Name]
- Title: [e.g., "CTO & Co-Founder"]
- Background: [One sentence]
- Example: "Former Engineering Lead at Uber, scaled team from 5 to 50 engineers"
- Why this person?: [What makes them uniquely qualified?]
Key Hire 1: [Name — if applicable]
- Title: [e.g., "Head of Sales"]
- Background: [One sentence]
- Example: "Former VP Sales at Salesforce, closed $50M+ in ARR"
Your Team:
- [Founder 1] — [Name, Title, Background, Why]
- [Founder 2] — [Name, Title, Background, Why]
- [Key Hire 1] — [Name, Title, Background, Why]
Advisors / Investors (if you have notable ones):
- [Advisor 1] — [e.g., "Former CEO of [Company], now advising on GTM"]
- [Investor 1] — [e.g., "Sequoia Capital (Seed investor)"]
Visual: Headshots + LinkedIn logos (past companies)
Question S11: FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS — What are your financial projections?
Financial Projections (next 3-5 years):
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (ARR) | $500K | $2M | $8M | $20M | $50M |
| Customers | 200 | 600 | 2K | 5K | 10K |
| Gross Margin | 60% | 70% | 75% | 78% | 80% |
| Burn Rate (monthly) | $100K | $200K | $300K | $400K | — |
| Headcount | 10 | 25 | 60 | 120 | 200 |
Key Assumptions (3-5 bullets explaining your projections):
- [Assumption 1] — e.g., "Average customer spends $300/month"
- [Assumption 2] — e.g., "CAC of $1,000, 12-month payback period"
- [Assumption 3] — e.g., "80% annual retention, 120% net revenue retention"
Your Projections (fill in table above based on financial model)
Path to Profitability:
- When will you be cash-flow positive? [e.g., "Q4 2026"]
- When will you be profitable? [e.g., "2027"]
Question S12: THE ASK — What are you raising and what for?
The Ask (be specific):
Amount Raising: [e.g., "$2.5M Seed Round"]
Use of Funds (breakdown by category):
| Category | % of Funds | $ Amount | What For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product/Engineering | 50% | $1.25M | Hire 5 engineers, ship features X, Y, Z |
| Sales & Marketing | 35% | $875K | Hire 3 AEs, 2 SDRs, launch paid marketing |
| Operations | 10% | $250K | Hire COO, finance/legal, ops infrastructure |
| Runway/Buffer | 5% | $125K | 6-month buffer |
Milestones (what will you achieve with this capital — next 12-18 months):
- [Milestone 1] — e.g., "Hit $2M ARR (4x growth)"
- [Milestone 2] — e.g., "Expand from 200 → 1,000 customers"
- [Milestone 3] — e.g., "Launch enterprise tier and sign 10 enterprise customers"
- [Milestone 4] — e.g., "Build out GTM team (10 → 25 headcount)"
Runway (how long will this funding last?):
- [e.g., "18 months runway to Series A"]
Question S13: APPENDIX — What supporting slides will you include?
Appendix Slides (optional slides for Q&A or follow-up):
Common appendix slides:
- ☐ Customer Testimonials / Case Studies
- ☐ Product Roadmap (next 12 months)
- ☐ Detailed Financial Model (5-year P&L, cash flow)
- ☐ Market Research / Customer Validation (surveys, interviews)
- ☐ Competitive Analysis Deep Dive (feature comparison table)
- ☐ Go-to-Market Deep Dive (channel strategy, sales playbook)
- ☐ Technology / IP (architecture, patents, defensibility)
- ☐ Team Bios (extended backgrounds, advisors)
- ☐ Press / Media Coverage (articles, awards)
Your Appendix Slides (choose 3-5):
- [Slide 1] — e.g., "Customer testimonials from 3 enterprise customers"
- [Slide 2] — e.g., "12-month product roadmap"
- [Slide 3] — e.g., "Detailed 5-year financial model"
Pitch Deck Design & Storytelling
Question PDD1: What is your deck design approach?
Design Principles:
- Simple & Clean: Minimal text, lots of white space, large fonts
- Visual-First: Use charts, screenshots, photos (not walls of text)
- Consistent Branding: Use your brand colors, fonts, logo throughout
- One Idea Per Slide: Each slide should have one clear message
Design Tool:
- ☐ Google Slides (simple, collaborative, free)
- ☐ PowerPoint (professional, widely used)
- ☐ Keynote (Apple, best for design)
- ☐ Pitch (modern, built for pitch decks)
- ☐ Canva (templates, easy design)
- ☐ Custom (designer-made, fully branded)
Your Tool: [Choose one]
Template or Custom:
- ☐ Use template (e.g., Sequoia pitch deck template, YC pitch deck template)
- ☐ Custom design (hire designer, fully branded)
Question PDD2: How will you structure your narrative?
Narrative Arc (the story flow of your pitch):
- Hook (Title + Problem): Grab attention with a bold claim or surprising stat
- Setup (Problem + Market): Establish the pain and opportunity
- Solution (Solution + Product): Introduce your product as the hero
- Proof (Traction + Business Model): Show it's working
- Vision (Competitive + GTM + Team): Show you'll win
- Ask (Financials + Ask): Close with the opportunity to join you
Storytelling Tips:
- Start with a personal story (why did you start this company?)
- Use customer stories (real examples of impact)
- Show, don't tell (use visuals, demos, not text)
- End with a clear ask (don't make investors guess)
Your Opening Hook (first 30 seconds):
- [What will you say to grab attention? e.g., "Construction is a $10T industry that still runs on spreadsheets and paper. We're changing that."]
Implementation Roadmap
Question IR1: What is your pitch deck creation timeline?
Phase 1: Content (Week 1)
- Day 1-2: Gather data from upstream skills (problem, solution, market, traction, etc.)
- Day 3-4: Draft slide-by-slide content (bullet points, no design yet)
- Day 5: Review with co-founder/team, refine content
Phase 2: Design (Week 2)
- Day 1-2: Choose design tool and template (or hire designer)
- Day 3-4: Design slides (apply brand, add visuals, create charts)
- Day 5: Review with co-founder/team, refine design
Phase 3: Practice (Week 3)
- Day 1-2: Practice pitch with team (aim for 10-15 minutes)
- Day 3: Get feedback from advisors/mentors
- Day 4: Refine deck based on feedback
- Day 5: Final practice (record yourself, time yourself)
Phase 4: Send & Pitch (Week 4+)
- Week 4: Send deck to investors, book intro meetings
- Week 5+: Pitch investors, iterate based on questions/feedback
STEP 4: Generate Comprehensive Investor Pitch Deck
You will now receive a comprehensive document covering:
Section 1: Executive Summary
- Fundraising round and ask (e.g., "Seed — $2.5M")
- One-sentence pitch (elevator pitch)
- Three-sentence pitch (problem, solution, traction)
- Use of funds breakdown (product, GTM, ops)
Section 2: Slide-by-Slide Content
Slide 1: Title (company name, tagline, round, contact) Slide 2: Problem (3-5 customer pain points with stats/quotes) Slide 3: Solution (product description, key features, screenshots) Slide 4: Market Opportunity (TAM, SAM, SOM, market trends) Slide 5: Business Model (revenue streams, pricing, unit economics) Slide 6: Traction (key metrics, hockey stick chart, milestones) Slide 7: Product Demo (screenshots or video link) Slide 8: Competitive Landscape (2x2 matrix, competitive advantages) Slide 9: Go-to-Market (channels, CAC, sales cycle, roadmap) Slide 10: Team (founders, key hires, advisors, backgrounds) Slide 11: Financials (5-year projections, assumptions, path to profitability) Slide 12: The Ask (amount, use of funds, milestones, runway) Slide 13+: Appendix (testimonials, roadmap, detailed financials)
Section 3: Design & Storytelling
- Design principles (simple, visual-first, consistent, one idea per slide)
- Design tool and template choice
- Narrative arc (hook, setup, solution, proof, vision, ask)
- Opening hook (first 30 seconds)
- Storytelling tips (personal story, customer stories, show don't tell)
Section 4: Practice & Delivery
- Practice schedule (Week 1: Content, Week 2: Design, Week 3: Practice)
- Pitch timing (10-15 minutes for deck, 5-10 minutes for Q&A)
- Common investor questions and answers
- Follow-up materials (send deck, exec summary, data room access)
Section 5: Investor Outreach Strategy
- Target investor list (20-50 investors aligned with stage, sector, geography)
- Warm intro strategy (leverage network, mutual connections, advisors)
- Cold outreach (email template for cold outreach)
- Meeting progression (intro meeting → partner meeting → due diligence → term sheet)
Section 6: Next Steps
- Finalize deck this week
- Practice pitch with 3 advisors
- Build target investor list (20-50 names)
- Start outreach next week
STEP 5: Quality Review & Iteration
After generating the strategy, I will ask:
Quality Check:
- Does the deck tell a compelling story (problem → solution → traction → vision → ask)?
- Is the traction slide strong (hockey stick chart, clear metrics)?
- Are unit economics healthy (LTV:CAC > 3:1, gross margin > 70%)?
- Is the ask clear (amount, use of funds, milestones)?
- Is the design clean and visual (not text-heavy)?
- Can you pitch this deck in 10-15 minutes?
Iterate? [Yes — refine X / No — finalize]
STEP 6: Save & Next Steps
Once finalized, I will:
- Save the investor pitch deck content to your project folder
- Suggest running financial-model-architect next (to build detailed financial projections)
- Remind you to practice your pitch with advisors before investor meetings
8 Critical Guidelines for This Skill
-
Traction is the most important slide: Investors bet on momentum. Show clear, undeniable growth (hockey stick chart).
-
Problem > Solution: Spend more time on the problem than the solution. If the problem is painful enough, investors will want to hear your solution.
-
Show, don't tell: Use visuals (charts, screenshots, photos) instead of text. Investors want to see, not read.
-
Unit economics must make sense: LTV:CAC > 3:1, gross margin > 70%, payback < 12 months. If your economics don't work, fix them before fundraising.
-
Be specific with the ask: Don't say "raising $2-5M". Say "raising $2.5M at $10M post-money valuation for 18 months runway."
-
Team matters (especially early-stage): At pre-seed/seed, investors bet on the team more than the product. Show why you're uniquely qualified to win.
-
Pitch in 10-15 minutes: Investors have short attention spans. Practice until you can pitch the deck in 10-15 minutes, leaving time for Q&A.
-
Iterate based on feedback: After every pitch, note the questions investors ask. Update your deck to address those questions proactively.
Quality Checklist (Before Finalizing)
- Deck tells a clear story (problem → solution → market → traction → vision → ask)
- Problem slide has 3-5 specific customer pain points with stats/quotes
- Solution slide has product screenshots or demo video
- Market slide has TAM, SAM, SOM with sources
- Business model slide has unit economics (ARPU, CAC, LTV, LTV:CAC, gross margin)
- Traction slide has hockey stick chart with 3-5 key metrics
- Competitive slide has 2x2 matrix showing differentiation
- Team slide has founders + key hires with relevant backgrounds
- Financial slide has 3-5 year projections with key assumptions
- Ask slide is specific (amount, use of funds, milestones, runway)
- Design is clean and visual (not text-heavy)
- Deck can be pitched in 10-15 minutes
Integration with Other Skills
Upstream Skills (reuse data from):
- problem-validation-study → Problem statement, customer pain points, quotes
- customer-persona-builder → Target customer, market size (TAM/SAM/SOM)
- product-positioning-expert → Unique value proposition, differentiation, competitive advantages
- competitive-intelligence → Competitive landscape, competitor strengths/weaknesses
- revenue-model-builder → Business model, pricing, unit economics (ARPU, CAC, LTV, margins)
- metrics-dashboard-designer → Traction metrics (MRR, growth rate, retention, NPS)
- go-to-market-planner → GTM strategy, channels, customer acquisition roadmap
- financial-model-architect → Financial projections, burn rate, runway, path to profitability
- team → Founder backgrounds, key hires, advisors
Downstream Skills (use this data in):
- financial-model-architect → Detailed 5-year financial model for appendix
- investor-brief-writer → Executive summary for email outreach
- fundraising-strategy-planner → Investor outreach strategy, meeting progression
- operational-playbook-creator → Use of funds breakdown informs hiring and ops plan
HTML Editorial Template Reference
CRITICAL: When generating HTML output, you MUST read and follow the skeleton template files AND the verification checklist to maintain StratArts brand consistency.
Template Files to Read (IN ORDER)
-
Verification Checklist (MUST READ FIRST):
html-templates/VERIFICATION-CHECKLIST.md -
Base Template (shared structure):
html-templates/base-template.html -
Skill-Specific Template (content sections & charts):
html-templates/investor-pitch-deck-builder.html
How to Use Templates
- Read
VERIFICATION-CHECKLIST.mdfirst - contains canonical CSS patterns that MUST be copied exactly - Read
base-template.html- contains all shared CSS, layout structure, and Chart.js configuration - Read
investor-pitch-deck-builder.html- contains skill-specific content sections, CSS extensions, and chart scripts - Replace all
{{PLACEHOLDER}}markers with actual analysis data - Merge the skill-specific CSS into
{{SKILL_SPECIFIC_CSS}} - Merge the content sections into
{{CONTENT_SECTIONS}} - Merge the chart scripts into
{{CHART_SCRIPTS}}
HTML Output Verification
Before delivering the HTML report, verify:
Structure Verification
- Header follows canonical StratArts pattern with skill name and timestamp
- Score banner displays 6 key metrics (Raise, Valuation, MRR, TAM, Slides, Pitch Time)
- All 10 sections present with proper content
- Footer includes StratArts branding and regeneration guidance
Chart Verification (4 Charts Required)
- Revenue Growth Chart (Line) - MRR hockey stick over 12 months
- Customer Growth Chart (Bar) - Quarterly customer count
- 5-Year Projection Chart (Bar) - ARR by year
- Use of Funds Chart (Doughnut) - Fund allocation breakdown
Content Verification
- Executive summary covers pitch, ask, why now, milestones
- Slide overview shows all 12 slide thumbnails with titles
- Key slides have detailed content (problem, solution, traction at minimum)
- Traction metrics show 4 key metrics with growth indicators
- Competitive matrix is 2x2 with company in differentiated quadrant
- Team section includes 3 founders/key hires with bios
- Financial table shows 5-year projections (ARR, customers, margin, headcount)
- Use of funds breakdown totals 100% with descriptions
- Design section covers principles, narrative arc, opening hook, timeline
Visual Verification
- Dark theme applied (#0a0a0a background, #1a1a1a containers)
- Emerald accent (#10b981) used consistently
- Slide preview cards have proper 16:9 aspect ratio
- Charts render correctly with Chart.js v4.4.0
- All sections have proper spacing and visual hierarchy
End of Skill