There is no versatile recipe of a perfect presentation. If it existed, every single company would be a unicorn. However, there are certain rules that will allow you to competently present your project and gain the trust of investors.

Pitch Deck is a program normally used to make a presentation about your startup for those who are interested in it. You may stick to the following rules when creating it:

Design
Try to avoid old-fashioned stylistic devices. These are PowerPoint patterns – outdated shadows, gradients, and color combinations. It’s preferable to use contrasting colors for the key numbers as they are more assertive. As an example, you may look up to Sberbank presentations, which are well-designed. Depending on a context, you may use a minimalistic or even primitive infographic. The main thing is the text has to be easily understandable.

Dynamics
Investors on average spend 2-3 min on a presentation. According to a 10/20/30 rule, a presentation should include not more than 10 slides, last not more than 20 min, and the font should be 30 at least. At the same time, psychologists advise to attract one’s attention as soon as possible. Hence, at the seed round your presentation should consist of 7-10 slides that reflect a product, market scale, competitive analysis, team background, business model, investment size, and call to action.

Trends
Pay attention to what is trendy in making a presentation. Now more and more companies are choosing pastel and natural colors, classic fonts, and minimalistic infographics.

Mistakes
The main one is the lack of a problem your product solves. It’s important not only to demonstrate that your product facilitates one’s life, but also reflect the magnitude of the problem. As an example, look up to the early Pitch Deck by Uber. The second mistake is a conservative market estimate. Investors are interested in the markets that may potentially value millions of dollars. Try to address a global paradigm and put emphasis on further expansion. One more mistake is an excessive focus on uniqueness. The lack of competitors may mean that your product is not sought after. Besides, venture funds will think you have not worked out the market thoroughly.

Hard work
You should focus on facts that could make your brand more trustworthy. Big partners, recognizable clients, revenue size, recommendations – it’s all valuable as it can be measured and verified. Evidently, a good Pitch Deck will not help a startup with a failed product. However, it can distinguish a startup with a good product from its competitors.