The Pitch Deck Library

Y Combinator's recommended lean seed deck keeps slides short and concrete so investors grasp the company in a few minutes. Use it when you are raising a first institutional round and want clarity over polish.

1. Title, company name, and one-line pitch
2. Problem
3. Solution
4. Product (how it works, with a quick demo or screenshots)
5. Traction and milestones
6. Market size and opportunity
7. Business model
8. Competition and unique insight
9. Team
10. The ask and use of funds

Sequoia's classic template frames the company as a clear narrative anchored by purpose and why now. Use it when you want a battle-tested structure investors instantly recognize.

1. Company purpose (a single declarative sentence)
2. Problem
3. Solution
4. Why now
5. Market potential
6. Competition and alternatives
7. Business model
8. Team
9. Financials
10. Vision

Guy Kawasaki's rule is ten slides, twenty minutes, and no font smaller than thirty points. Use it as a discipline to keep any pitch tight and skimmable.

1. Title and contact
2. Problem or opportunity
3. Value proposition
4. Underlying magic or technology
5. Business model
6. Go-to-market plan
7. Competitive analysis
8. Management team
9. Financial projections and key metrics
10. Current status, milestones, and the ask

At pre-seed there is little traction, so the deck sells the founder, the insight, and the plan. Use it when you are raising before product-market fit on conviction and credibility.

1. Title and one-line vision
2. The problem you keep seeing
3. Your insight or unfair founder-market fit
4. Solution concept and early prototype
5. Why now
6. Market and who hurts most
7. Early signal (waitlist, pilots, letters of intent)
8. Team and why you
9. Plan for the next 12 to 18 months
10. The ask and what it unlocks

A Series A deck must prove repeatable growth and a path to scale, not just a promising idea. Use it when you have product-market fit and need capital to expand a working engine.

1. Title and positioning statement
2. Problem and market context
3. Solution and product maturity
4. Traction and revenue growth
5. Key metrics and unit economics
6. Go-to-market engine and channels
7. Market size and expansion path
8. Competition and moat
9. Team and key hires
10. Financial model and projections
11. The ask and use of funds

A demo day deck is built for a two to three minute on-stage pitch to a room of investors. Use it when speed and a single memorable takeaway matter more than detail.

1. Company name, logo, and one memorable line
2. Problem stated in one breath
3. Solution in one breath
4. Live demo or product shot
5. Traction and growth rate
6. Market size
7. Business model
8. Team
9. The ask and how to reach you

A sales deck persuades a buyer to act now, leading with a market shift and stakes rather than your company. Use it for prospect meetings where the goal is a purchase decision, not investment.

1. Title and the change in the world (the big shift)
2. Stakes (winners and losers of that shift)
3. Promised land (your positioning)
4. Features as gifts that overcome obstacles
5. Evidence and proof points
6. Customer success stories
7. Pricing and packaging
8. Implementation and onboarding
9. Clear next step and call to action

This deck is built around a single story arc that moves from pain to resolution. Use it when your edge is a clearly articulated problem most people underestimate.

1. Title and hook
2. A relatable story that frames the problem
3. Why the problem matters and who feels it
4. Why current solutions fail
5. Your solution as the turning point
6. How it works
7. Proof it works (early traction or pilots)
8. Market opportunity
9. Team
10. The ask

When the numbers are strong, the deck leads with traction and lets momentum carry the story. Use it when growth and retention are your most convincing argument.

1. Title and headline metric
2. Traction front and center (growth chart)
3. Problem
4. Solution and product
5. Key metrics and cohorts
6. Revenue and unit economics
7. Go-to-market and acquisition channels
8. Market size
9. Competition
10. Team
11. The ask and use of funds

A vision-led deck sells an ambitious destination and positions today's product as the first step. Use it when the long-term opportunity is far larger than the current product.

1. Title and bold vision statement
2. The future you are building toward
3. Why the old way is broken
4. Your wedge into that future
5. Product today versus product tomorrow
6. Early traction as proof of direction
7. Market and how it expands over time
8. Why now and why us
9. Team
10. The ask and the milestones it funds

A SaaS deck centers the metrics investors scrutinize: recurring revenue, retention, and efficient growth. Use it when raising for a subscription software business with real data.

1. Title and positioning
2. Problem
3. Solution and product
4. ARR and growth rate
5. Net revenue retention and churn
6. CAC, LTV, and payback period
7. Sales efficiency and pipeline
8. Market size and expansion
9. Competition
10. Team
11. The ask and use of funds

A marketplace deck must explain both sides, liquidity, and how you overcome the cold-start problem. Use it when your business connects supply and demand and earns a take rate.

1. Title and one-line pitch
2. Problem for both sides of the market
3. Solution and how the marketplace works
4. Liquidity and matching dynamics
5. Traction by side (supply and demand)
6. Take rate and business model
7. Unit economics per transaction
8. Market size and GMV opportunity
9. Go-to-market and how you solve the cold start
10. Competition
11. Team
12. The ask

An enterprise deck addresses long sales cycles, procurement, security, and large account values. Use it when selling high-ACV software to organizations with multiple stakeholders.

1. Title and category positioning
2. Problem for the enterprise buyer
3. Solution and platform overview
4. Security, compliance, and integrations
5. Logos and reference customers
6. Land-and-expand motion and ACV
7. Sales cycle and pipeline metrics
8. Market size and ICP
9. Competition and switching costs
10. Team
11. The ask and use of funds

A one-pager or teaser condenses the entire opportunity onto a single page to spark interest. Use it for cold or warm outreach before earning a full pitch meeting.

1. Company name and one-line description
2. Problem in one or two sentences
3. Solution in one or two sentences
4. Traction highlights
5. Market opportunity
6. Business model
7. Team summary
8. The ask and contact details

A two-minute deck strips the pitch to the essentials you could deliver in an elevator. Use it for chance encounters, intros, and fast first conversations.

1. One-line pitch and what you do
2. The problem
3. Your solution
4. Why now
5. Early traction or proof
6. Market size
7. Team in one line
8. The ask

A product-led deck shows the product itself driving acquisition, activation, and expansion. Use it when self-serve adoption and usage metrics are your growth story.

1. Title and one-line pitch
2. Problem
3. Solution and the aha moment
4. Product demo and onboarding flow
5. Activation and engagement metrics
6. Bottom-up adoption and viral loops
7. Conversion from free to paid
8. Market size
9. Business model and pricing
10. Team
11. The ask

This concise update keeps current and prospective investors informed and engaged between raises. Use it monthly or quarterly to build trust before your next round.

1. Headline and reporting period
2. Key metrics versus last period
3. Wins this period
4. Challenges and lowlights
5. Product and roadmap progress
6. Hiring and team changes
7. Cash position and runway
8. Specific asks and how investors can help

Drawing on classic narrative structure, this deck persuades by taking the audience on a hero's journey toward a better future. Use it for high-stakes pitches where emotion and clarity must work together.

1. Open with the status quo and a disruptive shift
2. Raise the stakes of doing nothing
3. Introduce the promised land
4. Present your idea as the path there
5. Show evidence and credibility
6. Address the obstacles and objections
7. Paint the picture of success
8. Make a clear, specific call to action