∞Direct answer
Direct answer
Build a short deck around claims a reader can check. For each claim, show its source, date, scope, and gap. Use buyer words, product notes, and basic market facts. YC asks for clear problems, concrete benefits, and clear, useful progress numbers when you have them. [1] A deck can start a talk. It cannot prove a market or secure capital.
Start with four clear claims
A pre-seed deck has less proof than a later deck. Do not hide that. State the claim, then name the evidence. Keep facts, estimates, and plans apart.
YC says a seed deck should be clear and brief. Its template asks for a clear problem and concrete benefits. [1] Give each page one job.
A claim can be small. A team may say ten buyers described the same costly task. That is stronger than saying every buyer needs the product.
- Problem: who has it, when it happens, and what it costs.
- Product: what works now, shown by a dated record.
- Market: the buyer group, source, date, and method.
- Round: the next test that the cash will pay for.
Ground the market and buyer slides
The SBA says market research can confirm and improve an idea. It names demand, market size, place, saturation, and price as checks. [2] Use a source that fits the buyer group.
Put the source name, date, place, and scope in small type near a market number. Say how you made any estimate. Do not turn a wide industry total into your likely sales.
Keep buyer proof in a simple call log. The NSF uses buyer talks to help teams judge market potential. [3] A buyer call can show a problem. It does not show that all buyers will pay.
- Source link or file, with its access date.
- Buyer role and the market area covered.
- Method: public data, interview, survey, or test.
- Limit: the fact the source cannot show.
Make product and traction read correctly
Show what exists today. A test model, live product, pilot, and paid use differ. Name the stage and date.
YC says to show traction if you have it and to make numbers clear and useful. [1] Do not call sign-ups revenue. Do not call one pilot broad demand.
Put a note below each number. Say who counts, the time span, and where the data came from. Add a short note for one-time events and missing data.
- Metric name and plain meaning.
- Count, date range, and data owner.
- Buyer action behind the number.
- Known gap or reason the number may change.
Link the team and round to the next test
Keep the team slide close to the work. YC asks founders to explain why the team suits the problem. [1] Name relevant work, not many titles.
The use-of-funds slide should name one next test. It may pay for a build, pilot, safety check, or buyer test. State the work, owner, date, and result you will save.
Rules for raising money vary by place and method. The SEC lists several U.S. paths, including Regulation D, Regulation A, and crowdfunding. [4] Its page is for learning, not legal advice. Get expert advice for your offer and place.
- Risk left: what is not proved yet.
- Work: what the round is meant to fund.
- Record: the file or result you will keep.
- Boundary: what that result still will not prove.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many slides should a pre-seed deck have?
There is no fixed count. Keep the story short. YC treats the title as one slide and lets other topics use more space when needed. [1] Remove slides that do not support a clear claim.
Can I raise before I have revenue?
You can state that you have no revenue. Do not hide it. Show what you have instead, such as buyer research, a prototype, or a pilot plan. YC says to show traction if you have it. [1] No deck guarantees a round.
Does a large market number prove demand?
No. A market number can describe scope. It does not show that your buyer will act. The SBA suggests checking demand, price, competitors, and saturation as well. [2]
Should I put all proof in the deck?
No. Keep the deck easy to read. Save call notes, source files, product notes, and sums in a small proof pack. Share private files with care and when needed.
REF
Sources
- 1
Y Combinator
How to build your seed round pitch deck ↗ - 2
U.S. Small Business Administration
Market research and competitive analysis ↗ - 3
U.S. National Science Foundation
About I-Corps ↗ - 4
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Resources for Small Businesses ↗