Pitch Deck Outline Template
# [Product/Initiative] Pitch Deck
**Audience:** [Who will see this: execs, board, investors, internal stakeholders]
**Goal:** [What decision or action do you want]
**Duration:** [5 min / 10 min / 20 min presentation]
---
## Slide 1: Title
- Product/Initiative name
- Tagline or one-liner
- Date and presenter
---
## Slide 2: The Problem
**Key message:** [The problem is real, significant, and solvable]
Content:
- Who experiences this problem
- How painful is it (data or quote)
- Why existing solutions fall short
*Speaker notes: [What to emphasize verbally]*
---
## Slide 3: The Solution
**Key message:** [Our approach solves the problem in a unique way]
Content:
- What we're building (high level)
- How it addresses the problem
- Key capabilities (3-4 bullets max)
*Speaker notes: [What to emphasize verbally]*
---
## Slide 4: How It Works
**Key message:** [It's not magic—here's the mechanism]
Content:
- Simple diagram or flow
- 3-step user journey
- Screenshot or mockup if available
*Speaker notes: [Walk through the flow]*
---
## Slide 5: Market Opportunity
**Key message:** [This is a big enough opportunity to matter]
Content:
- Market size (TAM/SAM/SOM if relevant)
- Growth trends
- Why now (timing catalyst)
*Speaker notes: [Contextualize the numbers]*
---
## Slide 6: Traction / Validation
**Key message:** [This isn't just an idea—there's evidence it works]
Content:
- Customer testimonials or logos
- Key metrics (users, revenue, engagement)
- Pilots or beta results
*Speaker notes: [Tell the story behind the numbers]*
---
## Slide 7: Competitive Landscape
**Key message:** [We have a defensible position]
Content:
- 2x2 matrix or comparison table
- Key differentiators
- Why we win
*Speaker notes: [Be honest about competition, confident about positioning]*
---
## Slide 8: Business Model
**Key message:** [Here's how this makes/saves money]
Content:
- Pricing model
- Revenue projections (if applicable)
- Unit economics
*Speaker notes: [Keep it simple, be ready for questions]*
---
## Slide 9: Roadmap / Timeline
**Key message:** [We have a clear path forward]
Content:
- Phase 1 / Phase 2 / Phase 3 milestones
- Key dates and deliverables
- Dependencies or risks
*Speaker notes: [Focus on next 2-3 quarters]*
---
## Slide 10: The Ask
**Key message:** [Here's what we need from you]
Content:
- Specific request (budget, resources, approval, feedback)
- What happens if approved
- Timeline for decision
*Speaker notes: [Be direct—don't bury the ask]*
---
## Appendix (optional)
- Detailed financials
- Technical architecture
- Additional customer research
- Team biosAdapting by Audience
For Executives
- Lead with business impact
- Keep technical details in appendix
- Focus on decision points
- 5-10 slides max
For Board/Investors
- Emphasize market opportunity
- Include competitive moat
- Show traction metrics
- End with clear ask
For Engineering/Technical
- More detail on how it works
- Architecture considerations
- Technical risks and mitigations
- Resource requirements
For Cross-Functional Teams
- Focus on their role/impact
- Clear timeline and dependencies
- What you need from them
- How success is measured
Required Inputs
- What you're pitching — Product, feature, initiative
- Audience — Who decides, who influences
- Goal — Approval, budget, resources, awareness
- Key selling points — Why this matters
- The ask — What specifically do you need
Design Principles
- One idea per slide — If you need to explain, it's too complex
- Less text, more visuals — Slides support you, they don't replace you
- Tell a story — Problem → Solution → Evidence → Ask
- Anticipate questions — Have appendix slides ready
- Practice the transitions — How each slide connects to the next