Pitching to investors · Lesson 4
Building the deck narrative
Ten to twelve slides, one idea each, in an order that answers investor questions.
A pitch deck is a story, not a brochure. A reliable order: the problem, your solution, why now, market size, business model, traction, competition, go-to-market plan, team, financials, and the ask. Each slide makes one point, stated in its headline. A reader who only scans the headlines should still understand your case.
Write the headlines first, as full sentences: 'Clients cut approval time by half with our process' beats 'Our Solution'. Then add only the evidence that supports each headline — one chart, one quote, one number. Remove everything else.
Prepare two versions: a short one to send ahead (readable without you), and a presenting version with fewer words. Rehearse out loud until you can deliver the core story in three minutes. Most first meetings are decided early.
Example — Hypothetical: headline rewrite
Before: 'Traction'. After: 'Revenue grew from ₦8m to ₦31m in 12 months with two client referrals for every new project.' The second version does the investor's thinking for them.
Try this
Draft only the 11 slide headlines as full sentences. Read them aloud in order. Fix any that do not follow from the one before.
Reflect
If an investor remembered just one slide, which should it be — and is it currently your strongest?