What is a pitch deck and how is it struc­tured?

A pitch deck is a concise present­a­tion that companies use to com­mu­nic­ate their business idea, business model and growth potential. It is es­pe­cially common in con­ver­sa­tions with investors. A com­pel­ling pitch deck relies on a clear narrative, relevant data and a logical structure.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a compact, usually slide-based present­a­tion that sum­mar­ises the most important in­form­a­tion about a company or a business idea. There is no fixed number of slides, but in practice a guideline of around 10 to 15 slides has become es­tab­lished. More important, however, is that the key points are com­mu­nic­ated clearly and the pitch deck sparks interest in engaging further with the project.

A con­vin­cing pitch deck combines clear core messages, solid in­form­a­tion and a coherent narrative thread. The pitch deck structure, level of detail and areas of emphasis should always be adapted to the specific target audience and the concrete occasion.

While the pitch deck refers to the visual present­a­tion that ac­com­pan­ies a pitch or can also be sent on its own, the pitch is the actual spoken present­a­tion and line of argument. A more compact version is the elevator pitch, where a business idea is conveyed in a very short time and usually without present­a­tion slides.

What are the goals of a pitch deck?

A good pitch deck does not need to answer every possible question. Its main purpose is to generate interest and provide a found­a­tion for further dis­cus­sion. To achieve this, it should:

• com­mu­nic­ate the business idea quickly and clearly
• explain the problem and the value of the proposed solution
• highlight market potential and growth op­por­tun­it­ies
• outline the business model and com­pet­it­ive landscape
• show the progress achieved so far
• demon­strate the strengths and expertise of the team
• for financing pitches, explain funding re­quire­ments and the next steps

The in­di­vidu­al slides should work together as a coherent whole. Rather than packing in as much in­form­a­tion as possible, it is more effective to focus on one clear key message per slide.

Who needs a pitch deck?

Pitch decks are es­pe­cially useful when a business idea or company needs to be presented con­vin­cingly in a short amount of time. Common use cases include:

What does the pitch deck structure look like?

There is no fixed order for a pitch deck. Instead, the pitch deck structure should create a logical line of argument. This can often be divided into eight content building blocks.

1. Introduce the company and business idea

At the beginning, it should be im­me­di­ately clear what the company offers and who it is aimed at. Alongside the company name and logo, a short sentence that defines the target audience and sum­mar­ises the main benefit is a good way to achieve this.

2. Highlight the need and business op­por­tun­ity

Next, describe the problem or need and explain why existing solutions are in­ad­equate. Figures, market data or insights from customer dis­cus­sions can help show how relevant the problem is. This is also a good op­por­tun­ity to explain why the timing is right for the business idea.

3. Show the benefits and how the solution works

Next, present the solution to the problem outlined above. Focus on the specific benefits, the USP and the key features of the product or service. Screen­shots, mock-ups or a simple process graphic can help il­lus­trate how the solution works.

4. Define the target audience and market potential

The market analysis should show who the offering is aimed at and how large the com­mer­cial op­por­tun­ity is. Market size estimates should be supported by credible sources and realistic as­sump­tions. For start-ups, it can also be useful to dis­tin­guish between the total market, the ad­dress­able market and the share that can real­ist­ic­ally be reached in the short term.

5. Explain the business model and market access

This section explains how the solution is expected to become a viable business. It can cover, for example:

• Revenue and pricing model
• Key revenue and cost drivers
• Sales channels
• Marketing channels
• Customer ac­quis­i­tion strategy

Together, these points should show who pays for the offering and how the company plans to reach its target audience.

6. Show market position and traction

A pitch deck should also show how the company is po­si­tioned within the com­pet­it­ive landscape. A com­pet­it­ive analysis can help identify the strengths and weak­nesses of existing offerings and clearly explain the company’s own po­s­i­tion­ing.

In addition, traction can strengthen the pitch. Examples include revenue, paying customers, recurring usage, pilot projects, customer retention or other relevant metrics. Reach figures such as downloads or follower numbers are most useful when they provide mean­ing­ful evidence of demand or actual usage.

7. Demon­strate the team’s ability to execute

When present­ing the team, focus on relevant skills and ex­per­i­ence rather than complete CVs. The key question is why this par­tic­u­lar team is well suited to solve the problem and drive the company forward.

8. Outline funding and next steps

In an investor deck, the final section should clearly state how much funding is required, how the capital will be used and which mile­stones it is expected to help achieve. The company’s long-term vision can provide a strong con­clu­sion to the overall narrative.

What could a short pitch deck look like?

The following pitch deck example shows one possible structure for the fictional SaaS start-up ‘Planly’, which provides staff schedul­ing software for small catering busi­nesses:

This pitch deck example is intended as a guide only. The content, order and scope should always be adapted to the company, its stage of de­vel­op­ment and the target audience.

How can AI help create a pitch deck?

Anyone who wants to create a pitch deck can now use gen­er­at­ive AI at several stages of the process. It is par­tic­u­larly useful for struc­tur­ing, con­dens­ing and refining existing in­form­a­tion. Typical use cases include:

• de­vel­op­ing an initial storyline based on company in­form­a­tion
• turning long passages into concise slide state­ments
• gen­er­at­ing al­tern­at­ive one-liners and headings
• adapting content for different target audiences
• creating initial layouts or slide drafts
• gen­er­at­ing images and de­vel­op­ing visu­al­isa­tion ideas
• identi­fy­ing re­pe­ti­tion or gaps in the argument
• sim­u­lat­ing potential questions from critical investors

AI should primarily be used as a working and drafting tool. Market sizes, com­pet­it­or data, company figures and financial in­form­a­tion should always be verified before use. Personal or con­fid­en­tial data should only be processed with AI if this complies with ap­plic­able data pro­tec­tion law, internal guidelines and the security and con­trac­tu­al con­di­tions of the service being used.

What mistakes should you avoid when creating a pitch deck?

Even strong business ideas can lose their impact if they are presented unclearly. Common mistakes include:

• too much text or multiple key messages on a single slide
• an unclear de­scrip­tion of the customer problem
• un­real­ist­ic­ally large or poorly sub­stan­ti­ated market forecasts
• no con­sid­er­a­tion of com­pet­it­ors or al­tern­at­ive solutions
• key figures whose relevance is not explained
• financial pro­jec­tions that are not backed up by plausible as­sump­tions
• unclear funding re­quire­ments
• generic AI-generated content with little con­nec­tion to the company
• in­suf­fi­cient ad­apt­a­tion to the target audience and present­a­tion context

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