55. Create a pitch deck that investors can read in seconds, because that may be all you get

Founders are often frustrated that, after struggling for weeks to perfect their pitch deck, investors just skim through it in a few seconds. Unfortunately, because they look at so many companies, they don't have a choice. I recently attended a webinar by Eric Bahn, GP and co-founder at Hustle Fund, where he talked about using better slide headlines to create a skimmable deck. His approach resonated with me, but I also had some additional thoughts on the topic. So, with his permission, I wrote this article to comment on and expand upon his concept.

I created some example slides to demonstrate this concept. Take a look at the blog to see them https://ftb.bz/55B

Eric suggests that the slide headlines should contain most of the vital information in the presentation. The contents of the slides only serve to support and amplify the titles. He advocates making the headlines complete sentences so that they can stand on their own. Furthermore, when read in order, they should create a comprehensible paragraph explaining the key aspects of the company and opportunity.

This approach also has the advantage of helping you organize your slides. For readers to follow your message, presentations must flow logically and smoothly from topic to topic. Using complete sentences as headlines makes it obvious when your deck has a problem. Logical progression failures often happen when a deck goes through many rounds of revisions. A slide that made sense in its original position now does not follow from the previous ones. Reading through the headlines can quickly show you where you need to make changes.

I encourage you to check out Eric's webinar. In addition to the presentation, he has extensive Q&A with the audience that helps explain the concept in more detail.

Eric Bahn’s webinar https://youtu.be/z7icuhqPq5s

Blog version of this episode: https://ftb.bz/55B

Video version https://ftb.bz/55V

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