Pitch deck design should follow your story, so founders should not pick a slide template first. The right order has four steps: define three key highlights investors must remember, build the storyline as a memo or sketch outside PowerPoint, create slides with content and scribbled visuals, and only then polish the design with purposeful visuals.
Many founders make the mistake of picking a slide template first and then forcing their content into it. That’s fatal. Your pitch doesn’t follow a template – it follows your story.
Here’s how to do it right:
1. 3 Highlights: Define your three key highlights for your overall case. These must stick in investors’ minds.
2. Storyline: Build the architecture of your story – but not in PowerPoint or Google Slides! Write it as a memo or sketch it in Miro, on paper, or on a whiteboard. Your story’s architecture needs to be designed based on the 3 highlights you came up with. They must be hammered into the investor’s brain.
3. Slides with content: Only now do you create your deck – with content and for visuals, start with scribbles
4. Design polish: Finally, make it visually stunning. Your deck needs to stand out – but with purpose! No useless stock photos. Every visual should reinforce your message.
Bottom line: Design follows your story, not the other way around. Start designing your storyline before you open up any presentation program.
Frequently asked questions
Should I start my pitch deck with a template?
No. Picking a slide template first and forcing content into it is a mistake. The pitch follows your story, so the storyline comes before any design.
How do I build a pitch deck storyline?
Define three key highlights that must stick in investors’ minds, then build the architecture of your story around them as a memo or a sketch in Miro, on paper or on a whiteboard, not in PowerPoint or Google Slides.
When should I work on pitch deck design?
Last. First come the highlights, the storyline and the slides with content and scribbled visuals. Then polish the design so every visual reinforces your message, with no useless stock photos.
