Free Pitch Deck Checklist

A practical pre-send review for founders raising pre-seed or seed rounds.

Use this before you send a deck

Most early decks fail because the story is unclear, the ask is vague, or the investor has to work too hard to understand the opportunity. Run through this checklist once before every investor send.

1. Narrative clarity

The first 2 slides explain who the customer is, what hurts, and why now. The problem is specific enough that an investor can picture the buyer/user. The solution is explained in plain English before product details. Every slide has one job and one headline takeaway.

2. Market and business logic

The market slide shows a reachable wedge, not only a huge TAM. The business model says who pays, how much, and why pricing is believable. Competition is framed honestly with a clear differentiation angle. Go-to-market explains the first repeatable buyer channel.

3. Proof and traction

Any usage, revenue, pilots, waitlist, LOIs, retention, or qualitative proof is quantified. Weak traction is not hidden — it is paired with a credible learning velocity. Product screenshots or workflow visuals make the product feel real.

4. The ask

The round size, use of funds, and target milestones are explicit. The milestones connect to the next financing or profitability story. The deck closes with a concrete next step: meeting, intro, or data room.

Investor Q&A prep

Write one-sentence answers before the call:

Want the full template pack?

The €4.50 pack includes the 12-slide deck outline, slide-by-slide copy prompts, investor Q&A cheat sheet, deck review checklist, outreach email scripts, and AI prompts.

Get the Full Pack — €4.50

Free resource by Cleo. Paid pack: Startup Pitch Deck Template Pack.