Outline your investor narrative before creating slides

Great pitch decks tell a compelling story: problem, evidence, solution. Start by sketching this narrative arc, then use AI prompts to help build clear slides that support it. Make sure you keep track of your fundraising roadshow and stay organized with the right productivity tool.

  • Profile your target investors. Match tone, market stage, and vertical to each investor’s focus. Imagine you are a VC analyst. Identify ideal investors for a Seed B2B SaaS round. Inputs: sector=[Cybersecurity], geo=[US], check_size=[$1–$3M], theses=[DevSecOps, AI-driven detection]. Output: 6 firms, their fit, partners, past deals, typical traction, red flags. Table format: Firm | Why Fit | Partner | Example Deal | Traction Required | Red Flags. Max 20 words per cell. Use public data and add links.

  • Craft your one-sentence story. Clearly state who’s affected, what your product does, and why now matters. Take the role of a messaging strategist. Write a plain-English summary of your SaaS. Inputs: customer=[mid-market finance teams], pain=[slow compliance reviews], shift=[real-time audits], outcome=[faster closes]. 22 words max, straightforward. Include who, what, and urgency. No jargon or buzzwords.

  • Highlight essential metrics. Decide which data points to emphasize before designing any slides. Play data PM. Review Seed stage metrics and pick 6 proof points investors care about most. Inputs: ARR=[$480k], MoM_Growth=[12%], Churn_Monthly=[1.8%], NRR=[128%], Payback=[9 months], ICP=[healthcare SMB]. Output: Ranked list, metric, importance, and one potential risk (18 words or fewer each).

draft-saas-pitch-deck

Prompts for key pitch slides

  1. Problem Be a healthcare sector expert. Write a Problem slide for a B2B SaaS. Inputs: industry=[Healthcare], persona=[Clinic operations lead], current_tools=[email, spreadsheets], failure_cost=[$150/appointment], frequency=[daily]. Output: Title (≤5 words), 3 concise bullets (pain, consequence, urgency), 1 story (≤25 words), 1 verified metric and source. Concrete, testable, jargon-free.

  2. Solution Step in as a product marketer. Write your Solution slide. Inputs: product=[workflow automation], key_actions=[intake, verify, schedule], differentiation=[policy-aware automations], outcome=[cut admin time 40%]. Output: Title, 3-step visual story, before/after metric, and 1-sentence “why now.”Present with bullets and a mock graphic caption.

  3. Market (TAM/SAM/SOM)As a market modeler, calculate TAM/SAM/SOM bottom-up. Inputs: ICP=[US clinics 5–50 staff], count=[46,000], ARPA=[$3,600], reachable_year1=[12%]. Output: equations, calculated results, ±20% sensitivity, key assumptions, sources. Table format and a brief 3-sentence summary.

  4. Product Write as a product specialist. Show the workflow, not just features. Inputs: user_journey=[capture - validate - route - confirm], integrations=[EHR, Stripe], security=[SOC 2 Type II]. Output: Title, 4 numbered steps, icon suggestions, 1 technical moat, 1 measurable UX advantage. 14 words max per bullet.

  5. Traction Be the revenue analyst for your Traction slide. Inputs: ARR=[$480k], MoM=[12%], logos=, pilots=, NPS=, NRR=[128%], flagship=[MetroClinic]. Output: 6-month sparkline highlights, top 3 logos, one key case stat with source. Bullets for clarity and chart annotation summary.

  6. Business model As a pricing expert, build your Business Model slide. Inputs: pricing=[per-seat + usage], tiers=[Core $29, Pro $59], add-ons=[audit trail $99], gross_margin=[82%]. Output: revenue equation, mock invoice for 50 seats, margin breakdown, upsell levers. Table + 3 concise bullets. No filler.

  7. Go-to-market Act as GTM lead. Draft a Seed GTM slide. Inputs: ICP=[US clinics 10–100 staff], channels=[founder-led outbound, partnerships], ACV=[$12k], sales_cycle=[45 days]. Output: PLG vs sales motion, funnel with conversion goals, 3 initial hires, 2 partners, CAC and payback targets. ≤16 words/bullet.

  8. Competition Map your Competition slide as a category expert. Inputs: incumbents=[Athenahealth, Kareo], adjacent=[Zapier, Monday], status_quo=[spreadsheets]. Output: 2x2 matrix (Urgency vs Specialization), competitor positioning, top 3 differentiators. Provide: table and “why we win” (18 words max).

  9. Team As a recruiter, write a Team slide showing founder-market fit. Inputs: founders=[ex-EHR PM, ex-HIPAA auditor], wins=[startup exit, SOC 2], gaps=[sales lead]. Output: 3 credibility bullets, 1 risk + mitigation, next 2 hires. 15 words max. per bullet.

  10. Financials Prepare a simple 24‑month finance summary. Inputs: starting_ARR=[$480k], growth=[12% MoM next 6 months, then 8%], burn=[-$180k/mo], runway=[14 months]. Output: ARR curve, burn multiple, hiring table, cash-out, 2 scenarios. Table plus insights. Label assumptions.

  11. The ask Channel a fundraising coach for your Ask slide. Inputs: round=[$3M Seed], spend=[product, sales, compliance], goals=[$2M ARR, SOC 2, 30 logos]. Output: spend breakdown, charted milestones, main risks and mitigations. Each bullet ≤15 words; concrete and measurable.

Research prompts to strengthen your pitch

Support each claim with solid data. Compare numbers from at least two sources to increase confidence.

  • Market sizing cross-check. Act as a market researcher. Validate US clinic size with both bottom-up and top-down logic. Inputs: clinic_count=[46k], avg_seats=, ARPA=[$3.6k]. Output: Explain both methods with equations, results, confidence, and sources with URLs. Four bullets per approach.

  • Competitor pricing and features matrix. Be a competitor analyst. Make a feature x pricing comparison across 6 vendors. Inputs: names=[Athenahealth, Kareo, DrChrono, IntakeQ, Clipboard, Status_quo]. Output: CSV, Vendor, Plan, Price, Features, Gaps, Notes, Source. List 3 must-have differentiators. Keep all notes concise.

  • All-in-one vs best-of-breed positioning. Act as a category strategist. Clarify when clinics choose all‑in‑one tools over specialized options. Inputs: buyer=[clinic ops], constraints=[budget, compliance], integrations=[EHR, payments]. Output: 5 buying criteria, decision tree, single-line positioning statement. Keep it brief and actionable.

Design and formatting prompts that appeal to investors

  • Slide brevity and visual order. As a presentation designer, condense each slide to three bullets. Inputs: slide_titles=[Problem, Solution, Traction, Ask]. Output: Max 12 words per bullet, lead with evidence. Include a tight, 6-word slide title.

  • Chart clarity. Be a data storyteller. Turn raw performance into one clear chart per slide. Inputs: MRR (12 months), churn, NRR, payback. Output: chart type, axes, annotations, main takeaway per slide. No double axes.

  • Accessibility and readability standards. As a UX reviewer, check visual accessibility for a 16:9 deck. Output: minimum font size, margin, safe color pairs (WCAG AA), checklist with passes/fails, recommended fixes. Concise, actionable advice only.

Go-to-market and sales slides: practical prompts

  • ICP and messaging grid. As a sales strategist, build a profile and message map. Inputs: vertical=[healthcare], firmographics=[10–100 staff], buyer_roles=[ops lead, physician owner], triggers=[audit, backlog]. Output: pains, desired outcomes, objections, sample opener email, 30-second talk track.

  • 90-day outbound sales plan. Take the RevOps lead role. Map a founder-led outbound sprint for 90 days. Inputs: list_size=, reply_rate=[5%], meeting_rate=[30%], close_rate=[20%]. Output: weekly plan, performance benchmarks, messaging experiments, pipeline targets. Present in table format.

  • Pipeline-building partnerships. Step in as a channel manager. Suggest five partnership types and joint offers. Inputs: partners=[EHR vendors, billing firms], value=[co-marketing, data sync], constraints=[HIPAA]. Output: pitch, offer terms, and success measure per partner. 18 words max each.

Financials and metrics prompts investors trust

  • Unit economics health check. Act as a finance advisor. Test CAC, LTV, payback period using cohort logic. Inputs: ACV=[$12k], gross_margin=[82%], churn=[1.8%], expansion=[18%]. Output: formulas, numbers, go/no-go call and clear reasons. Five bullets or fewer.

  • Milestone-driven hiring plan. As a headcount planner, create a hiring schedule tied to milestones and cash. Inputs: milestones=[SOC 2, $2M ARR], runway=[14 months], roles=[AEs, SRE, Compliance]. Output: table (month, role, cost, KPI impact, delay risk) plus two clarifying notes.

  • Sensitivity scenario analysis. As a modeler, build Base, Upside, Downside financial outlook over 24 months. Inputs: start_ARR=[480k], growth=[12% to 8%], churn=[1.8%], CAC_change=[+20%]. Output: ARR, burn, cash-out date for each case, plus a mitigation for each risk.

Anticipate investor Q&A

  • Addressing major objections. As a VC partner, list five likely pushbacks with sharp answers. Inputs: stage=[Seed], sector=[Healthtech SaaS], risk=[compliance, go-to-market]. Output: Objection, concise 2-sentence reply, 1 evidence-based support. No vague claims.

  • Technical review prep. Be the CTO for diligence questions. Inputs: stack=[React, Node, Postgres], infra=[AWS], compliance=[SOC 2 Type II]. Output: 12 common technical questions plus answers, include SLA and data retention terms.

  • Downturn response plan. As the CFO, stress test your plan in a downturn. Inputs: pipeline_drop=[35%], discount_pressure=[15%], hiring_freeze=[yes]. Output: cash strategy, pricing tweaks, three cost cuts that don’t stall growth. Bullet points only.

  • Strategies for competitive moves. Be a strategist. Anticipate three likely moves from [competitor] and how you’ll counter. Inputs: competitor=[Athenahealth], moves=[price cut, bundling, FUD]. Output: response, planned timing, success metric for each, 14 words or less.

Evolve from draft to a strong first version

Generate your pitch slides using the above prompts. Review your narrative with three trusted investors and note repeated questions. Then refine your deck, tighten messages, replace shaky stats with verified numbers, and remove any slide that repeats information. Finish with a sharply defined Ask and a clear, convincing roadmap for hitting your milestones. To stay disciplined throughout this process, manage your workflow and investor follow-ups with Routine.

FAQ

How do I identify the right investors for my startup?

Understanding the specific focus and requirements of potential investors is key. Match your startup's market stage, industry vertical, and product nuances to the investor's interests to ensure alignment and mitigate ensuing rejection risks.

What makes a compelling one-sentence story for a pitch deck?

A successful one-liner clearly communicates the core problem, solution, and urgency without jargon. Failing to convey urgency or relevance can result in lost investor interest before your pitch even unfolds.

Why is highlighting essential metrics crucial before creating slides?

Essential metrics provide a snapshot of the startup's health and growth potential. Omitting these can suggest a lack of transparency or strategic direction, which investors will interpret as red flags.

How can I ensure my pitch slides are visually effective?

Each slide should focus on clarity, concise information, and minimalistic but meaningful visuals to avoid clutter. Overloading slides with data can obscure key messages, diffusing the impact of your pitch.

What should founders do to prepare for investor Q&A sessions?

Anticipate tough questions, especially around risks like compliance and market strategy. Unpreparedness will undermine confidence; use data-driven responses to reinforce credibility and demonstrate problem-solving capabilities.

Why is it important to refine and iterate the pitch deck after initial feedback?

Feedback from potential investors reveals perspectives you might not have considered. Ignoring this step could mean presenting a pitch that lacks resonance or omits critical information, ultimately wasting opportunities.