An idea is worth millions only if you are able to highlight its true value to the investors. Every startup needs an investment to create wealth for all its stakeholders. Like business owners, all investors expect return on their investment. To succeed in securing funds for your startup, the idea must be able to capture and grow value for the business. Investors will always focus on the expected outcome of their investment and the potential of the business they are funding to create. So, your Idea-Stage Startup Pitch Deck must emphasize the expected returns, along with the excitement of building a business from scratch.

A successful startup pitch deck will get investors curious and enthusiastic about your idea, opening the door of investment for your business. This is only possible with a concise summary of your crucial business aspects and offering a ray of hope as one in a lifetime opportunity for the investors. It should aid in spotting a high-return and risk-mitigated investment prospect rather than a pure funding need.

We are listing common pitch deck mistakes, for a startup at the idea stage, to avoid which could prove detrimental to the success of your business.

  • Information overload – Presenting too much information makes the presentation dull and exhibits lack of confidence on the part of promoter. More than necessary slides in the pitch deck undermine the "value of content" and gives an impression to investors that there is no sharp vision. A concise deck has a clear structure and key information to keep time-constrained investors interested and looking for a next gold mine.
  • Hard to read text – Overuse of text, vague words and long paragraphs are a proven spoiler. Long paragraphs and too much text makes the deck look hard to read. It can make investors miss on critical information or develop a negative outlook for the business. Use tiled layout and crisp presentation to make your story work wonders for you.
  • Lack of visual appeal – A pitch deck that does not use striking images or visually brilliant infographics such as graphs and charts make data hard to decipher and difficult to understand. Visuals represent 90% of what comes to people’s mind, investors are human too. Use graphs, icons, and other visual elements to add zing to your presentation and impress your investors for a positive result.
  • Negligible use of Labels – Just as labelling provide identification to the product and helps your brand market its unique features. Not using labels in presentation make information appear disjointed and confuse your storyline. An impactful pitch deck use labels in slides to present a visually attractive piece of information, for investors to notice and understand the context. Labels give every slide of the deck a meaningful and specific role to play in the whole story.
  • Relying on unsubstantiated growth and financial projections – Investors always look for realistic, achievable numbers which are in line with the market. Using un-substantiated market growth and revenue numbers may excite the investors but lack of justification will defeat your purpose. The financial validation of future projections ensure that investors start assessing the potential of your business and consider the pitch deck as credible for investment.
  • Overuse of bullet points - The aim of bullets is to grab the attention of your audience and convey information clearly and quickly. Overuse of bullet points will detract the investors from the overall goal of fundraising. Use number of bullets so that every point counts and never use bullets for presenting an argument. Audience will not be able to process the content with indiscriminate use of bullets.
  • Overstating operational capabilities and financial power - Overly enthusiastic entrepreneurs tend to over-estimate the capabilities and business potential. Exaggerating your strengths in front of investors, gives an impression of over-confidence and can plant doubts in the mind of investors. Investors are experts in valuation and core business fundamentals drive their decision making. Their guiding principle is right money for the right business, authentic deck is one such priority.

Entrepreneurs know their business better and Investors understand the nuances of a right investment. AlphaValley with its experience of developing investment grade pitch decks for startups, ensure that we present your business potential in a manner most investors expect. A simple idea with a powerful story, devoid of above pitfalls, enhances your chances of getting a meeting with investors. Our experts are just a call away, to elevate your pitch deck and in turn your business to new heights of success. We do not err because verity is difficult to see. Make it amply visible to the investors, with AlphaValley.