Building A Startup Pitch Deck From Scratch Using Canva, Perplexity & Other AI Tools

Building a pitch deck from scratch can be one of the most daunting tasks for any entrepreneur. For me, despite having built several during my MBA, I always struggled to internalize the best practices. However, when it came to my startup, XENA, creating an effective pitch deck became crucial—it’s practically the bread and butter of our success. Here, I’ll share my journey and some valuable tips to make the process easier and more intuitive.

Understanding the Importance of a Pitch Deck

A pitch deck is more than just a presentation; it’s a story, a sales pitch, and a tool to win over investors. It needs to be clear, intuitive, and engaging to people who might not know anything about you or your business. As XENA prepares to raise another round of funding, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share my entire process—from the beginning to the end—of putting together a pitch deck.

Step 1: Gathering Your Thoughts

The first step in building a pitch deck is to write down as much as possible about your startup. You need a framework to translate your thoughts and ideas into an easy-to-digest format. One of the best resources I found was an article by Alex Iskold on startuphack.vc. In his article, Alex outlines 30 essential questions that investors typically ask startups, such as:

• Who are your customers?
• What’s unique about your solution?
• How much money are you trying to raise?

Using these questions as a framework, I created a Google Doc and spent about an hour typing out answers to each one. I didn’t worry too much about spelling or grammar at this stage; the goal was to get all my thoughts down on paper.

Step 2: Structuring Your Pitch Deck

Once you have all your answers, the next step is to structure them into a pitch deck. Thanks to my mentors, Jordan and Andrew from Texas, NY, I had a solid structure to follow. Here are the essential slides I included:

1. Logo and Introduction: Start with a simple slide featuring your company logo and a tagline.
2. Mission: Clearly state your startup’s mission. I used perplexity, an AI tool, to generate several mission statement options and refined them to best fit XENA’s vision.
3. Problem: Define the problem your startup is solving. Use real-world examples and media snippets to highlight the pain points.
4. Solution/Product: Explain how your product addresses the problem. Include key features and benefits.
5. Product Roadmap: Show the future of your product and its potential growth.
6. Business Model: Detail how your startup makes money. For XENA, it’s a mix of a fixed annual SaaS fee and a performance-based fee.
7. Unit Economics: Highlight your estimated customer lifetime value and acquisition costs.
8. Growth Strategy: Outline how you plan to grow your business.
9. Traction: Share key metrics that demonstrate your startup’s progress and potential.
10. Market Size: Provide data on your target market to show its potential.
11. Why Now: Explain why the timing is perfect for your startup.
12. Milestones: List significant achievements and milestones.
13. Summary and Ask: Summarize your pitch and state your funding needs.
14. Contact Information: End with a contact slide, featuring photos and personal touches to humanize your pitch.

Step 3: Design and Tools

Design plays a crucial role in making your pitch deck visually appealing and professional. I used Canva for its user-friendly interface and a variety of design elements. While choosing a template, I made sure it aligned with XENA’s branding—modifying colors and styles as needed.

Tips for Each Slide

• Introduction: Keep it simple and ensure your logo is prominent.
• Mission: Use a clear, concise statement. Personal stories can add a compelling touch.
• Problem: Make it relatable with headlines and data from credible sources.
• Solution: Focus on how your product directly solves the problem.
• Product Roadmap: Use timelines to show future growth.
• Business Model: Be clear and straightforward about how you make money.
• Unit Economics: Highlight key metrics to show financial health.
• Growth Strategy: Focus on proven channels and future plans.
• Traction: Use big, impressive numbers.
• Market Size: Include research and data to back up your claims.
• Why Now: Use current trends and market dynamics.
• Milestones: Show progress and future potential.
• Summary and Ask: Tie everything together and be specific about your funding needs.
• Contact Information: Add a personal touch with photos and stories.

Final Thoughts

Creating a pitch deck is a challenging but essential part of the startup journey. By following these steps and using the right tools, you can build a compelling and effective pitch deck that captures the essence of your startup and convinces investors of its potential. Remember, while this process worked for me, there’s always room for personalization and improvement.

I hope my journey and tips help you in your own pitch deck creation. Good luck, and may your startup reach new heights!

Akhil is the founder & CEO of Xena Intelligence - an AI growth platform for ecommerce brands.