Crypto, Web3 Pitch Deck Tips from a Blockchain Copywriter

A pitch deck is a presentation that entrepreneurs create when seeking financing from investors and VCs. Pitch decks are popularly used in the Web3 world, just like in the Web2 world. This popularity is because blockchain, NFT, and cryptocurrencies are novel technologies that most people don’t yet understand.

Furthermore, digital currencies and assets are volatile and unpredictable, meaning blockchain startup founders have to convince their investors that they can increase their investments. Fortunately, pitch decks contain the information the audience needs to understand and make an informed decision.

In his book, The Art of Startup Fundraising, Alejandro Cremades described that founders need two different pitch decks. One version will contain a lot of text and information you will share with people and freelancers via email.

The other version should be presented to core investors in person (or online) with more visuals as visuals help you hold the investors’ focus.

This article outlines the best steps to follow and the essential information to create a pitch deck that gets funded.

Keys to Powerful Pitch Decks

The three keys to powerful pitch decks are:

• Compelling
• Easy to read and act on
• Clear and simple

That said, below are the slides you want to include in your presentation.

What slides should I include in a Cryptocurrency/Blockchain startup pitch deck?

An average pitch deck should have a minimum of 10 slides and no more than 19 slides (my last client’s pitch deck was 20 pages).

Title Slide

The title slide is the first page of the pitch deck and one of the most important since it summarizes what you intend to present. In addition, the title draws the attention of your investors to your project’s purpose.

Therefore, the slide must be arranged to contain your brand name, logo, company slogan, and email address for investors who want to reach out. Also, ensure the logo used in this slide is duplicated on other pages of the slides.

Problem Slide

This slide explains the gap your blockchain solution is filling in the market. It is important to note that it has to be a painful problem that your target audience can relate to and has been trying to solve. Furthermore, you are only solving one problem. Not two or three. Focusing on one problem portrays you (and your co-founders) as focused and capable of solving that one problem.

I would recommend creating different slides for the problem and the solution so as not to overwhelm your readers in one slide. Note that when an investor gets involved with your project, it is either because of one of the following things:

• They have experienced the same problem in the past
• They understand the problems of the ecosystem
• They are sure of the ROI because they know there will be gains in solving the problem

If an investor falls inside any of (or) the buckets of interests cited above, that means you got a lead investor. Therefore, ensure you present the problems in a way that touches your readers’ emotions.

Solution

Your solution to the abovementioned problem (s) must be evident to your reader. In this slide, you have the freedom to talk about the space and how your product can help the space.

While working on this slide, research and highlight the major problems, then link them to your solutions. Then, list the already existing solutions and their shortcomings (if they have any).

It is also important to outline why you’re launching now. As you may know, timing is everything in business, and being at the right time in history is what matters.

Being too early or too late with your project can cause failure, which is what we don’t want. Also, avoid stating you are the only one doing this, being the pioneer in the industry.

As Mark Cuban puts it, at least 100 people have had the same idea before you and other companies tackling the problem with different approaches.

Market / Competition

One of the critical indicators of every business growth is the market it is in/competition available.

Why?

Because it determines the potential exit of the investor.

Generally, the crypto/blockchain market is attractive because it is currently $1trn, which means investors can expect better x returns. Additionally, a successful business must survive and dominate amid healthy competition.

As you may know, the crypto business is highly competitive as almost everyone wants to venture into it. Your pitch deck should clearly state your methods and strategies for beating the competition.

Basically, how will you stand out?

I recommend showing this info in a graph outlining past market growth and potential future growth so investors can quantify the upside and ROI of their investments. Also, back the information here with sources from research papers.

Traction / Metric

This is the slide where you’ll have to convince investors that your business can survive for an extended period. You can do this by showing your month-over-month growth of the business (e.g., revenue, metrics).

For example, accelerator programs like Y Combinator expect at least 15% month-over-month growth. However, avoid mentioning that if you’re very early or your growth is not that interesting.

You can also include your customer’s growth rate and the number of active social media followers om Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Doing this will help you with social proof.

Ask/Amount being raised.

While asking for funds, you want to be strategic.

Do not put the specific amount you want to raise. For example, if you want to raise $3 million, I would suggest putting the Amount in the range of $2 million and $6 million.

One reason for this is because firms usually have limitations on their investments which means if you place a particular amount ($3 million). That firm may be mandated not to invest over $3 million, so they’ll most likely pass.

By including the range from $3 million to $5 million on the raise amount, you also include such firms. Choose ranges instead of specific amounts to attract as many targets as possible. Then, give a detailed analysis of how you’ll spend the funds.

Team

The team is probably one of the most important slides in any pitch deck. This is because it displays the team working on the project. Your potential investors and readers want to know the people sailing the ship and what makes them unique.

So while creating this slide, highlight the two or three achievements and roles of every member in bullet points (roles and achievements relevant to the project’s success). If you have a large team, first name the important members of the team to avoid overcrowding the slide.

I believe if you have the right people on your team, your brand will enjoy the benefits.

If you (and your team) are first-time founders, put it out there. This will help you build trust, and there are undoubtedly investors who wouldn’t mind that. But, of course, this means they invest in your education, experience, and past mistakes. That’s okay, as it is part of the journey.

A Couple of Other Tips

Always ensure your slides are not crowded with unnecessary information and graphs.

Keep each slide simple, straight to the point, and use words your investors are familiar with.

Finally, do not hesitate to ask your investor if they have any questions about the project.

And that’s it for creating pitch decks!

I hope my tips were helpful and will help you create pitch decks that get the funding you need.

If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments.

Want to talk more about creating pitch decks, funding, blockchain, and copywriting?

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