Let’s be honest – most founders don’t love fundraising. It’s time-consuming, high-stakes, and pulls you away from what you actually enjoy: building product and company momentum.

But fundraising is a skill like any other – one you can get better at. After helping 100+ startups raise from pre-seed to Series F, here are ten practical tips that will make your next raise feel a whole lot easier.

Originally published on the GBx blog, refreshed here with new insights.

1. Keep it concise

How many slides should there be in a pitch deck?

Aim for a pitch deck that's no more than 12-15 slides, and avoid packing each slide full of dense data and information. Investors have limited time and are inundated with pitches, so don't overload them with so much content they won't be able to digest your main message.

Remember: This is an introduction to your business, not a deep dive. Leave investors eager to ask questions so they can learn more.
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2. Use each slide to make a point that investors care about

How do you know what to include in your deck and what to leave out for follow up questions?

Put yourself in the shoes of the VCs who'll be reading the deck and cater to their need to build conviction about your startup. Ensure that each slide addresses a point investors care about by focusing on points that help them make an informed investment decision.

Ask yourself: "If I was investing in this business, what would I want to know? And what wouldn't I care about?" Build your deck accordingly.
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3. Build your story first, slides second

Should you design your pitch deck slides first or start with the narrative?

Many founders start building their pitch deck by creating slides. This can be a long and inefficient way of doing it.

Instead, focus on your narrative first and the slides later. Begin by developing your story in bullet point form in a Word document, answering the big questions you know investors will have. Refine it until it feels crystal clear and has a natural flow, and then move on to designing the slides.

Visuals can't mask a weak story, but a strong story overcomes weak visuals fairly easily.
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4. Use action-based headlines

Action headlines are a remarkably simple yet powerful technique I learned early in my career at McKinsey – but many decks miss this. Rather than non-descript titles such as "The Problem" and "The Market," use your headlines to convey a point, takeaway, or insight.

Example: We worked with a pet care telehealth startup, Airvet, whose first slide powerfully stated: "While pet ownership is booming, the veterinary industry is breaking." This set up a robust pitch about how their remote pet telehealth model would solve the lack of vet services in many American cities.

The takeaway: Don't use vague titles. Use headlines that convey your actual point.
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5. Don't bury the lede

I once had a teacher who would write “ATQ” on essays that didn’t “answer the question” adequately. This taught me the value of getting to the point quickly. It’s the same with pitch decks.

Early clarity sets the tone for the rest of your presentation. Within the first three slides, it should be crystal clear:

• Who you are
• What your business does
• Why this is compelling for investors

A pitch deck is not the place for suspense or a grand reveal.
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6. Don't be afraid to lean into emotion

What’s the right tone for a pitch deck?

Many pitch decks come across as academic. While it's important to have a strong basis of facts and analysis, remember:

The human brain is much better at remembering stories than data.

For instance, highlighting those late nights painfully spent manually solving a problem you're now solving with AI communicates how you, as the founder, are both uniquely qualified and driven by a burning desire to solve this problem.
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7. Nail the problem-solution setup

A strong problem-solution setup makes the rest of the deck easier to write, follow, and be persuaded by. Is the problem compelling? If so, then investors will be interested in your solution and how you plan to build a business around it.

Many decks describe problems too vaguely - "businesses need better software" doesn't cut it.

Ask yourself:

• Is the problem obviously painful?
• Is it currently unsolved?
• Will it lead to a large TAM?

If the answer is yes to all three, investors will be interested in your solution.
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8. Take your market sizing seriously

Many companies don't take market sizing seriously enough, resulting in numbers that aren't fully thought through and cause a founder to lose credibility. Conduct a logical, bottoms-up analysis of your market opportunity and avoid using random numbers from market research reports or adjacent market sizes that don't reflect your business model.

For example, if you're a takeout delivery company, your TAM isn't all food–or even all food sold by restaurants; it's specifically the portion of orders you'll capture as revenue via service fees.

As one VC from our SF Tech Week panel put it when speaking about exagerated projections:

"Don't overstate. It really reduces confidence. It's easy to check."

The approach: Conduct a logical, bottoms-up analysis. Apply your specific business model to the market size to identify your actual revenue opportunity.
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9. Highlight real traction

How can you show traction if you’re an early stage startup?

While revenue is the ultimate form of traction, it's not the only one. Other measures could include early customer logos, pipeline, product launches, key hires, partnerships, or any major accomplishments that demonstrate momentum.

Our SF Tech Week panelists emphasized this point:

"Go deep with early customers, not wide with vanity logos. Show you're strategic about first customers rather than collecting brand names."

Another investor added:

"Velocity of execution matters. Design partners loving your product - even before month-over-month sales translate - that's impressive."

The key: Show momentum that's authentic and verifiable.
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10. Be clear about your ask (and be bold!)

After all this hard work to build a product, build a company, build a deck, and get investors in the room to listen to you, you must stick the landing and be clear about what you want from them.

Be really specific about your ask and proposed use of funds:

• Why do you need this money?
• How will you use it to accelerate progress?
• What milestones will you hit over the next 12-18 months?

Finally, don't be intimidated by the process and try to enjoy it! Remember that VC pitches are tremendous learning opportunities for you as well. Each time you pitch, you should take something away that helps refine both your pitch and your company's strategy – think of it as free advice from experts who have looked at countless businesses in your space.
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