Timeline

• 1 second: Cover slide
• 3 seconds: First 3 slides (cover, problem, solution)
• 30 seconds: If you're lucky
• 3 minutes: If you're exceptional

Three Critical Slides

1. Cover: Clean design, one-line value proposition, no buzzwords
2. Problem: Clear, large, urgent -- with specific numbers
3. Solution: Directly answers the problem, with data and differentiation

What Investors Hate

• Unclear problems, long text, excessive bullet points, marketing language, exaggerated claims
• "Don't just throw big numbers. Explain how you calculated them."

Golden Rules

• "Simplicity beats complexity. Clarity beats creativity. Evidence beats promises. Numbers beat adjectives."
• The goal: get into the investor's "maybe" pile for a follow-up meeting.

30-Second Test

"Show someone your deck for 30 seconds. If they can't explain your business, refine your message."