How to Make the CAC & LTV Slide [Practical Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- May 15
- 8 min read
Updated: Nov 27
Our client, Nicole, a VP of Growth, asked us an interesting question while we were building their CAC and LTV slide:
“How do we show CAC and LTV in a way that actually makes investors pay attention?”
Our Creative Director answered,
“By showing just enough to make them ask more.”
We work on many CAC and LTV slides throughout the year, especially for pitch decks, board decks, and fundraising narratives. And in the process, we’ve observed one common challenge: most founders either over-explain or under-prove.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to nail your CAC and LTV slide, the one metric slide that can make or break investor confidence.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Purpose of the CAC & LTV Slide in a Pitch Deck
The CAC & LTV slide shows whether your growth is sustainable. Investors want to see that acquiring customers costs less than the value they bring. The slide proves your customer economics make sense. It shows if your business can grow profitably.
Show the ratio
Clearly present LTV compared to CAC so investors immediately see if acquiring customers is profitable, ideally aiming for around 3:1.
Highlight trends
Include how CAC and LTV are changing over months or years to show growth efficiency or potential issues.
Explain assumptions
Briefly clarify what drives LTV, like retention rates, repeat purchases, or upsell opportunities, so numbers feel realistic.
Use clear visuals
Simple charts or graphs make it easy to digest the comparison without extra explanation.
How to Make the CAC & LTV Slide of Your Pitch Deck
Let’s start with the basics, because most people get the definition right but the presentation wrong.
CAC is what it costs you to acquire a customer.
LTV is what you earn from that customer over the course of the relationship.
When you put them side by side, you’re making a statement. You're saying: “Here’s how much it costs to win someone, and here’s how much they’re worth once we do.”
Sounds simple. Until you realize that one bad assumption in either number can wreck your slide.
We’ve reviewed over 300 decks in the last two years and the CAC and LTV slide is one of the most commonly mishandled. Either it’s too vague, or too bloated, or just plain unconvincing. And the fix is almost always the same: tell a tighter story.
Let’s break it down.
1. Stop treating CAC and LTV like isolated numbers
Too many slides show CAC and LTV in two neat boxes like disconnected factoids. That’s a mistake. These two numbers are Siamese twins. They only make sense in relation to each other.
A CAC of $500 means nothing unless I know you’re making $3000 over the customer lifetime. And $3000 in LTV means little if it took you $2000 in performance marketing to get there.
So don’t just drop the numbers. Show the ratio. Show the payback period. Show the margin if it helps. And if you’re early stage and the LTV is more of a projection than a fact, be upfront about that too.
We had a client who wanted to show a CAC of $280 and an LTV of $2200. On paper, that looked great. But when we asked how long it took to realize that $2200, they said 36 months. And churn kicked in after month 9.
See the problem? LTV is only as believable as the retention behind it.
2. Make your assumptions visible but subtle
Investors don’t expect perfect numbers. They expect to see how you think.
If your CAC is blended, say so. If it’s just paid acquisition, specify that. If your LTV is based on 12-month gross margin and a modeled churn curve, you can note that in fine print or footnote — just enough to signal that you're not bluffing.
What doesn’t work is hiding all the math and hoping no one asks.
On a CAC and LTV slide, confidence is shown by clarity. Not by stacking rows of calculations. Not by flashy graphics. Not by saying “proprietary acquisition funnel” with no context.
We often suggest a simple visual: show CAC and LTV as blocks, with the LTV bar literally towering over the CAC bar. Then drop in two or three points — like payback period, gross margin, and maybe retention at month 12. That’s it. The less noise, the more power.
3. Don’t make CAC and LTV look like magic
Another trap we see is when founders throw in CAC and LTV numbers that feel too perfect. Like CAC is exactly $187 and LTV is $2453, with a 13.1x ratio. It sounds impressive, but it makes the audience suspicious.
Real numbers are a little messy. They fluctuate across segments. They vary by cohort. If your slide reads like a fantasy model with no grounding in customer behavior, it’ll tank your credibility fast.
Instead, give context. Show trends. Show how CAC has dropped over the last two quarters due to organic acquisition or improved funnel conversion. Or show how LTV has grown because you introduced annual billing or expanded into higher-value segments.
The best CAC and LTV slides are not static snapshots. They’re short stories. They show movement. And movement builds confidence.
4. Tailor the slide to your stage
We can’t stress this enough. A Seed stage startup should not present CAC and LTV the same way a Series C company does.
At Seed, these are mostly directional. Your CAC is high because you’re testing channels. Your LTV is a bet on what you think customers will do if they stay. So be conservative. Acknowledge the limitations. Show early patterns, not just the endgame.
At Series A or B, you’re starting to have real data. Your CAC by channel is clearer. Your LTV can be segmented. Now the slide can show how these metrics have improved with better targeting or retention efforts. Maybe you’ve cut CAC in half by building a referral loop. Say that.
By Series C, investors want to see scalability. They want to know your CAC doesn’t double every time you increase spend. They want to see how LTV holds up across different cohorts. Your slide needs to be less about storytelling and more about proof.
This is where your CAC and LTV slide becomes less about “look how good we are” and more about “look how predictable this machine is.”
5. Avoid stuffing the slide with marketing fluff
Every now and then, we see a CAC and LTV slide with four badges, two testimonials, a “customer love” quote, and a big “Look at our NPS!” number.
No. This is not the place.
This is a numbers slide. Not a brand credibility slide. Not a user love slide. Let your metrics do the talking.
One of our clients had killer LTV numbers — real retention, high upsells, clean contribution margin. But the slide was lost under “growth loops,” “brand equity flywheels,” and a dozen other buzzwords.
Once we stripped it all away and just showed the CAC to LTV ratio along with a 9-month payback period, the conversation shifted. The investors leaned in. They asked questions. They saw a business, not a pitch.
6. Your CAC and LTV are part of your bigger narrative
No one is investing in your CAC or your LTV. They’re investing in what those numbers mean about your business.
A great CAC and LTV slide reinforces the bigger story. If your whole pitch is about how efficient your customer acquisition is, then your CAC better be airtight. If your narrative is about long-term customer value and product-led growth, then the LTV needs to stand tall with real retention data.
This is where design matters too. We don’t mean making it pretty. We mean building the slide so the numbers pop in the right order. So, the ratio is obvious. So, the footnotes don’t bury the lead. So, the investor gets the message in under five seconds.
Because if they don’t get it by then, they’ll never ask the follow-up. And if they don’t ask the follow-up, the slide didn’t do its job.
7. One killer graph can replace five bullet points
In some cases, the best way to show CAC and LTV is to not show the numbers at all — at least not up front.
Instead, you show a line chart. CAC trending down. LTV trending up. Overlay both lines. Show the moment they diverge. Add a dot for where you are now.
That visual says more than paragraphs ever could. It says your engine is improving. It says you’re getting better at this. And if you can own the voiceover during this slide, you can walk your audience through your thinking in real time.
Nicole’s final slide ended up being one of the simplest ones we’ve done all year. CAC: $312. LTV: $2280. Payback: 7.2 months. With a footnote: “Based on last three cohorts, 12-month gross margin.”
That’s it.
The rest of the conversation happened after the meeting. Which is exactly what you want.
Slide Design & Data Visualization Tips for the CAC & LTV
The CAC & LTV slide should make your customer economics instantly clear. Good design and smart visualization turn numbers into a story that investors can grasp in seconds.
Here are five tips:
1. Focus on one main visual
Pick a single chart that compares CAC and LTV over time. Avoid multiple charts or tables that distract from the main message.
Example: A line chart showing CAC vs LTV month by month over the past year highlights trends without clutter.
2. Highlight ratios clearly
Investors care about the LTV to CAC ratio. Make it prominent using labels, color, or an overlay.
Example: Add a small text box on the chart showing “Current LTV: CAC = 3.2:1” so it’s instantly visible.
3. Show trends, not just static numbers
Static snapshots hide important growth patterns. Use visuals that reveal movement and efficiency over time.
Example: A bar chart showing CAC gradually decreasing while LTV rises conveys improving profitability.
4. Call out assumptions
If LTV or CAC is projected or based on retention assumptions, make it clear. Transparency builds trust.
Example: Include a note below the chart: “LTV assumes 70% retention over 12 months, and average upsell of $20 per customer.”
5. Keep design clean
Use minimal colors, clear fonts, and simple layouts. Avoid 3D effects, grid clutter, or unnecessary decorations. The goal is instant comprehension.
Example: A two-color line chart on a white background with labeled axes communicates the story without visual noise.
Questions We Often Get About CAC & LTV Slides
FAQ 1: How much detail should I show on the CAC & LTV slide without overwhelming investors?
Focus on the key numbers and trends like CAC, LTV, and their ratio over time. A single clear chart or visual can communicate the story without clutter, while detailed tables can go in an appendix of your pitch deck if needed. Clarity should always come first.
FAQ 2: What’s the best way to visualize CAC vs LTV to make the slide intuitive?
Bar charts, line graphs, or a combined area chart are usually the easiest for investors to interpret. The visual should clearly show which is bigger and how the numbers trend over time, making your pitch deck's data visualization effective and impactful.
Keep colors simple, avoid 3D effects, and label your axes so the story is immediately understandable. A concise caption can reinforce the takeaway, ensuring investors grasp the key insight in seconds.
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