How to Create a Pitch Deck in PowerPoint [Guide + Example]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Jun 12, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 20
While we were working on a pitch deck for our client, Amanda, she asked something that most founders wonder but rarely say out loud.
"Is there a right way to build a pitch deck in PowerPoint, or is it all just design and guesswork?"
Our Creative Director gave her a one-line answer that cut through the noise:
"There is a structure that works, and PowerPoint can absolutely be used to build it right."
As a pitch deck design agency, we create a lot of pitch decks every year for startups, scaleups, and even enterprise spinouts. And through all of it, we’ve noticed one recurring issue: most people underestimate how much clarity, structure, and design matter when using PowerPoint for high-stakes pitching.
So, in this blog, we’ll walk you through why PowerPoint is still the best tool for pitch decks, how to create a pitch deck in PowerPoint & an example of a pitch deck made in PowerPoint.
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.
Why PowerPoint is Still the Best Tool for Pitch Decks
Let’s address the elephant in the room. With all the flashy design tools out there, people often wonder why PowerPoint is still the go-to for pitch decks. The short answer? Because it works. Investors expect it, teams know it, and it’s built for exactly this type of communication.
Sure, you could make a deck in Google Slides, Canva, or Keynote. But when real money is on the line, you need a tool that balances creativity with practicality. PowerPoint has been around long enough to prove itself, and it’s not going anywhere.
Here’s why PowerPoint continues to be the best choice:
Universal Compatibility
Every investor you’ll present to has PowerPoint on their device. No awkward file issues, no internet-dependency. It just works.
Design Flexibility
PowerPoint isn’t just bullet points and templates anymore. From custom animations to clean layouts, you can create anything from minimalist decks to highly polished, brand-driven presentations.
Ease of Collaboration
Whether your team is in the same office or scattered across time zones, PowerPoint makes it easy to co-edit, leave comments, and finalize quickly without breaking the file.
Polished Delivery
PowerPoint’s Presenter View, slide notes, and transition controls give you everything you need for a seamless delivery—something many “modern” tools simply don’t do well.
How to Create a Pitch Deck in PowerPoint
When investors look at your deck, they aren’t thinking about how cool your feature is. They’re thinking: Is this the right team? Is the timing right? Do I believe this can scale?
So, the structure matters. The narrative flow matters. And how you use PowerPoint to bring that narrative to life? That’s what either gets you a follow-up meeting or radio silence.
Here’s exactly how we approach pitch deck creation in PowerPoint—based on what’s worked across dozens of real-world client decks.
1. Start with the structure, not the software
Before you even open PowerPoint, map your story. Every winning pitch deck follows some version of a story arc. We like to think of it in three parts:
The World Before (Problem, Context, Gaps)
Your Big Reveal (Solution, Product, Why Now)
The Proof (Market, Traction, Business Model, Team)
The order can shift depending on the situation, but the spine should stay the same: Here’s the problem, here’s how we solve it, and here’s why we’ll win.
We always sketch this on paper or in a simple outline doc first. PowerPoint should never be your thinking space. It’s your execution space.
2. Build slide-by-slide with purpose
Each slide needs a job. If a slide isn’t pulling its weight, cut it. Here's the core lineup we recommend:
Title Slide
Your logo. A sharp one-liner about what you do. And if you’re pitching in-person, your contact info.
Problem
What’s broken in the current world? Don’t write a paragraph. Show it in one visual or 2-3 killer lines.
Solution
What are you fixing, and how? This is where we often see founders get too deep into features. Instead, highlight what changes for the user.
Product
One or two screens max. You’re not giving a demo. You’re showing credibility.
Market
Who’s this for, how big is the market, and how are you positioning within it? Keep it realistic. No one believes you’ll capture 3% of a $100B market without a plan.
Traction (if any)
Metrics, growth curves, testimonials—whatever shows you’re not just an idea.
Business Model
How do you make money? One clean visual beats three bullet slides.
Go-To-Market
How are you acquiring users? No fluff here. If your strategy is SEO, show the numbers to back it. If it's partnerships, name them.
Competition
Please don’t use the classic XY matrix where you magically land in the top right. Instead, show what you do differently and why it matters.
Team
Just the key players. One line about each that tells us why they’re the right person for this moment.
Ask
Be specific. How much are you raising? What’s it for? What’s your timeline?
Not all decks need all slides. But they do need logic. Each slide should naturally lead to the next. If it doesn’t, you have a story problem.
3. Use PowerPoint to simplify, not decorate
Once your structure is in place, now—and only now—open PowerPoint.
Here’s where most people go wrong: they fight with PowerPoint instead of using it properly. And by "properly," we mean using it to strip away distraction and highlight meaning.
Use layouts that guide the eye.
Don’t overcrowd. Stick to one core idea per slide. If you need to say two things, that’s two slides.
Stick to 2-3 colors, tops.
We often start with the brand palette and then create a simplified version for the deck. PowerPoint’s color picker makes it easy to set custom palettes—use it.
Pick one font and commit.
If your brand has one, great. If not, use a clean sans-serif like Segoe UI or Calibri. Never go full PowerPoint default. That screams template and zero thought.
Use icons and visuals sparingly.
Icons can clarify your message or clutter it. Choose simplicity. If a chart takes more than three seconds to read, it’s too much.
Master the Slide Master.
Most people skip this. Don’t. Creating custom layouts in the Slide Master saves hours and keeps your design consistent. Build templates for Title, Section Header, and Body slides. Once that’s in place, you don’t have to redesign every slide from scratch.
4. Don’t narrate, anticipate
Now that your deck is built, run through it out loud. You’ll quickly notice if you’re repeating what’s on the slide, or worse, reading it.
Great decks don’t need to be read aloud. They should support what you’re saying, not substitute it. So as you rehearse, ask yourself: What question is the investor asking at this point? Then answer that before they say it.
For example, after your Product slide, they’re thinking: But is anyone actually using this? That’s your cue to move into Traction. Anticipation keeps them leaning forward.
5. Fix the pacing and transitions
One underrated advantage of PowerPoint is precision in pacing. You can control what shows up when, how it animates in, and how the transitions feel. Just don’t get flashy.
We always recommend using Appear, Fade, or Wipe at most. Keep it clean. Keep it predictable. You’re not making a music video.
Also: no spinning cube transitions. Ever.
If you need to break a heavy slide into a flow, use Morph (available in recent PowerPoint versions). It lets you move elements from one slide to the next as if it’s a single motion. It works beautifully when explaining processes or timelines.
6. Design for delivery
How you present changes how you design.
In-person pitch?
Make visuals big and readable from five feet away. Leave breathing room.
Emailing the deck?
Add brief context notes in speaker sections or minimal copy on the slide itself.
Virtual pitch?
Use pacing tools. Reveal info progressively to keep their attention. Don’t just dump ten data points on one slide.
Design with the format in mind. PowerPoint lets you export to PDF, video, or even present live. Know what’s coming and build accordingly.
7. Final pass: the test of clarity
After design and delivery, do one final test. Sit with someone who hasn’t seen your deck. Ideally not in your industry. Walk them through it.
If they don’t “get it” by the third slide, you’ve overcomplicated something. Strip it back. Simplify.
And if they get it but aren’t curious about what’s next? Your hook isn’t sharp enough.
Example of a Pitch Deck Created in PowerPoint
Like every client project we take on, this deck was built in PowerPoint. We started by shaping the content, then brought it to life visually with PowerPoint’s design capabilities.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.
How To Get Started?
If you want to hire us for your presentation design project, the process is extremely easy.
Just click on the "Start a Project" button on our website, calculate the price, make payment, and we'll take it from there.