How to Create a Pitch Deck in PowerPoint [An expert guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
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 presentation 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 exactly how to create a pitch deck in PowerPoint that investors take seriously.
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 Your Pitch Deck Needs More Than Just "Good Slides"
Let’s be honest. Most pitch decks fail long before they’re ever presented. Not because the idea is weak, but because the story is unclear, the structure is random, and the design is... PowerPoint default.
Investors don’t sit down hoping to hear a brilliant idea. They sit down looking for reasons to say no. A cluttered pitch deck gives them plenty.
We’ve seen this over and over. Founders build their deck in a rush, throwing in every possible detail. Their thinking? More slides = more convincing. But here’s the truth we’ve learned: clarity closes, not quantity.
And then there’s PowerPoint itself. Somehow it still has a reputation as the “less cool” choice next to Keynote or pitch tools like Beautiful.ai.
But here’s what people forget. PowerPoint is powerful, customizable, and widely used for a reason. It’s not about the tool. It’s about how you use it.
You’re not just building a slide deck. You’re shaping how someone feels about your business in under ten minutes. If that doesn’t deserve precision, what does?
That’s why we’re not here to throw generic advice at you. We're going to show you exactly how to structure your pitch, design it inside PowerPoint, and make it investor-ready—based on what’s actually worked for our clients.
How to Create a Pitch Deck in PowerPoint
A pitch deck isn’t a product brochure. It’s a focused argument.
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.
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.