How to Make a Startup Presentation [Know the basics]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- 10 hours ago
- 6 min read
While working on a startup presentation for our client Marvin, he asked us a simple but sharp question:
“What’s the single most important thing to focus on when making a startup presentation?”
Our Creative Director didn’t hesitate:
“Clarity beats everything else.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many startup presentations throughout the year, and in the process, we’ve noticed one common challenge: most people try to say too much and end up saying nothing at all.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to make a startup presentation that cuts through the noise and actually connects with your audience.
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 Making a Startup Presentation Right Matters
If you’re building a startup, your presentation is more than just slides on a screen. It’s the story you tell investors, partners, and potential customers about why your idea deserves attention, funding, and trust. But here’s the catch—no matter how brilliant your concept is, if your presentation doesn’t land, it won’t matter.
You have just minutes, sometimes seconds, to grab your audience’s attention. Investors are not there to see a slideshow filled with every detail you’ve ever thought about. They want to understand your vision quickly, see the potential, and feel confident you can execute it.
Getting this right is hard because startups are messy by nature. There’s uncertainty, pivots, and ideas evolving faster than you can update your slides. But a good startup presentation cuts through that chaos and presents your core message with razor-sharp focus. It’s what makes people lean in instead of checking their phones.
We’ve seen countless founders pour hours into presentations that ended up confusing or overwhelming their audience. The result? Lost opportunities, wasted time, and frustration. That’s why knowing how to make a startup presentation that’s clear, compelling, and memorable is a skill worth mastering.
How to Make a Startup Presentation That Works
Now that we’ve established why your startup presentation is critical, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of how to make a startup presentation that actually gets results.
We’re not talking about flashy slides or fancy animations here. The magic lies in simplicity, storytelling, and strategic structure. From what we see repeatedly in our work, these are the fundamentals you must nail.
1. Start With Your Core Message — What’s the One Thing You Want Them to Remember?
You’ve probably heard the phrase “less is more,” but when it comes to startup presentations, this is gospel truth. Investors and stakeholders don’t want to be bombarded with facts, stats, and jargon. They want to walk away knowing exactly what problem your startup solves and why it matters.
Before you open PowerPoint, ask yourself:
If the audience remembers only one thing from my presentation, what should that be?
This could be your unique value proposition, your vision, or the massive market opportunity you’re targeting. Whatever it is, build everything around that message.
Here’s a real example from our work with early-stage startups. One founder started with a 40-slide deck filled with detailed market research, technical specs, and team bios. When we asked her the core message, she said, “We want to revolutionize urban transportation.” We helped her trim the deck to focus solely on why urban transportation needs revolutionizing and how her solution is different.
The impact was immediate—investors got it, asked sharp questions, and the presentation led to serious follow-ups.
2. Structure Your Story Like a Conversation, Not a Report
Nobody enjoys being lectured or reading a textbook. Your startup presentation should feel like a conversation, guiding your audience naturally from problem to solution to why you’re the one to solve it.
A classic, proven structure works best here:
Problem: Start by describing the problem your startup solves. Make it relatable. Use stories, examples, or data that paint a clear picture of why this problem matters.
Solution: Then introduce your product or service as the answer. Explain how it solves the problem and what makes it different.
Market Opportunity: Show the size and potential of the market. Investors want to know this is a big opportunity, not a niche hobby.
Business Model: Explain how you’ll make money. Keep it simple and believable.
Traction: If you have any proof points, like early sales, partnerships, or user feedback, share them. This builds credibility.
Team: Highlight why your team is uniquely qualified to execute this vision.
Financials & Ask: End with clear financial projections and the specific amount of funding or support you’re seeking.
Remember, each section should flow smoothly into the next. Avoid jumping around or burying the main points deep inside.
3. Use Visuals to Support Your Story, Not Distract From It
We cannot stress this enough—your slides are there to support what you say, not replace it. The worst presentations we see are those where slides are packed with paragraphs or bullet points that make people tune out.
Instead, use visuals that help illustrate your point clearly. Charts that show growth, simple icons that represent concepts, photos that evoke emotion—these elements make your message stick.
For example, when explaining your market opportunity, a well-designed graph showing growth trends is far more powerful than listing numbers. When sharing your team’s experience, photos plus short bios keep it human and relatable.
Avoid clutter, unnecessary animations, or distracting fonts and colors. Keep your slides clean, consistent, and aligned with your brand’s tone.
4. Be Authentic and Speak to Your Audience’s Values
Investors and stakeholders hear countless pitches every week. What sets you apart is not just the idea, but how you connect. Be authentic. Show your passion, your belief in the problem, and your commitment to the solution.
Also, tailor your presentation to your audience’s values and interests. If you’re pitching to a socially responsible fund, emphasize how your startup impacts society or the environment. If it’s a tech-focused investor, highlight your innovation and technology edge.
This alignment builds trust and rapport, which can be more persuasive than numbers alone.
5. Practice Your Delivery Until It Feels Natural
You could have the world’s best slides, but if your delivery feels robotic or rushed, your message won’t land. Practice until your presentation feels like a conversation, not a script reading.
Record yourself, get feedback from trusted colleagues, and refine your tone and pace. Make sure to pause for emphasis, use natural gestures, and maintain eye contact if it’s live or on video.
One tip we often share is to prepare for questions by knowing your deck inside out, but don’t try to memorize answers word-for-word. Being adaptable shows confidence and command.
6. Prepare for Questions But Don’t Overload Your Slides
No matter how well you craft your startup presentation, expect questions. That’s a good thing—it means people are engaged.
However, resist the temptation to pack every possible detail into your slides “just in case.” Instead, prepare a separate appendix with backup slides that you can pull up if needed.
Your main deck should remain clean and focused. The backup can include deeper market research, competitor analysis, technical specs, or financial details. This way, you stay on point during your pitch but can quickly answer questions with data when required.
7. Keep It Short and Sweet
Here’s the brutal truth: Attention spans are short. Even the most interested investor doesn’t want to sit through a long-winded presentation.
Aim for 10 to 15 slides and a total presentation time of around 10 to 15 minutes. If you can tell your story clearly in less time, even better.
Focus on quality over quantity. Each slide must have a clear purpose and add value to your story.
8. Use Simple Language — Avoid Jargon and Buzzwords
Startups are prone to overusing jargon or buzzwords, especially when founders are deeply immersed in their niche. But what sounds impressive to you can be confusing or off-putting to others.
Remember, your audience may not be experts in your field. Use simple, direct language that anyone can understand. Replace “synergistic blockchain-enabled disruptive solution” with “a new technology that makes payments faster and safer.”
Clear language builds trust and shows you understand the problem and your solution deeply.
9. Tell Stories That Stick
Numbers and facts are important, but stories stick in people’s minds. Use real-life examples or scenarios to illustrate your points.
For example, instead of saying “Our product reduces delivery times by 30 percent,” say “Imagine a small business owner who can now deliver products faster than ever, keeping customers happy and growing sales.”
Stories humanize your startup and create emotional connections, which is critical when you want someone to care.
10. Iterate Based on Feedback
No startup presentation is perfect on the first try. After every pitch, gather feedback and learn what worked and what didn’t.
Did your audience seem confused at any point? Did they ask questions you didn’t anticipate? Use this insight to sharpen your message, clarify your visuals, and improve your delivery.
We often advise startups to run their presentations by non-experts—friends, family, or colleagues outside the industry. If they get it easily, you’re on the right track.
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.