Building the Competition Slide of Your Pitch Deck [Guide + Example]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Feb 19, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Eric, our client, asked a pretty straightforward question while we were working on his pitch deck:
“How do I make my competition slide useful, instead of just listing my competitors?”
Our Creative Director responded in the simplest way possible:
“Don’t just name them. Show how you beat them.”
And here’s the thing, as a presentation agency we see this a lot. It’s not about just showing who your competition is. That’s easy. The challenge is making that competition slide work for you, not against you.
So, in this blog, we’re going to cut through the fluff and show you how to actually make your pitch deck competition slide do something useful: sell your uniqueness.
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.
What Is the Pitch Deck Competition Slide
The competition slide is where you prove you’ve done your homework. It’s the part of your pitch deck that shows who else is in the game, how they’re playing, and (most importantly) why you’ve got the winning strategy.
Think of it as your “market battlefield” snapshot.
You map out the key players, what they offer, and how you compare. This can be done with a simple chart, a 2x2 matrix, or even a feature comparison table. The goal isn’t to trash competitors (investors hate that) but to position yourself in a way that makes it obvious you’ve got an edge—whether that’s better pricing, faster delivery, superior technology, or a unique business model.
Example of a Pitch Deck Competition Slide (From One of Our Projects)
Here’s a reference from one of our projects: a competition slide mapped across four simple quadrants. We’re sharing this example because it’s the most straightforward way to present competition when you don’t have a more creative approach.
Why Making a Good Competition Slide is a Challenge
When creating your pitch deck, the competition slide often ends up being one of the most difficult to get right. On the surface, it's just about listing competitors and comparing features, but in reality, it's a delicate balance.
1. The Fine Line Between Confidence and Arrogance
You need to position your product as a winner without coming off as overly dismissive of competitors. A tone that’s too negative can make you seem unprofessional, while being overly modest won’t show off your strengths. Finding the right balance is crucial.
2. Not All Competitors Are Created Equal
Comparing your solution to others might seem simple, but no two companies offer the same thing in the same way. You have to decide what features and aspects matter most to highlight and find a fair way to show your strengths.
3. Information Overload
With so many competitors, it’s easy to overwhelm your audience with too many details. A competition slide should focus on what really matters, keeping the comparison simple, clear, and easy to digest without cluttering the slide with unnecessary information.
How to Make the Pitch Deck's Competition Slide
So, you've decided not to skip the competition slide—great choice! Now, let’s make sure it doesn’t just blend into the background like a bad wallpaper. Here’s how to create a competition slide that’s as sharp as your business model.
1. Ditch the Cliché Tables, Bring on the Visuals
A boring grid full of checkmarks? Nah, you’re better than that. Investors have seen a million of those. Instead, try something more visually engaging—like a quadrant chart (think Gartner Magic Quadrant) or a radar chart that highlights your strengths. These formats not only look cooler but make it easier for investors to quickly grasp where you stand.
Example: Plot your competitors on a graph with two key axes (e.g., market share vs. innovation). This way, instead of saying you’re a leader, you can show them.
2. Focus on What Matters, Skip the Fluff
You don’t need to compare every single feature or metric. Keep it to the things that really matter to your investors. What’s going to make them open their wallets? Laser focus on a few key areas where you absolutely crush the competition—whether it's price, speed, service quality, or innovation.
Example: Instead of listing out 10 features no one cares about, highlight just three where you're leagues ahead. Quality over quantity, every time.
3. Show the Competition Some Love (But Not Too Much)
You want to highlight your strengths, not come across as arrogant. Investors appreciate a fair comparison. Acknowledge where your competitors are strong but make it clear why your solution is better overall. This shows you're confident and understand the market, rather than just trying to tear others down.
Example: “Our competitor has great distribution, but we’re able to offer the same at a lower price with a higher customer retention rate.” You’re complimenting them, but it’s clear who’s still winning.
4. Use Data for Knockout Punches
Nothing says "I'm the future" quite like cold, hard numbers. Use stats to back up your claims—whether it’s growth projections, market share, or customer retention. Numbers cut through the noise and give investors that “aha!” moment.
Example: “We offer a 25% faster time-to-market, which saved Client X $200K last year alone.” Boom. That’s how you do it.
5. Keep It Simple, But Not Too Simple
Don’t over-explain. Investors don’t need a college lecture on your industry. But don’t be so minimal that it feels like a PowerPoint ghost town either. Your competition slide should be easy to scan in a few seconds. Think of it as the fast food of pitch decks—quick, satisfying, and leaving them wanting more.
Example: Instead of long-winded descriptions, use icons or short one-liners next to competitor names: “Slow,” “Pricey,” “Old-School Tech.” Make it digestible.
6. Show Your Unique Secret Sauce
This is the time to flaunt your differentiators. What makes you not just another player, but the game-changer in your industry? Highlight your unique value proposition and show why it matters more than what your competitors offer.
Example: “Unlike our competitors, we’ve developed a proprietary AI tool that cuts analysis time by 40%—and it’s exclusive to us.”
7. Don’t Forget the Design
The way your competition slide looks matters as much as what’s on it. Keep your brand colors consistent, make sure fonts are legible, and, for the love of investors, don’t overcrowd the slide. Clean, crisp, and impactful—those are your design buzzwords.
Example: Use color to your advantage—green for your company’s wins, neutral tones for competitors. Make it easy to spot who’s the champion.
8. Leave Room for Questions
A killer competition slide should spark curiosity, not provide every single detail upfront. The goal is to intrigue your audience enough that they’ll ask follow-up questions. This creates dialogue and gives you a chance to further prove your expertise.
Example: “We see an untapped market that none of our competitors are targeting—but more on that later.”
How to Do Competitive Analysis for Your Slide (3 Methods)
A good competition slide is not built by opening Google and listing a few competitors. It comes from understanding where your company fits in the market and why that position matters.
Before designing the slide, you need a clear view of the competitive landscape. Here are three methods we commonly use when building pitch decks for startups.
1. The Feature Comparison Method
This is the most straightforward way to analyze competitors.
Start by identifying the features or capabilities that matter most to customers. Then compare how different companies perform across those areas.
The goal is not to prove that your product wins everywhere.
In fact, trying to win every category often makes the slide look unrealistic. Investors know that no product dominates every dimension.
Instead, focus on two or three meaningful advantages that genuinely separate you from others in the market.
Those differences are what make your positioning credible.
2. The Positioning Matrix
Sometimes numbers and feature lists do not tell the full story. That is where a positioning matrix becomes useful.
You map the market using two meaningful dimensions. For example, price vs. product capability or automation vs. manual effort.
Competitors are placed on the chart based on where they sit in the market. Then your company appears where the opportunity exists.
This approach works because it creates immediate clarity. In a single glance, investors can see where the market is crowded and where space still exists.
3. The Category Creation Method
Some companies are not just competing in an existing market. They are reframing it.
In these cases, competitive analysis focuses less on features and more on how the current solutions fail users.
You show how traditional approaches work, where they break down, and how your product introduces a better way. Instead of saying you are slightly better than competitors, you are showing that the old model itself is the problem.
And when that narrative is clear, the competition slide stops being a comparison. It becomes a statement about why your company represents the next step in the market.
Where to Strategically Place the Competition Slide in Your Pitch Deck
The goal is simple. Your audience should already understand what you do and why it matters before you introduce competitors.
The Most Effective Placement
In most strong pitch decks, the competition slide appears after the Solution or Product slide.
By this point, investors already know three important things:
• The problem you are solving
• Your solution to that problem
• Why the solution matters
Now the competition slide has context.
Instead of feeling like a random comparison, it answers the natural question investors already have in their mind: “If this problem is real, who else is solving it?”
Why Timing Matters
When you place the competition slide in the right spot, it strengthens your narrative.
Your story becomes: Problem → Solution → Why your approach is different from everyone else
That sequence helps investors quickly understand why your company deserves attention in a crowded market.
A Simple Rule to Follow
Think of the competition slide as proof of positioning, not an introduction to the market.
It works best when the audience already understands your product and is ready to evaluate how it compares.
Placed correctly, the slide does something powerful. It shows that you are not just building a product. You are building a company that knows exactly where it stands in the market.
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