How to Do Pitch Deck Research [Step-by-Step Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Aug 17, 2025
- 7 min read
Our client Scarlett asked us an interesting question while we were making her pitch deck research:
“What exactly do I need to research before putting slides together?”
Our Creative Director answered,
“Everything that helps you sound credible and keeps the investor from guessing.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many pitch decks throughout the year and in the process, we’ve observed one common challenge: founders often skip the research because they think design will save the day.
So, in this blog we’ll talk about how you should approach research for your deck step by step, so you walk into the room prepared instead of hopeful.
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 You Need Pitch Deck Research
Most people think pitch decks are about slides, colors, and some dramatic numbers that impress investors. They are wrong. A pitch deck is first about the research you put behind it. If the groundwork is weak, no amount of design will convince someone to trust you with their money.
Here’s why the research matters:
Investors do their homework too.
If you haven’t researched your market, competitors, and numbers, they will know instantly. And once they spot gaps, the trust is gone.
It sharpens your story.
Research is what helps you craft a narrative that feels airtight. Instead of saying “we’re building the next big thing,” you’ll be able to say “we’re addressing a 5-billion-dollar market where existing players are failing to solve X.” That’s the kind of clarity that sticks.
It saves you from vague promises.
When you don’t know your facts, you end up saying things like “we’ll figure it out later.” That never works in a pitch meeting. Research makes you sound precise.
It makes design meaningful.
A great design agency can dress up your deck, but if the numbers and arguments are shallow, the slides collapse on impact. Research is the backbone, design is the muscle. One without the other won’t work.
The truth is simple: without strong research, your pitch deck is nothing more than a pretty slideshow.
How to Do Pitch Deck Research
Pitch deck research is not something you can wing in one afternoon with a Google search and a few assumptions. It’s a systematic process. We’ve seen founders get this right and walk into rooms where investors lean in, ask smart follow-up questions, and end the meeting with “let’s talk next steps.”
We’ve also seen founders skip this process and watch their decks fall flat because they couldn’t back up a single claim.
If you’re serious about raising money, here’s the research you need to do before you even think of opening PowerPoint.
Step 1: Understand the Investor’s Mindset
Before you research your market or competitors, you need to research your audience: investors. Think about what they care about. They don’t want your life story. They want to know if your idea has legs, if you’re the right person to execute, and if they’ll make a return.
Ask yourself:
What kind of investor am I targeting? Angel, seed fund, venture capital, corporate investor?
What stage are they used to investing in? Pre-revenue, early traction, scaling?
What do they usually look for in a pitch?
This matters because the research you emphasize will depend on who you’re talking to. Angels may care more about your vision and hustle. VCs will grill you on numbers, market share, and growth potential. Corporate investors may want to see how you fit into their ecosystem.
The first piece of research is not about your industry but about your investors. If you miss this, you’ll gather data that doesn’t speak to the room you’re in.
Step 2: Define the Problem You’re Solving
The heart of every pitch deck is the problem. If you don’t define it clearly, investors won’t care about your solution. Research here is about proving the problem exists and that it’s worth solving.
Start with questions like:
How many people or companies face this problem?
How much money, time, or resources are wasted because of it?
Are there numbers, case studies, or real-world stories that back this up?
For example, if you’re building a fintech app, don’t just say “people struggle with budgeting.” That’s vague. Say, “67% of millennials in the U.S. live paycheck to paycheck, and existing tools fail to help them plan for recurring expenses.” That’s a researched problem statement, and it’s far more convincing.
Collect surveys, research reports, or even your own data through pilot studies. Document it. This is your foundation.
Step 3: Map the Market Size
This is where most decks go wrong. Founders either exaggerate (“the global healthcare market is worth $8 trillion”) or underestimate by failing to define the realistic segment they’re targeting. Market size is not just a big number—it’s a layered story.
Here’s how to research it:
TAM (Total Addressable Market): What’s the absolute market potential if everyone in the world bought your product?
SAM (Serviceable Available Market): What’s the portion of TAM you can realistically target with your product in the next few years?
SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): What’s the actual market share you can realistically capture given your resources, geography, and competition?
Investors know these terms inside out. If you don’t research them, you’ll sound unprepared. Pull data from industry reports, analyst briefings, and credible sources like Gartner, McKinsey, Statista, or government databases.
Don’t fall for vanity numbers. If your pitch is grounded in a realistic SAM and SOM, investors will trust your thinking process.
Step 4: Study the Competition
Nothing kills a pitch faster than saying “we don’t have competitors.” You always do. Even if you’re creating a brand-new category, people are solving the problem in some way right now, and that’s your competition.
Here’s what to research:
Direct competitors: Companies offering the same solution.
Indirect competitors: Companies solving the same problem differently.
Status quo: What customers are doing right now without your product.
Once you’ve listed them, research their:
Pricing model
Target customers
Strengths and weaknesses
Funding history
Build a simple competitor matrix. Don’t overcomplicate it. But make sure your research is solid enough to explain why your approach has an edge. If you can’t answer “why us over them,” you don’t have enough research.
Step 5: Gather Customer Insights
Investors love numbers, but they also love hearing that you’ve actually spoken to your potential customers. This part of your pitch deck research should involve direct conversations, surveys, or beta testing feedback.
Ask questions like:
What frustrates you about the current options?
How much would you pay for a better solution?
What would make you switch?
Even if you only talk to 20 potential users, the insights can be powerful. Imagine saying, “We spoke to 50 small business owners and 40 of them said they would pay $50 a month for our tool.” That’s researched proof that people want what you’re building.
Document these conversations. They carry more weight than abstract numbers.
Step 6: Nail Down Your Business Model
Another area where research is crucial is your revenue model. Investors want to see if you’ve thought this through. Don’t just say “we’ll figure out monetization later.” That’s a red flag.
Research:
How do your competitors make money?
What models are standard in your industry (subscription, transaction fee, licensing)?
What pricing strategies resonate with your target customers?
This is where your research on customers and competitors ties together. A clear, evidence-based revenue model is what tells investors you’re serious.
Step 7: Financial Projections Grounded in Reality
Yes, you’ll be asked about projections. And yes, they’re guesses. But they need to be researched guesses. Pull data from similar companies, industry benchmarks, and your own customer research.
Avoid hockey-stick graphs that magically jump in year three. Instead, explain assumptions:
If 2% of your SOM buys your product at $20/month, that’s X revenue.
If you scale marketing by Y, you project Z growth.
Projections built on research tell investors you understand the levers of your business, not just the dream.
Step 8: Research Trends and Timing
Sometimes success is not just about the product but about timing. Research current industry trends and shifts that make your solution relevant now.
For example:
New regulations creating an opportunity.
Behavioral changes in consumers.
Technological advancements lowering barriers.
Show that you understand the broader landscape. Timing is often what separates a good idea from a successful business.
Step 9: Build Credibility with Data Sources
The strength of your pitch deck research is not just in the data but in the credibility of where you got it from. A random blog won’t hold weight. But citing sources like Deloitte, PwC, or an industry-specific trade body will.
Keep a list of your sources handy. If an investor asks, “Where did you get this number from?” you should be able to answer without fumbling. Research is not only about collecting information but also about knowing how to defend it.
Step 10: Organize Your Research for Storytelling
Finally, remember that research is not the deck. Research is the raw material. Your job is to organize it in a way that supports your story. Don’t dump everything into the slides. Pick the pieces that move your narrative forward.
The process should look like this:
Gather as much data as possible.
Filter out the noise.
Keep only what strengthens your argument.
This is where working with a presentation design agency helps. We know how to turn dense research into sharp, compelling slides that don’t overwhelm but persuade.
Doing pitch deck research is about discipline. It’s not glamorous. You’ll be sifting through reports, reading competitor websites, and running spreadsheets late at night. But this is what separates a hopeful founder from a credible one.
When you walk into the investor meeting, the person across the table has probably seen hundreds of decks. What will make them pause at yours is not the fancy animations but the fact that your story is backed by undeniable research.
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.