How to Craft a Pitch Deck’s Revenue Model Slide [Expert Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Mar 15
- 7 min read
Our client, Sergio, asked us a question while we were working on their investor pitch deck:
"How detailed does the revenue model slide really need to be?"
Our Creative Director answered without hesitation: "Detailed enough to inspire confidence, but clear enough to grasp in seconds."
As a presentation design agency, we work on investor pitch decks year-round, and we’ve noticed a common challenge: founders either overcomplicate the revenue model or make it so vague that investors lose interest.
So, in this blog, we’ll cover:
Why your revenue model slide matters more than you think
How to structure it for clarity and impact
The biggest mistakes we see (and how to avoid them)
Let’s get into it.
Why Your Revenue Model Slide Matters More Than You Think
Most founders assume investors only care about the big picture—market size, product innovation, and competitive edge. While those are critical, there’s one brutal truth about fundraising: investors care about returns.
They aren’t just funding a great idea; they’re betting on a business model that can scale and make money. Your revenue model slide is where you prove that your company isn’t just exciting—it’s financially viable.
Here’s why it’s non-negotiable:
1. It Shows You Understand Your Business
If you can’t clearly explain how your company makes money, that’s a red flag. A vague or confusing revenue model suggests you haven’t thought things through—or worse, that your business might not be sustainable. Investors aren’t looking for guesswork; they want numbers that make sense.
2. It Helps Investors Assess Scalability
A great revenue model doesn’t just show how you’ll make money today—it also highlights how you’ll grow revenue over time. Investors want to know:
Can this model scale efficiently?
Will revenue grow faster than costs?
Are there multiple revenue streams for stability?
If your model relies on endless customer acquisition with razor-thin margins, that’s a tough sell. But if you can demonstrate a clear path to profitability, you’ve got their attention.
3. It Builds Investor Confidence
The revenue model slide is where investors start calculating risk vs. reward. A strong model reassures them that your startup isn’t just exciting—it’s a smart investment. The clearer and more realistic your revenue projections, the easier it is for investors to trust your vision.
How to Structure Your Revenue Model Slide
1. Start With Your Revenue Streams
Your revenue streams are the backbone of this slide. Investors need to see exactly where the money comes from. Whether you have one primary revenue stream or multiple, make sure they are listed clearly.
Common revenue streams include:
Subscription models (SaaS, membership platforms)
One-time purchases (e-commerce, hardware, licensing fees)
Freemium models with paid upgrades (apps, content platforms)
Commission-based earnings (marketplaces, affiliate models)
Ad-based revenue (media platforms, free tools monetized via ads)
The mistake many founders make is being vague. Saying “we generate revenue from customers” is not helpful. Instead, be specific:
“We operate on a B2B SaaS subscription model with tiered pricing plans, ranging from $99 to $499 per month.”
“Our marketplace earns a 15% commission on every transaction made between buyers and sellers.”
Clarity is key. Investors should immediately understand who pays you, what they pay for, and how often they pay.
2. Show Your Pricing Model
Your pricing strategy is just as important as your revenue streams. Investors want to see how your business is priced and whether that pricing is sustainable. If you charge too little, you might struggle to become profitable. If you charge too much, you might limit customer acquisition.
A simple table format works well here:
Plan | Price | Key Features |
Basic | $99/month | Access to core features |
Pro | $249/month | Advanced analytics and integrations |
Enterprise | Custom | Tailored solutions for large businesses |
Alternatively, if you run an e-commerce or transactional business, you might highlight:
Average order value (AOV)
Expected customer lifetime value (LTV)
Take-rate percentage (for marketplaces)
Make sure your pricing model aligns with industry benchmarks. If your pricing seems arbitrary or misaligned with competitors, investors will question whether you’ve done your market research.
3. Highlight Your Customer Acquisition Strategy
A revenue model is meaningless without a clear path to acquiring customers. Investors want to know:
How do you attract customers? (Organic marketing, paid ads, partnerships)
How much does it cost to acquire them? (Customer Acquisition Cost or CAC)
How much are they worth over time? (Lifetime Value or LTV)
This is where LTV:CAC ratio becomes important. If your customer lifetime value is significantly higher than your acquisition cost, that’s a sign of a profitable, scalable business.
Here’s how to present this in a simple way:
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): $50
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): $500
Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): $1,500
LTV:CAC Ratio: 30:1 (This signals strong profitability)
If you don’t know these numbers yet, at least show your strategy for reducing CAC over time. Investors want to see that you’re thinking about scalability and efficiency.
4. Provide Revenue Projections (But Keep It Realistic)
Investors expect to see some level of revenue forecasting. But here’s where many founders go wrong: they make their projections look unrealistically optimistic.
Instead of throwing out numbers like “we’ll hit $50 million in revenue in three years,” back it up with logic. Your forecast should be based on:
Current traction
Growth rates in similar companies
Market demand and pricing trends
A good way to present this is with a year-over-year revenue table:
Year | Revenue | Customers | Growth Rate |
2024 | $500K | 5,000 | - |
2025 | $2M | 20,000 | 300% |
2026 | $7M | 70,000 | 250% |
2027 | $18M | 150,000 | 160% |
Make sure your revenue projections align with your acquisition strategy. If you claim you'll hit $50 million in three years but don’t explain how you’ll attract enough customers to get there, investors won’t take you seriously.
5. Keep It Visual and Concise
The biggest mistake founders make with their revenue model slide? Too much information.
Investors don’t want an essay; they want a quick, digestible snapshot. Here are some ways to keep it visually engaging:
Use charts to show revenue growth instead of text-heavy explanations
Keep bullet points short and impactful
Use bold numbers for key metrics investors care about
A well-designed revenue model slide should be understandable in 10 seconds. If an investor has to squint and decipher your numbers, they won’t bother.
6. Address Monetization Challenges (If Necessary)
If your business model has monetization challenges, don’t ignore them—address them head-on. Investors appreciate transparency. If you’re in a market where customers are resistant to paying, explain how you plan to overcome that friction.
For example:
If you have a freemium model, show your expected free-to-paid conversion rates.
If you’re relying on advertising, demonstrate how much traffic is needed to make it viable.
If you have a new or unconventional pricing model, provide examples of other companies that have successfully executed something similar.
The key is to show investors that you understand the risks and have a plan to navigate them.
7. Keep Your Story Consistent Across the Deck
Your revenue model doesn’t exist in isolation—it should align with the rest of your pitch deck.
For example:
If your market size slide shows a $10 billion opportunity, but your revenue projections max out at $10 million, that disconnect raises concerns.
If your team slide doesn’t include anyone with financial or business model expertise, investors will wonder if you can execute the plan.
If your problem-solution slide doesn’t clearly connect to your revenue model, investors might struggle to see how you plan to monetize.
Your pitch deck should tell one cohesive story. The revenue model slide is just one piece of the puzzle—it needs to fit seamlessly with the rest of your deck.
Biggest Mistakes Founders Make (And How to Avoid Them)
Even with a solid structure, many founders make critical mistakes when presenting their revenue model slide. These missteps can instantly erode investor confidence, making your business look riskier than it actually is. Let’s break down the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Being Vague About How You Make Money
A revenue model that lacks clarity is a red flag. Investors don’t want to decipher your slide like it’s a puzzle—they need straightforward answers. If your revenue model sounds like:
“We plan to monetize our platform in multiple ways.”
“We’ll generate revenue through partnerships, subscriptions, and more.”
“Our customers will pay a competitive price for our premium service.”
That’s too vague. Instead, spell it out:
“We charge $199/month per user for our B2B SaaS product, with enterprise plans starting at $999/month.”
“Our marketplace takes a 10% commission on all transactions, averaging $50 per customer per month.”
How to avoid this: Be specific. Show exactly who pays, how much they pay, and how often they pay.
2. Overcomplicating the Revenue Model
Founders often fall into the trap of listing too many revenue streams, making their model look scattered. A slide that says:
Subscription fees
Ad revenue
One-time purchases
Affiliate commissions
Partnership revenue
…without explaining which is the primary driver of revenue can make investors doubt your focus. If your revenue model is overly complex, it suggests you haven’t validated the best path to monetization yet.
How to avoid this: Stick to one or two core revenue streams and only mention secondary ones if they’re relevant. Investors prefer a clear, scalable model over a chaotic mix of revenue ideas.
3. Ignoring Scalability and Margins
It’s not enough to show how you make money—you also need to prove that your model can scale efficiently. Investors are looking for businesses that can grow revenue without costs increasing at the same rate.
For example:
If you’re selling a hardware product with slim margins, investors will ask: “How do you scale profitably?”
If your customer acquisition cost (CAC) is too high, they’ll ask: “Can you lower CAC as you grow?”
If your gross margins are under 50%, they’ll wonder if your business is even worth investing in.
How to avoid this: Show how your revenue model scales over time. If your margins improve as you grow, highlight that. If your customer acquisition becomes more efficient, explain why.
4. Unrealistic Projections
Founders love to paint a hockey-stick growth curve, but investors have seen enough failed startups to know when projections are pure fantasy. If your slide shows:
$500K revenue in Year 1
$5M in Year 2
$50M in Year 3
…without any concrete plan to justify those numbers, investors will dismiss your model as wishful thinking.
How to avoid this: Make sure your projections align with your customer acquisition strategy, pricing model, and market opportunity. Use real-world data from competitors or industry benchmarks to support your estimates.
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