What Makes a Good Pitch Deck [Answered by Experts]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- May 23
- 6 min read
Our client, Emma, asked us an interesting question while we were working on her pitch deck:
“What’s the single most important thing that makes a pitch deck actually work?”
Our Creative Director answered without hesitation:
“A good pitch deck tells a clear, compelling story that makes investors say ‘Yes, I want in.’”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many pitch decks throughout the year, and in the process, we’ve noticed one common challenge: most decks either drown in data or get lost in fluff, leaving the core message weak and unclear.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about what makes a good pitch deck by cutting through the noise and sharing what actually moves the needle from our years of experience.
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.
Before we dive into the specifics, let’s get something clear
Your pitch deck isn’t just a bunch of pretty slides or a stats dump. It’s your most powerful tool for making strangers believe in your vision enough to invest time, money, or resources.
We’ve seen decks loaded with charts, figures, and industry jargon that leave investors more confused than convinced. And on the flip side, decks that look slick but have zero substance. Both fail because they miss the point. A good pitch deck strikes the perfect balance between story and data, between clarity and persuasion.
From our work with startups, scale-ups, and even mature companies, one thing stands out: the best pitch decks speak human. They simplify complex ideas, address the right questions before they’re asked, and make the audience feel part of the journey—not just spectators of a presentation.
The question “What makes a good pitch deck” isn’t about checklists or trends. It’s about understanding how to communicate your value so clearly that it sticks, it excites, and it compels action.
What Makes a Good Pitch Deck
If you want to raise funds, land a client, or simply get people excited about your idea, your pitch deck needs to do more than look nice. It needs to work—meaning it should clearly and persuasively communicate your value, convince your audience you’re worth their attention, and make the next steps obvious.
From our years of hands-on experience designing pitch decks for startups and companies across industries, we’ve identified the core traits that good pitch decks share. These aren’t just opinions—they’re proven principles that get results.
Here’s a clear, no-nonsense breakdown of what makes a good pitch deck.
1. Clarity Above All Else
The single most important trait of a good pitch deck is clarity. You want your audience to understand your business idea, the problem you solve, and why you’re the right team to do it—within minutes.
Too many pitch decks try to do too much or explain every tiny detail. The result is confusion.
A good pitch deck strips away all the noise. It uses simple, direct language and visuals that reinforce the message instead of distracting from it.
Clarity means:
Using plain language that anyone can grasp, regardless of their background.
Presenting one idea per slide to avoid overwhelming viewers.
Avoiding jargon or complicated terms unless absolutely necessary, and even then, explaining them simply.
If your deck leaves investors scratching their heads, you’ve failed the first and most critical test.
2. A Compelling, Focused Story
Investors hear hundreds of pitches. What helps your deck stand out is a story that feels cohesive and compelling—not a list of facts or random slides.
A good pitch deck tells a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end:
The beginning sets the scene by highlighting a relatable problem or pain point.
The middle introduces your solution and how it works.
The end builds credibility (traction, team, financials) and ends with a clear ask.
That story must stay laser-focused on why your business matters and what makes it unique. Avoid tangents or unrelated information that can derail attention.
When you can connect emotionally and logically, your deck becomes memorable.
3. Visual Simplicity That Supports, Not Distracts
Design is not decoration; it’s a tool to help communicate your message. Great pitch decks use visual simplicity to highlight key points, not to show off fancy graphics.
This means:
Using clean, consistent fonts and colors that match your brand.
Balancing text with white space so slides don’t look crowded.
Using charts, icons, or images only when they clarify or reinforce an idea.
Avoiding overused stock photos or clipart that reduce professionalism.
Good design should guide the viewer’s eye and make information easier to digest. If your slides feel cluttered or visually noisy, it’s a sign the design is working against you.
4. Data That Builds Credibility
Your pitch deck isn’t just about selling a dream. It’s about showing you have a viable business with potential.
Data builds that credibility.
That doesn’t mean overwhelming your audience with spreadsheets. Instead, good pitch decks use:
Key metrics that demonstrate traction (users, revenue, growth rates).
Market research numbers that validate opportunity size.
Financial projections that show you understand your economics.
These data points should be presented clearly, often visually, and connected directly to your story. If you claim a big market, show how you plan to capture it.
Numbers anchor your story in reality and show you’re serious.
5. Authenticity and Confidence
Nothing undermines a pitch deck more than hype without substance.
Investors can spot exaggeration from a mile away, and overpromising kills credibility.
Good pitch decks are authentic. They don’t pretend the path is easy or that you have all the answers.
Instead, they show that you understand the risks, challenges, and have a plan.
This authentic confidence builds trust.
From our work with clients, decks that are honest about weaknesses but clearly highlight strengths tend to spark more meaningful conversations and investor interest.
6. Clear Differentiation
The market is crowded. Your pitch deck must clearly show what sets your company apart.
Good decks don’t just say “we’re better.” They explain how.
This might be:
Proprietary technology or intellectual property.
A unique business model or go-to-market approach.
Exclusive partnerships or access.
An exceptionally talented team.
Whatever it is, the deck should make the audience understand your advantage quickly and without guesswork.
7. A Logical Flow That Makes Sense
A good pitch deck follows a logical flow that guides the viewer effortlessly from problem to solution to opportunity to ask.
When the order of slides feels random or jarring, it interrupts comprehension.
The best pitch decks arrange content so each slide naturally builds on the previous one.
Here’s a common, effective sequence:
Problem
Solution
Market Opportunity
Business Model
Traction
Competition
Team
Financials
The Ask
This sequence answers the questions an investor naturally has in order.
8. Brevity Without Sacrificing Impact
Investors are busy, and their attention span is limited.
Good pitch decks respect that by keeping content concise and impactful.
This means no unnecessary filler, no long paragraphs, and no overly detailed explanations.
Each slide should communicate one or two key points. If a topic needs more explanation, save it for your verbal pitch or supplementary materials.
A tight, concise deck feels professional and respectful of the audience’s time.
9. Flexibility to Adapt
While a pitch deck should be well-crafted, it should also be adaptable.
Different investors care about different things.
Some want to see detailed financials. Others want to understand the market better.
A good pitch deck is the core story but flexible enough to be customized or expanded based on audience.
We often build decks with modular slides or appendices that can be swapped in or out.
10. A Strong, Clear Ask
Your pitch deck needs to close with a clear, confident ask.
How much money are you raising? What will you use it for? What milestones will you hit?
If you don’t make the ask obvious, you leave investors confused about next steps.
Good decks end with a strong call to action that leaves no doubt about what you want.
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.