Peter Andreas Thiel is an American entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is a co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund. As per Peter Thiel, a killer pitch deck should include the following slides:
- Problem
- Solution
- Market Size
- Product
- Traction
- Team
- Competition
- Financials
- Amount being raised
- Financial Model
Here is the detailed layout of the pitch deck template from Peter Thiel:
THE COVER
The first impression is the last impression, therefore create the best first impression in the first slide. The quotes from media outlets are very interesting. They give trust and add social proof to your venture. For any investor reviewing your pitch deck, this will give instant credibility. On average, an investor will take around 2 minutes and 30 seconds to review a pitch deck. By having credible sources you will most likely increase the attention and investment of time on your materials. Peter Thiel is specific about this slide in his pitch deck.
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION
In the format of StartupLanes, we always recommend startups to create different slides for the problem and the solution as it looks cluttered. However, in the Peter Thiel Pitch Deck template, he clubbed both problem and solution in to one single slide.
This gives a single slide overview of both problem and solution.
THE TEAM
Investors want to know who runs the startup, therefore team is an important slide in any pitch deck. Startup Investors Bet on the Jockey, Not the Horse. In the beginning all businesses are just people playing out an idea. It’s never the other way around – there is no idea so big that it doesn’t need people to make it succeed. Investors know this, hence the saying “Bet on the jockey (founder), not the horse (idea).
If the jockey is good, then you will win the race.
As per Alejandro Cremades is a Spanish author and entrepreneur based in New York City:
Having the founder experience and domain expertise helps in reducing the risk from an investment and that is something you absolutely need to include on the slide just like Peter Thiel did.
THE PRODUCT
Startup Investors are keen to understand whether the startup has received the acceptance from the market or not? Is it ready to scale? Peter Thiel has given the importance to the Product slide in his pitch deck template.
As per Alejandro Cremades:
Many founders make the mistake with raising capital to just to start the company. This ultimately results in taking unnecessary dilution right out of the gate. You want to raise financing to speed up the machine and not to build it.
THE MARKET
Startup Investors want to know the market size and its validation. It is the market that will decide the opportunity of exit to the investors in coming future through subsequent rounds of funding.
You can include credible research from reliable sources like research agencies, newspaper and television.
OPPORTUNITY AND COMPETITION
It is important to depict how big and relevant the opportunity is. Peter Thiel has mentioned Opportunity and Competition as an important slide. Certainly this slide should show how your startup is better then the competition and how many competitors are directly competing with you?
BARRIERS TO ENTRY
As per Peter Thiel, the next important question that what makes you unique? And how will you be able to outperform your competitors?
A good business should create entry barriers for the potential competitors or the startup should get into an industry that has huge entry barriers. In this slide you should depict the entry barriers.
FUNDING HISTORY
If you have existing investors from the previous rounds, then mention their names and profiles in this slide. The incoming investors want to know the details about existing investors and the previous funding rounds.
FUTURE PROSPECTS & VISION
Startup Investors are interested in understanding from the founders about the future prospects and the vision of the founding team for the startup. Peter Thiel has given it due importance in his Pitch Deck template.
CONTACT
Here you should provide your contact details so that the investors can contact you without any hassle.
FINANCIAL MODEL
Make it a habit, always include the financial model in the pitch deck. Peter Thiel is particular about including the financial model in the pitch deck. You should also depict the financial projections in this slide.
CONSLUSION
You can follow the above pitch deck template by Peter Thiel as a great example of how to make a nice pitch deck. It may be a case that the above template won’t be suitable for your startup, therefore, in that case you can avail the pitch deck advisory service by StartupLanes. This service is available at a very nominal cost.