There are many opinions on creating a pitch deck and presenting to potential investors, but there is still a big gap between what entrepreneurs perceive to be important and what investors really value during a pitch presentation.

This post is the first in a series, where we will provide real examples–the good, the OK, and the bad–of early stage pitch decks we’ve seen over the years here at Matrix Partners. We’ll share, slide by slide, what investors are thinking (but not usually saying) when you present. And, we’ll talk about the key questions you should be asking yourself when deciding how to create your pitch. Our hope is to help founders nail their pitches so they can more easily communicate their incredible ideas and find the right VC partners to help them grow their businesses. We’ll be publishing posts for each of the key sections of a pitch deck:

1. Team
2. Company Purpose
3. Problem
4. Solution
5. Why Now
6. Market Size
7. Business Model
8. Competition
9. Customer Acquisition Funnel
10. Traction
11. Financials
12. Appendix