Every day on LinkedIn, I see a flood of well-meaning advice on what a pitch deck should contain.
The usual suspects:
- A clearly defined problem
- A compelling solution (preferably a working product)
- A business model overview
- Market sizing with CAGR-backed charts
- A capable team slide
- GTM and scaling strategy
There’s nothing wrong with this advice.
But here’s the truth:
👉 It’s designed for one kind of innovation journey—typically a fast follower strategy.
A mature solution space, a familiar customer problem, and a focus on execution.
But what if your startup is doing something different?
- What if you’re building in an uncertain space?
- What if you’re ahead of regulation or policy?
- What if you’re dealing with deep tech, shifting markets, or evolving infrastructure?
In those cases, this “standard” pitch deck is not just inadequate, it’s misleading.
Let’s break down what’s missing.
🔍 Trend Spotting: Where’s the foresight?
Most pitch decks highlight market growth, but completely miss PESTLED trends or scenario planning.
📉 Why it matters:
Your entire business might become obsolete if the tech, policy, or ecosystem shifts.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- What shifts in policy, environment, or technology could make this solution obsolete?
- Has the team modelled multiple future scenarios?
📌 Example: Log9 Materials bet on Lithium Titanate batteries.
But LFP chemistry advanced faster—driven by policy and manufacturing shifts—leaving them behind.
🔁 Problem Definition: Are we solving the right problem?
Many startups describe a static, present-day problem.
But the real question is: Will this still be a problem tomorrow?
📉 Why it matters:
Solving the wrong or disappearing problem is worse than no solution at all.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- What if the problem disappears due to tech or social shifts?
- Have multiple framings been considered?
📌 Example: Iridium satellite phones were solving a real problem—until mobile networks evolved faster than expected.
💡 Idea Generation: Why this solution?
Most decks present the solution like a divine revelation—
No trace of alternatives considered. No first-principles logic. Just… “Here’s the idea.”
📉 Why it matters:
If you’ve never questioned your design, what happens when the market does?
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- What alternatives were considered and rejected?
- What was the thought process in narrowing down the solution?
📌 Example: A drone startup locked into a fixed-wing design.
Later, VTOL became dominant, but pivoting was painful and late.
🔬 Concept Development: What killers have you faced?
Startups rarely showcase how they’ve stress-tested their concept.
No mention of technical constraints, usability flaws, or system-level risks.
📉 Why it matters:
Most early failures stem not from bad ideas, but from overlooked killer assumptions.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- Have low-fidelity prototypes or simulations been tested?
- What constraints (e.g., regulation, energy, UX) have been ruled out?
📌 Example: A MedTech startup assumed self-use, but ignored ergonomics.
After FDA approval, no adoption.
🧱 Business Model Canvas: Hypothesis or declaration?
Many founders showcase a perfect BMC slide.
But BMC at the early stages should be a set of hypotheses, not a claim.
📉 Why it matters:
The riskiest assumptions are hidden under buzzwords and certainty.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- What parts of your BMC are tested? What’s still unknown?
- What’s your plan for validating the riskiest blocks?
📌 Example: BluSmart mirrored Uber’s model but didn’t validate its pricing, unit economics, or supply-side complexity. The assumptions unravelled.
❤️ Desirability: Have they tested willingness to pay?
MVP is not traction.
Downloads ≠ demand.
Interest ≠ intent.
📉 Why it matters:
You need to show real behaviour change, not just interest.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- Have users paid? Committed time or money?
- Have you tested whether they’d miss your product?
- If your product requires a behaviour change, have you tested how easy it is to convince the early adopters?
📌 Example: A health app had 10,000 downloads and 3% retention.
People liked it, but it was not enough to keep it.
⚙️ Feasibility & Viability: Can this scale?
Decks focus on desirability, but feasibility is barely touched, especially in hardware or regulated sectors.
📉 Why it matters:
Good ideas that can’t scale become bad businesses.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- What supply chain, operations, or partnerships have been tested?
- Has a pilot demonstrated full-stack viability?
- Is technology readiness achieved?
📌 Example: An AgriTech company’s sensors worked.
But in rural India, no service or logistics existed. The solution stalled.
🚀 Commercialisation Readiness: Plan or proof?
Most GTM slides are theories—unproven funnels, vague CAC/LTV, no actual channel data.
📉 Why it matters:
Without proven acquisition and monetisation, growth remains hypothetical.
🔎 Due Diligence Qs:
- What GTM experiments have been run? Are you able to create a healthy sales pipeline?
- Has CAC/LTV been validated outside your personal network?
- Is the business model’s viability proven?
📌 Example: A SaaS company had strong traction among friends.
Outbound channels flopped. Messaging never got tested.
💼 So, What Should a Pitch Deck Include?
If you’re building anything novel—deep tech, AI, platforms, sustainability, or social innovation- you must tell a deeper story.
A pitch deck should be a map of your thinking, not just a list of claims.
Here’s what to include:
✅ Structured trend analysis
✅ Future-framed problem definition
✅ Multiple idea pathways and reasoning
✅ Killer constraint validation
✅ Business model hypotheses and risk mapping
✅ Real desirability signals (not vanity metrics)
✅ Proven feasibility in real environments
✅ Commercialisation experiments and CAC insight
✅ Scaling plans with systems, not just numbers
🧭 Final Thought
A pitch deck isn’t just a fundraising tool.
It’s a reflection of how you think, how you learn, and how you adapt.
And whether your startup is ready for what’s next.
💡 Don’t be like a fast follower if you build something bold.
Raise with depth. Pitch with foresight.
If this makes sense to you, reach out to me on how to build a better pitch deck.
Do share your comment
Krishnan Naganathan
Innovation Consultant