These are some of the key elements I want to see in a startup pitch. There are many other frameworks like it, including the Business Model Canvas, the 10-slide pitch deck, the investor deck template, etc.

The elements don't need to appear in this strict ordering and should be arranged for your particular narrative. If you have a technical team with a unique solution, highlight that. If you have a large market and many prospects, highlight that.

  • Problem: What problem are you solving?
  • Market: Who has this problem? Do they know they have it?
  • Competition: How do people deal with this problem today?
  • Opportunity: How much are they losing or willing to spend dealing with it today?
  • Solution: What is your solution? How much does your solution cost? How is it delivered?
  • Team: What is your team's unique advantage in providing this solution?
  • Deployment: How do you find prospects? How do you get your solution deployed to those customers?
  • Prospects: Which specific customers have you engaged? Have they validated your solution? Who are the next 5 to engage?
  • Finance: Who owns your company and on what terms? How much money do you have? How much are you spending? When do you run out of money?
  • Pitch: How much money do you need to deploy your solution to your prospects? How far will that get you?