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Investor Pitch Decks
Most pitch decks rarely motivate investors to take the next step.
The standard-issue ten-slide format espoused by accelerators, incubators, and investor pitch events attempts to explain everything about a business opportunity in a few minutes. The goal of a pitch deck is simple: get a follow-on conversation.
My approach to designing pitch decks is different and common sense. Start by crafting a story that concisely tells investors why the opportunity is exciting and has a believable, defensible path to a return on their investment. Then build a sequence of slides to tell that story with clear words and vivid images. Focus the audience’s attention on the presenter, not the presentation. Start by grabbing their attention. End with a clear request.
It’s essential to understand your audience. Who are they? What motivates them? What keeps them up at night? What do you share in common? Why might they resist? Why should they consider this investment versus the many other possibilities for their money and attention? The more you understand, the better the pitch.
All projects start with a free conversation
See below for package pricing
Recent pitch decks
Culineer
First social media platform for personal recipes and dinner-time logistics.
One-day redesign.
Vital Sines
High-frequency pulse oximeter hardware powered by patent-pending AI mathematical analysis software measure a person’s internal age.
Half-day redesign.
Moola Marketplace
Instant, private payment platform keeps buyer’s financial information completely private, and enables merchants to dramatically lower transaction costs.
Pitch Deck Package Pricing
Best choice for cleaning up an existing deck
The project starts with creating or refining the narrative: the sequence of ideas that introduces the opportunity, overviews the business premise, transitions to the financial promise, and ends with the raise.
With the narrative in hand, the design work focuses on the most important elements: key conceptual slides, the financial slides, the opening and the closing statements.
You’ll complete any unfinished slides and create the spoken narrative.
Reorder the narrative and redesign key slides
The project starts with creating or refining the narrative: the sequence of ideas that introduces the opportunity, overviews the business premise, transitions to the financial promise, and ends with the raise.
With the narrative in hand, the design work begins by building a storyboard with key words and placeholder images. The objective is to enable the presenter to present their business story simply and clearly without slides.
With the storyboard in hand, the design work then focuses on the most important elements: the opening sequence, key conceptual or technical slides, the numbers story, and the closing.
You’ll complete any unfinished slides and create the spoken narrative.
Each phase includes a review by the stakeholders.
Reorder the narrative, redesign key slides, and create speaker notes
This project is the same as the two-day version, but includes fully-scripted speaker notes.
The project starts with creating or refining the narrative: the sequence of ideas that introduces the opportunity, overviews the business premise, transitions to the financial promise, and ends with the raise.
With the narrative in hand, the design work begins by building a storyboard with key words and placeholder images. The objective is to enable the presenter to present their business story simply and clearly, without slides.
With the storyboard in hand, the design work then focuses on the most important elements: the opening sequence, key conceptual or technical slides, the numbers story, and the closing.
With a near-final presentation in hand, the project concludes by fully scripting the speaker notes.
Each phase includes a review by the stakeholders.
Quick Pitch Playbook
A difficult moment for many entrepreneurs is answering, “What do you do?” You have seconds to make a memorable first impression that invites further discussion.
How do you start? Which ideas are most important? How long should you speak? What questions, if any, should you ask? Should you ask for a follow-on meeting? If so, when and how?
In a business context, the answers depend upon with whom you’re speaking, where you’re speaking, why the audience might be interested in you, and how you might benefit each other.
A clear, brief presentation of your venture’s potential is essential. Knowing your numbers, assumptions, and metrics conveys credibility. Listening carefully, then speaking in a natural tone of voice while looking calmly and directly at your questioner opens the conversation.
I work with key individuals to develop a quick pitch playbook for different situations, each with an opening idea and supporting topics that may be introduced into the flow of the conversation. Then we practice until the words come easily and naturally.
Quick Pitch Playbook projects are billed by the hour.
All projects start with a free conversation
Web Design
Custom Squarespace and Shopify websites.
I start with a professional template and upgrade it with custom CSS formatting code and modified platform scripting language. Most web design projects require developing a proposal with a scope of work, timeline, and budget. Basic websites may be built in a few days.
All projects start with a free conversation
See below for package pricing
Websites designed from scratch
Pala International
comprises three businesses: Palagems, Palaminerals, and The Collector Fine Jewelry.
The Palagems and Palaminerals sites are dual-hosted: Squarespace for the front-end and Shopify for the ecommerce functions.
Both hosts required extensive custom CSS modifications and modifications to their scripting languages.
The Collector Fine Jewelry site is a Squarespace site with some custom CSS formatting.
Marc Chabot Fine Arts
sells fine art prints and works on paper from the Americas and abroad.
The site was built using Shopify's Minimal theme with custom CSS formatting modified LIQUID code, and Facebook and Pinterest sales channels.
Final Farewell
is a charity helps families provide an affordable funeral for a loved child.
The site was built with Squarespace's Adirondack template modified with custom CSS and Google Translate code injections.
Website Package Pricing
FIVE DAYS
Basic marketing website built with Squarespace for showcasing your services or products
You provide the exact words.
We design the user interface, conceptual graphics, and provide stock images for the landing pages.
We’ll provide a standard legal agreement for privacy which you will need to review with your legal counsel.
You receive a working website and full rights.
FIVE DAYS
Basic ecommerce website built with Shopify for selling your services or products
You provide the exact words.
We design the user interface, conceptual graphics, and provide stock images for the landing pages.
We’ll teach you how to add and manage inventory on Shopify.
We’ll provide standard legal agreements for sales, returns, and privacy which you will need to review with your legal counsel.
You receive a working website and full rights.
All projects start with a free conversation
Website Design Review
The best websites quickly get to the point with vivid images and a few words.
There are clear paths to further information and no confusion about what’s behind a button or menu item. The design works equally well on small or big screens for every kind of eyesight.
I review websites by observing my experience while I explore the content. Where do my eyes go? Which images and words stand out? What’s fun or engaging? Where and why am I confused, or bored, or frustrated? What’s extraneous or unnecessary? Is the content so stripped down that I only get the gist? Do the images convey the same ideas as the words? Can I find what I’m looking for?
My impressions are condensed into a concise report with proposed design changes. Depending upon your needs, timeline and budget, you could ask me to redesign key pages, text content, or infographics. If there are major changes, I may propose a top-to-bottom redesign.
Website design reviews are billed by the hour.