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Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

The Sequoia Pitch Deck Template has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of startup founders that are preparing their pitch deck.

It started as a simple blog post that some smart cookie turned into a very simple series of slides. Sometimes the best things in life are super simple.

Now yes, Sequoia are a big deal and yes they know what they are talking about but no… you’re not going to learn a massive amount when it comes to what to actually write and the narrative you want to tell. This is, however, a nice quick read for you to start building a framework upon which to build you frame of reference

The back story on the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

So what is the back story with the pitch deck template? In Sequoia’s words:

When Brian, Joe and Nate founded Airbnb, they had an air mattress, entrepreneurial passion, and a vision for reinventing travel and hospitality, but no clear idea how to approach VCs or how to craft a pitch deck. They came across Sequoia’s guide for how to write a business plan and the  rest is history . They made a great deck. But it wasn’t really the slides we liked—it was their ideas, the clarity of their thinking, and the scope of their ambition. We love partnering with founders hell-bent on bringing an idea to life that conventional wisdom deems impossible. And we love to partner early— when an idea is newly formed and has the maximal room to grow.

So they shared their guide to pitching (with a few refinements from years of use).

Investors have a short attention span

Investors will give you the most attention at the start of your pitch.

A rookie mistake is to assume that if you have scheduled an hour-long meeting, you will get an hour of attention. #fail

The typical attention span in an hour-long meeting will follow this curve most of the time.

Understand this when you think about the order and priority of the information you want to communicate to venture capitalists.

You have five minutes to earn attention for the rest of the meeting. If you can’t get them thinking ‘Ok, this might be interesting’ they may even call an end to the meeting and say ‘come back when you have more traction.’ Founders LOVE hearing that. Not.

For the love of god, make sure in the first few minutes investors are crystal clear what you actually do! It’s crazy how many founders forget to actually do that. You know your business- everyone else does not!

The flow of the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

• Company Purpose
• Market Size

Competition

• Business Model

Company purpose

Start here: define your company in a single declarative sentence. This is harder than it looks. It’s easy to get caught up listing features instead of communicating your mission.

I personally like using and x for y (Just don’t use Uber!) and then a simple explanation.

‘Visions’ might work in America, but in most places investors might think it is naff. Investors would prefer to know the insight you identified and how you are proving that out.

Describe the pain of your customer. How is this addressed today and why the current offerings are totally inadequate.

The bigger the pain point the better!

Be very clear about the problem you are solving:

• For consumer concepts, talk about user needs (You need to market to them)
• For enterprise ideas, show a detailed understanding of your customer’s pain (you need to be an industry expert)

If you cannot convince an investor there’s something deeply broke, they will not be interested in what your solution is to the problem. You might have a solution looking for a problem… in which case, come back later.

There are a lot of manners to approach describing the solution. Some of the things you can address include:

• What was your eureka moment?
• Why is your value prop unique and compelling?
• Why will it endure? Is there a competitive moat build in such as network effects?
• And where does it go from here? How big can this get?

You need to figure out the key points that really communicate the big value here.

Timing matters.

The best companies almost always have a clear why now? What happened in the industry to bring your industry to being at the perfect time for you to act on it?

Nature hates a vacuum—so why hasn’t your solution been built before now? There are often good reasons for this.

Market potential

Can this be really big? How big is the market?

You have two ways to size the market:

And some sizing jargon you can use is:

Here is an example of how we have presented it.

You need to identify your customer and your market clearly. Have an avatar in your head.

‘ If we just get 1% of the market ‘ is naive. In fact, some of the best companies invent their own markets (think Airbnb).

If it’s a new market, the best way to tackle this is to explain how many users or customers there are for the product/service, how this number grows over time, and how much each of these users/customers is worth (this last part is a chance to cover pricing/revenue model).

If it’s a replacement market, for example where software is automating an existing service, then explain how big the existing market is today and how much you expect your solution to shrink it, through lower prices. You can read about shrinking a market and owning it here .

One thing not to do is to put up huge numbers from a market study such as Gartner or Forrester and not add any details behind them. Airbnb does this in their deck , albeit simply.

If you cannot prove you have a large market you will not get very far. Here is why .

EVERYONE has competitors. Inertia is always an option.

Who are your direct and indirect competitors? Typically these are mapped out in an x/y axis.

The best is to add some commentary, or at least show that you have a plan to win by talking to the slide.

Better to identify all the competitors than have the investors discover them afterwards. That way, you can proactively explain how you are different. You want to control the discussion and not undermine your credibility.

Especially for early stage where you don’t have a lot of numbers you really want to give a demo.

My recommendation is not to do this live, but to pre-record the demo. DO NOT record your voice. Talk to the video. Otherwise, why didn’t you just send them a link to watch when they want? You can also pause the video and add extra comments on the fly and answer specific questions. You never know if wifi breaks etc.

It’s not possible every time (e.g. for infrastructure software), but whenever you can, a demo is worth a thousand words. Failing that, screenshots and the workflow to bring the solution alive.

Business model

So how do you actually make money?

How you address this slide depends on your business model and the stage you are at (maybe you aren’t clear on pricing yet?).

If you have many ways to make money, don’t talk about them all! Pick one main method. It’s almost always:

• Subscription
• Ads (Ergh…)
• Transactions

Ideally you can add metrics here around critical areas including CAC and LTV.

By this point, if the investor is interested, they will want to know about the team, so it’s worth spending a couple of minutes on the founders’ backgrounds, highlighting any special talents or experiences that make them well-suited to building the business.

Team is critical. Everything else is sort of pointless with out the team to execute on it. Here is a guide so you know what an investible founding team looks like .

I disagree with the Sequoia Capital pitch deck template format here though. If your team is amazing, you want to put it up front. It adds credibility to everything you say.

If you are sending satellites to space, I like to know first that you worked at NASA.

If you don’t know… here is the real reason founders are not funded (that doesn’t get talked about).

I would put advisors at the bottom and very small. Most people think advisors are BS and your friend who agreed to get involved for the sole purpose of the deck. You can add credibility by saying they actually invested. That makes it real, even if it is a small amount.

I typically don’t include financials in a pitch deck, at least nothing like a P&L. What I focus on instead are your metrics and adding growth charts.

You can mention high level MRR/ARR numbers and the like depending on your business model.

It’s easy to lose yourself in the numbers. Sequoia suggest keeping it simple and just showing on a timeline how you would spend the money (e.g., headcount) to achieve specific milestones (e.g., launching the service). I however recommend making a source and use slide which shows what you are raising, how you are going to spend it, and the key milestones you will achieve with it and your defined runway.

There we go. What do you think of the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template? Let me know in the comments and we can discuss them.

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R.I.P. Good Times

Sequoia capital.

Back in 2008, Sequoia Capital shared with its portfolio companies some tips for surviving the economic downturn. Here's the original RIP Good Times presentation.

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Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

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AI generated Pitch Deck 🤖

What is Sequoia Capital Investments?

Sequoia Capital Investments is a well-known venture capital firm that has been successful in investing globally. With a legacy spanning several decades, the firm has a reputation for identifying groundbreaking opportunities and making successful investments. They are experts in various industries, including technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors. Sequoia Capital Investments is committed to supporting exceptional entrepreneurs and driving transformative growth. They are a trusted partner and catalyst for success, shaping the future of the investment world through their vision and dedication to long-term value creation.

Sequoia successful investments

Sequoia Capital has a history of successful investments, and here are some examples of notable ones that yielded significant returns for the firm:

In 1999, Sequoia Capital made a crucial early investment in Google, providing the search engine giant with much-needed funding during its early stages. This investment has since become one of the most successful in venture capital history, contributing immensely to Sequoia Capital's reputation and financial success.

Sequoia Capital invested in Apple during the company's early days in the late 1970s. This investment proved to be highly lucrative, as Apple went on to revolutionize the technology industry with its iconic products, such as the iPhone, iPad, and Macintosh computers.

In 2011, Sequoia Capital made a strategic investment in WhatsApp, the popular messaging app. When Facebook acquired WhatsApp for a staggering $19 billion in 2014, Sequoia Capital generated substantial returns.

Sequoia Capital invested in Airbnb in its early stages, recognizing its disruptive potential in the travel and hospitality industry. As Airbnb grew significantly in value, Sequoia Capital's investment also grew.

Sequoia Capital backed YouTube, the world's leading video-sharing platform, in 2005. The investment played a pivotal role in YouTube's growth and eventual acquisition by Google, further solidifying Sequoia Capital's successful track record.

Sequoia Pitch Deck template

Since Sequoia Capital has quite the reputation for investments, it makes sense to take a page out of their book. This pitch deck is perfect for companies that are getting ready to develop a pitch when seeking investors. Similar to a business plan, a pitch helps to answer potential questions that an investor will have before putting up their money in your business. This presentation slideshow has slides that build upon each other to create your overall pitch.

Slides Included:

Each slide of the pitch deck will help you walk your potential investors through the investment opportunity you’re offering them. The slides included in the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template each have a specific purpose that leads them down the path of discovery into your pitch.

This slide is your opener. You’re presenting the problem that your target market has and works to set up your pitch. This problem is what is creating the need for your service, widget, or other solution that your company offers. Often, you want this slide to be a problem that isn’t up for debate and that you can verify exists while staying away from problematic terminology.

This slide follows up the problem by showing your solution to the previous slide’s problem. Without going into technical details or too much jargon that could turn off investors, you’ll want to lay out your solution with benefits that it offers towards the problem.

The next slide covers a potential question that many investors will have in that why is now the time? Why does this problem need an answer now? Why is now the time to capitalize on this problem? This slide is the perfect opportunity to discuss the market validation that exists.

Market Size

This slide is your chance to let investors know about the scalability of this opportunity. Give your potential investors a chance to see what your share of the market can be once funded.

Competition

The competition slide is where you can show your market research skills by showing what competitors currently exist in your market, and how your solution is a better fit for consumers. This slide is where you explain how your company can create their own niche based on what other companies are currently doing.

Your product slide is where you get a chance to really get down to the meat and potatoes of the product you’re offering and what investors are putting their money into. This part is where you can go into more details about your product as the solution.

Business Model

The business model that you present to your investors can make a huge difference in how your pitch is received. Investors want your company to succeed and make money because that means their investment is going to pay them back. Most investors want to see a solid business model that will create returns for them.

This slide is your time to shine a light on all those behind the company. Highlight what each of these team members brings to the project and why they are right for the future of the company.

Board/Advisors

This one is an additional slide that can be useful for discussing others that play an essential role in the company and the potential for growth.

Your financial slide can be the basics about your company’s current financials that help to explain why you’ll need the investor’s help and why you believe that the company’s future depends on that investment to move forward to the next stage. This slide is helping to get the investor to see your current success before moving on to the final slide, fundraising where you’re giving the investor the ask of your pitch.

Fundraising

Your final slide is almost like your call to action. You’re laying down the terms of what you’re asking for from investors. You are breaking down what the initial investment you’re looking for, and what is predicted to happen from this investment.

The Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck can be changed to fit your particular needs, such as removing slides or revising the order of slides presented

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Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck

Pitch decks are an essential tool for startups seeking investment from venture capital firms or angel investors. A pitch deck is a presentation slideshow that helps to explain the investment opportunity being offered to potential investors. It's similar to a business plan in that it helps to answer questions that investors may have before deciding to invest in a company.

One pitch deck template that is particularly popular among startups is the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template. Sequoia Capital is a well-known venture capital firm that has a reputation for making successful investments, so it makes sense for startups to use their pitch deck template as a guide.

The Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template includes a number of slides that are designed to build upon each other to create a comprehensive pitch. These slides include:

• Problem: This slide explains the problem that your company is solving and how it affects your target market.
• Solution: This slide outlines your proposed solution to the problem and how it addresses the needs of your target market.
• Why Now?: This slide explains why now is the right time to address this problem, taking into account market trends and other factors.
• Market Size: This slide estimates the size of the market that your product or service is targeting.
• Competition: This slide outlines the competition that your company is facing and how your product or service is different from what's already available.
• Product: This slide provides more detail about your product or service, including its features and benefits.
• Business Model: This slide explains how your company plans to make money, including your revenue streams and pricing model.
• Team: This slide introduces the key members of your team and their relevant experience and expertise.
• Board/Advisors: This slide highlights any advisors or board members that you have, including their credentials and expertise.
• Financial: This slide provides financial information about your company, including revenue projections and funding needs.
• Fundraising: This slide explains how much funding you're seeking and how you plan to use it to grow your business.

Overall, the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template is a valuable resource for startups looking to develop a pitch for potential investors. By using this template, you can ensure that you have a well-structured, comprehensive pitch that addresses all of the key points that investors will be looking for.

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Leading in Uncertain Times

This was a presentation to our founders on June 3, 2022 to help them lead their teams effectively through challenging times.

This final breakout conversation following our main  Adapting to Endure  session focuses on leading teams in uncertain times. The presentation consists of a section on business leadership principles, and one on communication principles. It’s based on our own experiences and observations, but it aims to provide general frameworks that will be useful in all kinds of business environments.

Download the full presentation here

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Sequoia Capital’s 56 Slide Presentation Of Doom

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We were able to track down the presentation that Sequoia Capital gave to its portfolio company CEO’s earlier this week. It’s a long, 56 slide Powerpoint message of doom and gloom in Silicon Valley that we covered yesterday along with an email that angel investor Ron Conway sent to his 130 active portfolio companies.

The final text slide reads “Get Real or Go Home.”

Benchmark Capital jumped on the band wagon today with their own email to portfolio companies . The messages are all similar – companies need to stay ahead of the curve as much as possible. Cut costs now, and raise capital if you can. If there’s someone out there willing to buy you, do it. Etc.

Of course all this negativity helps create the very downturn that venture capitalists are warning their companies to defend themselves against, perpetuating a sort of vicious cycle downward. But that’s ok, sometimes the hedge needs to be pruned. And this is what makes Silicon Valley its ugly, beautiful self.

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All About Sequoia Trees

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Have you ever seen a sequoia tree? It’s impressive how big they can get, you can hardly see the top! Do you know what else is impressive? This creative template! Download it now and present this specific tree and detailed information about its aspects, history, facts, world copies or growth conditions. The design is super creative with tree illustrations to frame your information perfectly. Perk up your audience’s curiosity and let this presentation do the rest!

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