#002 Understanding the Difference Between Your Pitch and Your Pitch Deck

Over the years I have watched thousands and thousands of pitches. And way too often I am sitting in a startup event, watching entrepreneur after entrepreneur step onto the stage, and what do they do? Reading dense slides word-for-word. The energy in the room drops pretty fast, and investors start checking their phones. 

Sound familiar?

Here's what many startup founders miss: Your pitch and your pitch deck are not the same thing. Using your detailed pitch deck as your presentation slides. This is like using your detailed research paper as your speech notes – it just doesn't work.

They serve entirely different purposes.

When you're doing a pitch, remember this: Investors came to see YOU, not your slides. They want to hear you present your story. They want to feel your passion, understand your personality, and catch your enthusiasm. This is your moment to shine as the founder behind the idea.

Your Pitch = The Stage Is Yours!

Your pitch should be:

• Conversational and natural (like you're telling a story to a friend)

• Full of your unique personality and energy

• Supported by visuals, not driven by text

• A performance that brings your vision to life

Your Pitch Deck = The Silent Spokesperson

Now, your pitch deck - that  is different. This is the document investors will read before meeting you or take home to review later. It needs to stand on its own, without you there to explain things.

Your pitch deck should be:

• Formally written with clear, professional language

• Detailed enough to answer key questions

• Data driven

• Structured to be understood without verbal explanation

• Complete with all necessary data and projections

My Two-in-One Approach

As I love being efficient, here's my practical tip that will save you hours: Create one master presentation with two versions of each slide. For every key point (problem, solution etc), you'll have:

1. A pitch slide: Bold, visual, minimal text

• Think full-screen images that trigger emotions

• Just enough text or bullets to make a statement points

• Designed to support your verbal presentation

2. A deck slide: Detailed, informative, complete

• Full explanation in professional language

• All relevant data and information

• Designed to be understood standalone

This approach ensures consistency while serving both purposes. When you need to make changes, you're working in one document, keeping everything aligned.

Then when presenting on stage - you just hide the slides that are meant to be your send-out and vice versa. And when investors ask you to send them your pitch deck, it will be very convenient. It is already there - updated and ready to be sent.

Embrace the Power of Visuals

Let's talk about pictures. Many founders are afraid to let images dominate their slides, but here's the secret: Images create emotional connections that bullet points never will.

Don't be afraid to:

• Use full-slide images that capture attention

• Let pictures tell part of your story

• Create visual metaphors for complex ideas

• Break free from the bullet-point prison

Making It Work

When you're ready to present:

1. Use your visual slides for the live pitch, letting your natural speaking style shine

2. Have your detailed deck ready to send as follow-up

3. Keep your verbal presentation conversational and engaging

4. Save the formal language for the written deck

Time to Take Action

Look at your current pitch materials. Are you trying to make one deck serve both purposes? Challenge yourself to create distinct versions. Start with one slide – make a visual version for presenting and a detailed version for reading.

Remember: Your pitch is a performance, your deck is a document. Master both, and you'll stand out from the crowd of entrepreneurs still reading their slides.

Next time you're preparing for an investor presentation, ask yourself: Am I creating a performance or writing a document?

The answer should be both – just not at the same time.