20 Pitch Deck Prompts Every Founder Should Try

Are you uncertain where to begin and unsure what investors actually want to see in your pitch deck? The truth is, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, the right pitch deck prompt is enough to spark your story and get the ideas flowing.

In this post, you’ll find 20 practical pitch deck prompts that walk you through each part of your deck, from your elevator pitch to your financials. Use them to structure your slides, clarify your message, and get one step closer to an investor-ready pitch.

1. Elevator Pitch

Your elevator pitch is the fastest way to explain what your company does and why it matters. It is the one-liner you’d use if you only had 30 seconds in an elevator with an investor. Keep it short, clear, and specific.

Prompts to try:

• “Create a compelling elevator pitch for a startup in [industry], solving [specific problem your audience faces], targeting [primary customer segment or audience], and highlighting [your unique advantage or differentiator].”

• “Write a one-sentence pitch that explains what makes [your company name] unique by focusing on [your product/service], [the main benefit it delivers], and [why it stands out compared to competitors].”

These pitch deck prompts help you get straight to the point of what you do, who you serve, and why it’s different.

🔗 Must Know: What Are Investors Looking For in Pitch Decks?

2. Problem & Solution

Investors want to know two things right away: what problem exists, and how you solve it. This is where you prove there’s real pain in the market and show why your product is the answer.

Keep your language simple enough that anyone could understand it, not just insiders in your industry.

Prompts to try:

• “Describe the specific pain point my startup, [company name], is solving in simple terms. We work in [industry], our product is [product/service], and the main problem our customers face is [pain point]. Write it so any investor could quickly grasp it.”

• “Explain my solution in just two sentences, as if I were casually telling a friend over coffee. My startup, [company name], helps [target audience] by [core solution]. The main benefit is [key outcome].”

• “Write a short before-and-after snapshot that shows what life looks like without my product and how it improves once people start using it. My product is [product/service], my target audience is [audience], and the problem they face without it is [pain point]. With my product, they get [specific benefit/result].”

These pitch deck prompts push you to tell a story:

Here’s the problem, here’s the frustration it creates, and here’s how life looks once your solution is in place. That story is often more convincing than numbers alone.

🔗 Good to Read: How to Write a Pitch Deck Storyline to Get You Funded

3. Market Opportunity

Investors want to see that you’re solving a problem big enough to build a business around. The market slide is where you show the size of the opportunity and why it matters now. Keep it simple, avoid drowning your audience in numbers or complicated charts.

Prompts to try:

• “Define the market for my startup, [company name]. We operate in [industry/sector]. Our total addressable market (TAM) is [size/number of potential users globally], our serviceable market (SAM) is [the realistic portion of that TAM we can reach], and our beachhead market is [the narrow first segment of customers we’ll target]. Write this in plain, easy-to-understand terms.”

• “Write a clear statement of why now is the right time for [company name] to exist. Consider factors like [emerging trends], [new technology], [regulatory changes], or [shifts in customer behavior].”

These prompts push you to focus on clarity: how many people could buy your product, who you can realistically reach first, and why timing gives you an edge.

🔗 Helpful Resource: Crafting Seed to Series A Pitch Decks

4. Business Model

Even the best idea needs a clear path to revenue. Your business model shows investors how money flows into your company. This isn’t about a 10-year forecast; it’s about proving that you know how to charge and get paid.

Prompts to try:

• “Explain in plain language how [company name] makes money. We provide [product/service] to [target audience], and we earn revenue through [subscription fees/transaction fees/advertising/other model]. Write this in a way that anyone can quickly understand.”

• “List 2–3 pricing strategies [company name] could realistically test. Our product is [product/service], our target audience is [audience], and our competitors currently charge [price range]. Suggest options such as [freemium model, subscription tiers, pay-per-use, bundled pricing, etc.].”

These pitch deck prompts help you frame your model in straightforward terms: what you sell, who pays, and how you might experiment with pricing.

🔗 Better To Know: Why Your Pitch Deck Is not Working (And How to Fix It with Storytelling)?

5. Traction & Validation

If you already have customers, revenue, or user growth, this slide is where you shine. But if you’re early and don’t have customers yet, you can still show momentum, like sign-ups, partnerships, pilots, or even waitlists. Investors want to see signals that people care about what you’re building.

Prompts to try:

• “What traction metrics should [company name] include in our pitch deck if we don’t have paying customers yet? Our product is [product/service], we’ve achieved [milestones such as sign-ups, pilots, partnerships, prototypes], and our next big milestone is [goal]. Suggest the most compelling way to present this.”

• “Rewrite this traction slide for [company name] to highlight momentum instead of just raw numbers. Current details: [insert your existing slide text or metrics]. Focus on progress, demand signals, and validation.”

These prompts shift the focus from “big revenue now” to “clear progress and proof the market cares.”

🔗 Free Resource: 9 Winning Startup Pitch Decks and Why They Secured Funding

6. Product & Technology

Your product and tech are the heart of your startup, but investors don’t want jargon; they want clarity. Describe what you’ve built in simple terms, then highlight why it’s hard to copy.

Prompts to try:

• “Describe the product of [company name] in three simple bullet points. The product is [product/service], it helps [target audience], and the main benefits are [benefit 1], [benefit 2], and [benefit 3]. Keep it clear enough that a non-technical investor could understand.”

• “Show what makes the technology behind [company name] defensible in one slide. Our product uses [key technology/approach], the competitive advantage is [unique feature, IP, patents, network effect], and competitors would find it hard to replicate because [reason].”

These prompts help you balance simplicity with credibility: what your product does, and why it stands out.

7. Go-to-Market Strategy

Having a great product is only half the battle. Investors want to know how you’ll actually reach customers. This slide shows your first steps for building demand and growing sales. Keep it focused, show that you’ve thought about the fastest, most realistic ways to get traction.

Prompts to try:

• “Outline the first 3 customer acquisition channels for [company name]. Our product is [product/service], our target audience is [audience], and the channels we’re considering are [channel 1], [channel 2], [channel 3]. Explain why each channel makes sense for us.”

• “Write a simple 90-day launch plan for [company name] in three steps. Our goal is [goal e.g., 1,000 sign-ups or 10 pilot customers], our resources include [budget/team/partners], and our product is [product/service].”

These prompts push you to focus on clarity: where your first customers will come from and how you’ll win them.

8. Competition

Investors know every market has competitors, even if it’s just how people currently solve the problem. This slide is about showing you understand the landscape and why you’ll win.

Prompts to try:

• “Create a competition slide for [company name]. We compete in [industry/sector]. Our main competitors are [competitor 1], [competitor 2], and [competitor 3]. Position us against them based on [features, pricing, ease of use, distribution, or other differentiators].”

• “List the top 3 differentiators that make [company name] stand out. Our product is [product/service], our target audience is [audience], and what makes us different is [differentiator 1], [differentiator 2], [differentiator 3]. Write these in plain, easy-to-understand language.”

These prompts keep you from hand-waving about “no competition” and instead frame your company as a strong, clear alternative in the market.

9. Team

Investors often say they bet on people first, then ideas. This slide is your chance to show who you are and why you’re the right group to take this company forward. Keep bios short, highlight relevant experience, and connect your team’s skills directly to the problem you’re solving.

Prompts to try:

• “Write a short, investor-friendly bio for each founding team member at [company name]. For [founder’s name], include background in [industry/skill], past roles at [companies], and achievements such as [awards, exits, projects]. Keep it to 3–4 sentences.”

• “Explain why the team at [company name] is uniquely qualified to solve [problem]. Our founders bring [key skills/industry experience], our advisors have [specific expertise], and together we cover [core areas like product, sales, tech, domain knowledge].”

These prompts help show investors you’re not just passionate, you’re equipped to win.

🔗 Do You Know: What Happens After the Pitch?

10. Financials & Ask

The financials and ask slide tells investors what you need and how you’ll use it. Don’t overwhelm them with spreadsheets; show a realistic snapshot of your plan and runway. Be specific about how different raise amounts change your trajectory.

Prompts to try:

• “Model what raising $500K vs. $1M would mean for [company name]. At $500K, we could fund [specific hires, product milestones, marketing campaigns] and extend runway to [number of months]. At $1M, we could also achieve [bigger goals such as expansion, faster hiring, international reach]. Present this in plain terms.”

• “Write a clear ‘ask’ slide for [company name] showing how much we’re raising and what we’ll use it for. We’re raising [$X], and funds will go toward [category 1: % allocation], [category 2: % allocation], and [category 3: % allocation].”

These pitch deck prompts help you frame your financials as a story of growth and impact, not just numbers.

👉 See Full Sample Pitch Deck: EcoWrap Pitch Deck