How to Get the Assistant to Create a Great Startup Pitch Deck Outline

Why Your Pitch Deck Outline Matters

A pitch deck isn’t about telling your whole story—it’s about opening the door to a real conversation. For early-stage founders, especially at pre-seed or seed, a short, sharp deck is your best asset. Investors see hundreds of decks; yours needs to stand out, land key points, and leave them wanting more.

Step 1: Set the Stage for the NOAN Assistant

• Tell the Assistant Your Goal:
  “I’m building a pitch deck for my fundraising round.”
• Specify Your Stage:
  “We’re a pre-seed company raising our first round.”
  (Or: “We’re Series A, looking to scale.”)
• Define the Length:
  “I want a 10–12 slide outline.”
  (Or: “Keep it to 8 slides for a first intro.”)

Step 2: Guide the Narrative Structure

• Request an Executive Summary Flow:
  “Each slide headline should tell a story when read in sequence—no generic titles like ‘The Problem’ or ‘The Team.’”
• Ask for Key Points Only:
  “Each slide should have only the essential points—no text walls.”
• Classic (Y Combinator) Format, But Make It Yours:
  “Use the classic YC flow:  
  • Problem  
  • Solution  
  • How it works  
  • Why now  
  • Market size  
  • Competitive landscape  
  • Team  
  • Traction  
  • Vision  
  • Ask
    But make every headline land a point, not just label the section.”

Step 3: Example Prompts for NOAN

“I’m building a pre-seed pitch deck. I want a 10-slide outline. Each slide headline should tell a story and create an executive summary when read in order. Use the classic YC structure, but make every headline specific and impactful. Each slide should have only the key points—no text overload. This deck will be sent as a follow-up after investor meetings.

Step 4: What Makes a Great Slide Headline?

• Instead of: “The Problem”
  Try: “Small Businesses Waste 10+ Hours/Week on Manual Admin”
• Instead of: “The Team”
  Try: “A World-Class Team with SaaS Exits and AI Expertise”
• Instead of: “Market Size”
  Try: “A $5B Market Ripe for Disruption—And Growing Fast”

Step 5: Understand the Role of Your Deck

• Early Meetings:
  Your deck is a hook, not a manual. It’s about getting the next call, not closing the round.
• Follow-Up:
  After a demo or intro, your deck should reinforce excitement and make it easy for your champion to share your story internally.
• Sending First:
  If you send the deck before a meeting, it should spark curiosity and make the investor want to meet you.

Step 6: Use NOAN to Iterate

• Ask for Variations:
  “Can you give me three options for the ‘Why Now’ slide headline?”
• Refine for Brevity:
  “Make the outline even shorter—8 slides max.”
• Request Investor-Focused Angles:
  “Highlight what makes this a once-in-a-decade opportunity.”

Step 7: Final Tips

• Keep It Short:
  Less is more. Aim for clarity, not completeness.
• Narrative Flow:
  The headlines should read like an executive summary.
• Visuals Over Text:
  Use graphics, charts, and whitespace—NOAN can help suggest what to visualize.
• Always End with a Clear Ask:
  “Raising $1M to scale—join us.”

Sample NOAN Prompt

NOAN, I’m building a pre-seed pitch deck for my AI platform. I want a 10-slide outline. Each slide headline should tell a story and create an executive summary when read in order. Use the classic YC structure, but make every headline specific and impactful. Each slide should have only the key points—no text overload. This deck will be sent as a follow-up after investor meetings.

Recap

• Tell NOAN your stage, goal, and desired length.
• Request a narrative-driven outline—no generic section titles.
• Keep slides focused, short, and visually engaging.
• Use the deck to open doors, not close deals.

With NOAN, you’ll have a pitch deck outline that gets you noticed—and gets you to the next meeting - it's how we raised our own funding.

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