Why Should Startups Move Away From Traditional Pitch Decks?

Effective and engaging pitching is one of the most critical skills startup founders need to succeed. A great pitch can captivate investors and attract funding. The conventional approach has been using slides and PowerPoints for startup pitches. However, this method has some challenges: linear, static slides cannot create enough interaction, are not suitable for virtual environments, and cannot retain today’s audience’s short attention spans.

So what's the alternative? The proposed solution is using a pitch cycle.

What is a Pitch Cycle:
A pitch cycle is an alternative model that instead of a linear presentation, puts the audience through a 3-5 minute looping story and narrative. In other words, a 3-5 minute video is created that tells the startup's story in a continuous, looping format.

In this video, various content such as product demos, customer testimonials, key metrics and data visualizations, and interactive storytelling elements can be incorporated. The goal is to create a dynamic, engaging, and exciting pitch that can retain the audience's focus.

Benefits of the Pitch Cycle:
- High adaptability to virtual environments, video conferences and remote pitches
- Ability to present richer, more compelling content
- Maintaining audience attention in today's world of short attention spans
- Improving storytelling and narrative skills of the founder

How to Create a Pitch Cycle:
1- Identify key narratives and themes like team, problem, product, market, etc.
2- Create short, compelling information blocks for each theme
3- Combine the blocks in an exciting, cohesive manner
4- Continuously practice to smooth out transitions and improve delivery

By moving away from traditional pitching models and embracing the pitch cycle, startups can deliver more effective, engaging, and optimized pitches for today’s world. This format strengthens the necessary founder skills and increases chances of success and securing funding.