When creating marketing materials, think about layers of information. I recommend avoiding an “all or nothing” approach in which you don’t really say anything substantive at the beginning, and then you suddenly get into dense slides detailing your science. Sometimes...1/9
...entrepreneurs worry that shorter descriptions of the company / platform / programs may be too “dumbed down” – but flooding investors with too much information all at once doesn’t facilitate understanding or recall. Start by creating a description of your company in a...2/9
...sentence or two that hits on the relevant points for investors (lead program or platform; stage; what round you’re raising and how much); this can be useful when introducing the company by email. You can then create a longer blurb that adds other relevant points...3/9
...(differentiation; market size; pipeline; etc.) – you will end up using this in other settings. Finally, getting to the deck – consider an investment highlights page that lays out some general high-level thesis points about the company. Build on these throughout the...4/9
...presentation. E.g., if you have a program you believe will be best-in-class, say why briefly at the beginning. You can also mention why the target is so great (validated, relevant to high unmet need markets, etc.) You can then have a few slides on the target, some on the...5/9
...indications, some on your own program, and a competitive landscape. Make use of repetition and conclusions (e.g., in the title or in a “strap box” on the bottom of the slide). Don’t go for shock and awe, or for a comprehensive explication in the first discussion – aim...6/9
...for clarity. Sometimes detail can obscure rather than illuminate. (You can always put the really dense slides in your Appendix.) Build up your thesis so that by the time you’re getting into the nitty gritty of experimental design, the listener understands why it’s...7/9
...relevant. Layering information also optimizes the chances that the VC is left with *some* understanding even if, say, they got an important text when you were on slide 15 and they missed your description of one preclinical model. The goal is an investor who walks away...8/9
...feeling that they “get” your story and that it’s intriguing; “impressed but confused” is a less promising outcome. You want someone to come away from the pitch ready to sign a CDA and dig in, not feeling that they need to go back through the deck carefully to catch it all. 9/9