YCombinator has made library of support material for startup founders available online for free. One of the results for a search on ‘pitch decks’ produces this. Some things to highlight:
“Be excited. Your pitch should not sound memorized. Intonation, cadence, and projecting help a lot”
“Actually explain what you do, and do it quickly”
“Don't be "cute" with your points, be declarative”
“If you make a joke, telegraph it. If you're not sure the joke will land, cut it
“Charts should be easy to understand - make one point with any graphic or chart. Don't make people read charts - they'll stop listening to you.”
“Line graphs are better than bar graphs when showing growth” (Not sure this is the case)
“TAM should be bottom up, not top down” (I.e., not 0.5% of $5billion)
“Coolness and legibility are not orthogonal, they're diametrically opposed”
It is important to understand where these suggestions are coming from: very experienced investors that are focusing on very, very early startups and hence need to sit through many, many, pitches with a huge range in quality (both in terms of pitch quality and company/founder quality). That explains the feedback of make your title readable, don’t use thin fonts, make your slide clear that when I look up from answering an email on my phone, I still know what is going on, don’t be cute, tell what you actually do, etc.
Still, if you are an early stage company looking for funding, this is your audience, better give them what they want. And remember, part of your startup pitch is testing your ability to sell a product to a matching audience. Selling your company to investors, or selling your product to customers, or helping investors sell their stake in your company to another investor in the future, all require similar skills.
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