You Probably Have the Wrong Pitch Deck
- Warwick Donaldson
- May 13
- 5 min read
Every founder thinks their pitch deck is good, until the silence hits.
Priya, a second-time founder out of Melbourne, sent her polished Canva deck to 20 VCs. Not a single reply. Not even a “no thanks.”
Why This Matters
Most Aussie founders are terrible at pitch decks. And that’s okay, you’re meant to build companies, not PowerPoints.
But here’s the brutal truth: if you’re raising capital, your deck is your passport. The right one opens doors. The wrong one slams them shut. And most decks? Forgettable. That’s why you’re hearing crickets.
And if you’re running a company that’ll keep needing capital, you can’t dodge this. You have to master the raise.
The Breakdown – Where Founders Get It Wrong
Here’s what’s actually happening:
One deck doesn’t fit all → Founders usually send the same deck to everyone. That’s like wearing the same outfit to the gym, a wedding, and a funeral. Investors aren’t one species; they’re lions, dolphins, and owls. Stop feeding them the same bait.
They bolt on random investor feedback → If you got the meeting, your Teaser Deck worked. Don’t let every bit of feedback turn your deck into a Franken-slide. Your deck isn’t a democracy. And most investors don’t realise it worked because they’ve never been in your position.
They try to tell the whole story → Your deck’s job is to get you the meeting, not win you an Oscar for Best Documentary.
They ignore their audience → If you haven’t ruthlessly defined your Ideal Investor Profile, you’re just shouting into the void.
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What You Actually Need: Two Decks
1. The Teaser Deck
Short. Sharp. Usually under 10 slides. Designed to be read in 60 seconds as part of an email by an investor with little context. Its only job? To get you a first meeting with investors.
Common mistakes:
Generic templates, flow and lifeless “Problem” headers
Way too many words and concepts
Jamming in feedback from investors who already took the meeting
Trying to appeal to everyone
No tailoring for technical vs non-technical audiences
Hot tip: In DeepTech or complex markets, build two versions, one for technical investors, one for generalists.
2. The Presentation Deck
This one’s for live meetings and investor committees. It’s a presentation aid, not a PDF novel.
Common mistakes:
Reusing the Teaser Deck
Text-heavy slides (investors read, stop listening)
Skipping the appendix (this is your ammo for deep-dive questions)
Weak team slides, seriously, this matters more than you think
Actionable Strategies – Here’s What to Do
✅ Throw out your current Teaser Deck and start fresh. Free yourself from old slides and bad habits.
✅ Nail one simple narrative. If you can’t explain your business in a sentence, you’re not ready for slides.
✅ Define your Ideal Investor Profile. Narrow is powerful.
✅ Build two versions if your tech is niche. Don’t make investors feel dumb.
✅ Build the Presentation Deck later, once you’re landing meetings.
✅ Add a killer appendix to the Presentation Deck. It’s your secret weapon in late-stage meetings.
✅ Don’t default to presenting your deck. At the start of the meeting, ask, “Would you like to talk or go through the deck?” Most investors will say “talk”, they’ve already read it. Use the meeting to connect, not recite slides.
✅ Always use warm introductions. Don’t cold email your deck, ever. Especially now, with AI raising the bar on quality and making relationships even more critical.
✅ Always send PDFs. Avoid deck URLs; investors hate being tracked before they’ve met you. Send a PDF instead. And if you’re using Canva, export as PPT or Google Slides first, then PDF. Canva’s PDFs can trip up investor AI tools. Make it easy for investors to do their thing.
Need Help Navigating Your Capital Raise?
Check out some of my most-read articles that break down the capital raising process for Aussie founders.
📚 Raising Capital 101
🧠 Understanding Investor Mindsets
⚠️ Avoiding Common Pitfalls
📈 Advanced Capital Strategies
💡Not sure where to start? Check out the article on The Startup Capital Raising Process it’s a founder favourite.
Contrarian Insight – The Deck Isn’t for Investors
Here’s the twist: the pitch deck isn’t just for investors, it’s for you. It forces clarity, focus, and alignment. It’s the ultimate pressure test for your strategy.
Here’s the irony: I’m great at working with founders to produce their decks because I have a good sense of what excites their ideal investor profile and am removed from the day-to-day weeds. But when it comes to my own CapXcentric deck, I procrastinate, I overthink, and I make every mistake I warn you about..
Conclusion & CTA
The right story, at the right time, for the right investor, can change your entire raise. The wrong one? Just silence.
One last truth: none of this will make up for an uninvestible opportunity.A brilliant deck won’t fix a tiny market, a broken business model, or a founding team that can’t execute. Get the fundamentals right first, the deck just amplifies what’s already there.
Your Thoughts?
Does this hit for you? Let me know by commenting below, liking the article, replying to this email or hitting me up on LinkedIn.
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Hi - I’m Warwick Donaldson—capital raising expert, and unapologetic advocate for Australian startups. Across my career, I’ve worked on 160+ equity raises totalling over $400m. I pride myself on helping early-stage founders secure funding, avoid costly mistakes, and build investor confidence.
If you’re a founder looking to raise capital, attract top-tier investors, and build a generational business—then hit me up for a chat.
Disclaimer: Excentricity Pty Ltd, trading as CapXcentric (ABN 42 679 978 959, AFS Representative No. 001311296) is a Corporate Authorised Representative of True Oak Investments Pty Ltd (ABN 81 002558 956, AFSL 238184). The information provided in this article is intended for companies and startups and is not directed towards investors. Any statements or representations are general information only and do not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Readers are advised to have regard to their own circumstances and consider seeking specific advice from a professional adviser before making any business decisions. No representations are made as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided in this article. Readers use the information provided at their own risk.
