Top 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Story time! A startup founder walks into a VC meeting with what she believes is a killer pitch deck. Halfway through her 25-slide presentation, she notices the investors’ eyes glazing over.

By the final slide, one is checking his watch. The founder leaves without a term sheet, wondering what went wrong. In reality, she fell victim to common pitch deck mistakes that even seasoned entrepreneurs make.

She’s not alone–and the good news is that these pitfalls are avoidable.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the most frequent pitch deck blunders (some might sound painfully familiar) and how to fix them. We’ve scoured insights from forums, top VCs, founders’ post-mortems, and expert advice.

If you’re crafting a pitch deck, read on–a few tweaks could mean the difference between a yawning investor and a lean-in moment.

#Mistake 1: Overloading your deck (Too long, too much)

Most founders stuff their pitch decks with every single idea, feature, and number they can think of. And it’s the common pitch deck mistakes that most of the founders make.

They’re afraid to leave anything out, thinking more slides means more chances to impress.

But remember, investors don’t come to your pitch to read a novel. They come to get a quick overview of your business.

An overloaded investor pitch deck will backfire on you. Investors get overwhelmed. They lose track of your story. Worst of all, they lose interest.

Hence, the ideal length of a perfect pitch deck for the startup is 10-15 slides. According to a survey, pitch decks with 11-20 slides see a 43% higher success rate compared to those outside that range.

Here are a few tips that you must follow to avoid overloading your deck.

• Keep it clean, short, and sharp.
• Focus only on the essentials.
• Stick to one core message per slide.
• Use visuals, icons, and charts instead of text blocks.
• Use clear headings and bullet points for easy reading.
• Remove anything that doesn’t directly support your story.

Lastly, cut the fluff. If it’s not helping close the deal, it’s hurting it.

Check out this pitch deck from Airbnb and learn how, within 14 slides, they explain the whole concept easily.

Mistake #2: Burying the lead and being vague

Many founders inadvertently bury their core message under buzzwords or long setups. Remember, investors aren’t detectives. They don’t have time to dig through your slides to figure out what you actually do.

Many founders take too long to reveal their core idea, leaving investors guessing. Or worse, they speak in vague, fluffy buzzwords, for example; redefining synergy through disruptive innovation”. What does that even mean?

When you bury the lead, you lose them. When you’re vague, you confuse them. And confused investors never write cheques.

Hence, lead with clarity and confidence. In the first couple of slides, tell them:

• What your business does
• Who it helps
• Why it matters

Remember, no jargon, no riddles. Your idea should be so clear that even a 12-year-old could explain it after one slide.

For example, take a look at Uber’s pitch deck—they lay out the problem and their solution right on the second slide. It helps the audience instantly grasp what the business is about, without making them hunt for answers. That’s exactly how it should be done.

Mistake #3: Weak story (No clear problem or solution)

If you’re preparing a pitch deck, remember one rule: “Every pitch deck should tell a clear, simple story.” 

Why? 

Because stories make people feel something, and people invest their emotions first, logic second. And every good story needs two things: A problem people care about, and a solution they’ll pay for.

But what do most founders do?

They either skip the problem altogether or they talk about a solution without explaining why the world needs it.

If investors don’t see the problem, they won’t care about your solution. Simple as that. So, build your pitch like a story your audience can feel.

Start by making the problem real—use a stat, a personal story, or a scenario people can relate to.

Then, smoothly introduce your solution as the answer they’ve been waiting for.

For example, take a look at Tinder’s pitch deck—they address a challenge every man can relate to and instantly offer a simple, clever solution.

See that flow? Problem, then solution. Clean, clear, and relatable.

If you still need help presenting your story strongly, check out our blog on how to make a pitch deck. It’ll help you craft a solid story and structure that leaves a strong impression on your audience.

#Mistake 4: Visually cluttering your slides

This might make you feel blunt, but it’s true: An Investor pitch deck isn’t your school project, and it’s not a wall of text for people to read.

It’s a visual tool that sparks interest, tells a clear story, and leaves the potential investors wanting to know more. If you think a successful pitch deck is about making it visually appealing or stuffing things, then you’re making a big mistake.

A stuffed slide with multiple colors, numbers, tiny images, and too many bullet points confuses the audience.

Hence, follow the rule of one idea per slide.

Use big, bold fonts. Use visuals to support your message, not bury it. And give your content breathing room. Think of your slides like billboards on a highway—if it takes more than 5 seconds to get your point, it’s too messy.

If you need an example of a clean and clear pitch deck slide, then check out this YouTube pitch deck.

#Mistake 5: Skipping essential info (Traction, market, “The ask”)

This might surprise you, but a lot of founders get so caught up in showing off their idea that they forget to share the stuff investors actually care about.

I’ve seen pitch decks where people talked about the product, team, and mission, but never mentioned their traction, the market size, their target market, or how much money they’re even asking for!

And let me tell you, if you leave those out, no investor will take you seriously.

Hence, always cover these 3 things:

Traction

Demonstrate traction with proof that your idea is working.

Users, revenue, partnerships, awards, whatever makes your story credible.

Market

How big is the market opportunity?

Investors need to know you’re playing in a big enough pond to make money. Showcase your market research, competitive landscape, market trends, and the market’s key information.

The Ask

How much money do you want to raise? Why do you need to raise money? And what will you do with it?

Don’t be shy or vague while making a funding request—if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Here’s an example of an investor deck that includes traction, market, and ask:

Back in 2013, Yammer successfully raised $85 million in funding using this pitch deck.

Mistake #6: Magical thinking in numbers (Unrealistic projections and market claims)

Investors have seen hundreds of pitch decks and have years of experience reviewing different businesses and their financial projections.

So if you throw in magical thinking or make random assumptions while putting numbers in your pitch deck, it’ll be one of your biggest mistakes.

Why? Because investors can spot unrealistic numbers from a mile away, they’ll never bet on them.

Always back your numbers with logic, data, and a clear plan. That’s how you earn their trust. Here’s what you do:

Base your numbers on real benchmarks

Look at similar companies or industry averages. Research about the market and bring out the numbers that grab attention of your audience.

Explain how you’ll get there

Don’t just show numbers. Show your plan to reach them, marketing strategy, partnerships, pricing models, whatever moves the needle.

For market size, use credible data sources

And avoid saying, “If we just capture 1% of the total market…”

Investors hate that line because it shows you haven’t thought about your customer acquisition or market focus.

Take a look at MOZ’s pitch deck and see how they’ve presented their numbers, backed with solid evidence and reasoning:

Mistake #7: Poor team slide (or “LinkedIn showcase” syndrome)

There’s a saying—you don’t bet on the horse, you bet on the jockey.

Same way, investors don’t just invest in a business idea; they invest in the people behind it.

Because a great team can fix a weak idea, but a weak team will ruin even the best idea.

And your team slide is one of the most important slides in your entire pitch deck.

But what do most founders do?

They turn it into a LinkedIn showcase—just a bunch of names, fancy designations, and profile pictures. That’s not enough.

Investors aren’t hiring you for a job; they’re betting on your ability to build and grow a business.

Here’s what your team slide should do:

Show relevant experience.

Not just job titles—tell them what makes each person valuable to this specific startup.

Highlight key wins or expertise.

Have they launched a successful app before? Managed a $5M marketing budget? Raised funds before? Say it.

If you’ve got advisors or industry experts, feature them too.

It adds credibility.

Here’s an example of a team slide where you can put your organizational chart to showcase your team members:

Mistake #8: No clear call-to-action (Leaving investors hanging)

You know what’s worse than a bad pitch? A good one with no clear ending.

You walk investors through your idea, your numbers, your plans—and then just leave them guessing what’s next.

That’s like dropping someone off at a crossroads without a map. And trust me, no investor has time to figure out what you want.

Hence, by the time you reach the last slide, your investor should know exactly:

• How much money you’re raising?
• Why do you need to raise money?
• What will you use it for?
• What’s the next move?

 Example:

"We’re raising $500K to expand operations in two new markets and hire our product team. If this aligns with your interest, let’s schedule a follow-up this week."

If you’re looking for ideas on how to wrap up your pitch deck presentation or need inspiration to craft a cracking pitch deck, check out our blog on pitch deck examples. You’ll find proven, real-world decks that can help you build a pitch investors won’t ignore.

Mistake #9: Not iterating or practicing your pitch

Even the best ideas can fall flat if you don’t practice how to present them.

I’ve seen many entrepreneurs build a killer pitch deck, but then show up to the investor meeting sounding unsure, scattered, or unprepared.

A pitch isn’t just about slides—it’s about how you tell the story. And that takes practice.

Hence, before you pitch to any investor:

Practice your pitch

Practice in front of friends, mentors, or even a mirror. Notice where you stumble, where people lose interest, and where their eyes light up.

Don’t be stubborn

Tweak your slides and script after every practice run. If something’s not working, fix it.

Record yourself presenting

Trust me, you’ll catch habits you didn’t realize you had, like saying “umm” every two sentences or rushing through key points.

Be ready for questions

Investors love asking tough ones. Practicing with someone who’ll throw hard questions at you makes you sharper.

After knowing these 9 mistakes, if you’re still struggling to polish your slides or structure your pitch, consider using an AI pitch deck generator. It’s a handy tool that can help you draft, refine, and structure your deck faster while following proven investor-friendly formats.

Conclusion: Turning mistakes into a winning pitch

In this blog, we covered what are some common mistakes to avoid in a pitch deck that entrepreneurs often make during a PowerPoint presentation. Moreover, this blog will help you avoid making the same mistake again.

This blog is a handy guide that will help you at every step as you prepare each slide for your presentation.

However, creating a successful pitch deck requires a clear structure, clean design, and compelling storytelling. In such cases, hiring an expert pitch deck service provider can be a smart move to ensure your presentation stands out and secures investor interest.

Why Plangrowlab? Because we don’t just design pitch decks—we build investor-ready business plans, accurate financial forecasts, and open doors to funding for SMEs.

Want to craft an investor-ready pitch deck? Get in touch with our experts!