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People spend $1100 getting their decks designed!?

nedwin 11y ago
If you're trying to raise a few million dollars and you're not a PowerPoint jockey it feels like money well spent to me. Our pitch deck was just black text on a white background but would have loved to have thrown some design time at it.
- chimeracoder 11y ago
  > If you're trying to raise a few million dollars and you're not a PowerPoint jockey it feels like money well spent to me. The problem is that pitch decks are (or should be) continuously updated, so it's not exactly a one-time cost. (That, or you have to learn enough PowerPoint skills to update it yourself). While the stories of "here's how I raised my series A in 7 days!" make good stories, the reality is that most fundraising cycles are not like this. They're longer than people expect, and they're an iterative process.
  - nedwin 11y ago
    Definitely going to be iterative. Hopefully you get the basic elements covered and can move things around from there.
NeutronBoy 11y ago
That's barely two days worth of effort for a regular employee. $1100 to get a deck designed doesn't seem outrageous, considering what's riding on it.
- biot 11y ago
  I just did the same calculation. Put another way: if you're currently at a job and looking to leave for your own startup, then stay at that job another three days. With the after-tax money you earn, pay a professional to do a massively better job than you're likely able to do. Totally worth it.
danieltillett 11y ago
Only those that got funded :) Given how much is riding on this you want as much external feedback on your deck as possible.
phasetransition 11y ago
My wife's gig involves EVP to C-Suite presentations where getting the internal client's project/launch/ask/initiative approved depends heavily on connecting with the thinking and narrative style of the particular high level executive(s). Often that connection is visual. I can confirm that $1100 for an outside service that even partially executes on a similar type of presentation is an exceptional bargain.

If you're trying to raise a few million dollars and you're not a PowerPoint jockey it feels like money well spent to me. Our pitch deck was just black text on a white background but would have loved to have thrown some design time at it.

chimeracoder 11y ago
> If you're trying to raise a few million dollars and you're not a PowerPoint jockey it feels like money well spent to me. The problem is that pitch decks are (or should be) continuously updated, so it's not exactly a one-time cost. (That, or you have to learn enough PowerPoint skills to update it yourself). While the stories of "here's how I raised my series A in 7 days!" make good stories, the reality is that most fundraising cycles are not like this. They're longer than people expect, and they're an iterative process.
- nedwin 11y ago
  Definitely going to be iterative. Hopefully you get the basic elements covered and can move things around from there.

NeutronBoy 11y ago

That's barely two days worth of effort for a regular employee. $1100 to get a deck designed doesn't seem outrageous, considering what's riding on it.

biot 11y ago
I just did the same calculation. Put another way: if you're currently at a job and looking to leave for your own startup, then stay at that job another three days. With the after-tax money you earn, pay a professional to do a massively better job than you're likely able to do. Totally worth it.

danieltillett 11y ago

Only those that got funded :) Given how much is riding on this you want as much external feedback on your deck as possible.

phasetransition 11y ago

My wife's gig involves EVP to C-Suite presentations where getting the internal client's project/launch/ask/initiative approved depends heavily on connecting with the thinking and narrative style of the particular high level executive(s). Often that connection is visual. I can confirm that $1100 for an outside service that even partially executes on a similar type of presentation is an exceptional bargain.