Quick answer
The 10-slide pitch deck rule says a pitch should fit into about ten slides covering the problem, solution, how it works, business model, market, competition, go-to-market plan, team, financial projections and the ask. It comes from Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule: ten slides, twenty minutes, thirty-point type. It is a discipline, not a law.
Where the rule comes from
Guy Kawasaki, an early Apple marketer who later worked in venture capital, wrote about sitting through hundreds of pitches that ran too long and said too little. His answer was the 10/20/30 rule: ten slides, no more than twenty minutes, and no font smaller than thirty points. Each part has a reason. Ten slides force you to decide what matters. Twenty minutes leaves time for questions in an hour-long meeting. Thirty-point type stops you cramming slides with text you then read aloud.
The ten slides
- Problem. The pain your customers have, in their words.
- Solution. What you offer and why it solves the problem.
- How it works. The thing that makes your solution better or different.
- Business model. Who pays, how much and how often.
- Market. Who the customers are and how many there are.
- Competition. Who else solves the problem, and why customers would choose you.
- Go-to-market. How you will reach customers.
- Team. Who is doing it and why they can.
- Financial projections and key numbers. Three to five years, kept simple and honest.
- Status and the ask. Where you are now, what you need and what it will achieve.
How the rule adapts to different audiences
| Audience | Keep | Swap or add |
|---|---|---|
| Investor | All ten | Appendix with detailed financials |
| Bank or lender | Problem, solution, team, numbers, ask | Cash flow, repayments, security |
| Grant panel | Problem, solution, team, ask | Outcomes against the funder’s criteria |
| Client pitch | Problem, solution, team, the ask | Your approach, similar work, price, timeline |
A lender cares less about your market size and more about whether you can repay. A client cares about their problem, not your business model. Keep the discipline and change the slides.
When to break the rule
Ten is a target, not a limit. Break it when:
- The deck will be read without you there, in which case slides need more words and an extra slide or two to explain.
- The audience has asked for specific information, such as a breakdown of costs.
- One topic genuinely needs two slides, such as a product that must be shown working.
Do not break it because you could not decide what to cut. That is the exact problem the rule exists to solve. Put supporting detail in an appendix after the final slide, ready if someone asks.
Common mistakes the rule prevents
- Burying the ask. If the money or the decision you want only appears on slide thirty, many people never reach it.
- Feature tours. Ten screenshots of your product tell an investor less than one slide on the problem it solves.
- Market size theatre. A huge headline market number impresses nobody; the customers you can realistically reach matter more.
- Reading slides aloud. Large type leaves no room for paragraphs, so you have to talk to the room.
If you are still working out the plan behind the pitch, our one-page marketing plan is a useful way to settle the go-to-market slide before you design it.
Thirty-point type in practice
Thirty points sounds large, and on a laptop screen it is. That is the point. If your message does not fit on a slide in thirty-point type, the slide has too much on it. One message per slide, written as the slide title, with a chart, a picture or three short lines underneath, is easier to follow and easier to remember. Microsoft’s guide to accessible PowerPoint presentations makes the same case for large type and strong contrast.
A worked example
A two-person company in Bristol building booking software for dog groomers had a thirty-four-slide deck for a seed investor meeting. Cutting it to ten forced choices. Six slides of feature screenshots became one slide showing the booking flow. Three slides of market research became one with the number of groomers in the UK and the share they hoped to reach. The founders’ backgrounds went from a slide each to one team slide. The financials moved to an appendix with a single summary slide in the main deck. The pitch ran fifteen minutes and left thirty for questions, which is where the investor’s real interest showed.
Make it look like a real business
Whoever you pitch to judges the deck before you speak. Consistent colours, fonts and a proper logo on a well-built template say you take the business seriously. Our brand identity design is £299 one-off and includes the colours, typography and guidelines your template is built from; a logo on its own is £129 with all layouts included. Our one-page business plan helps you get the content straight before you build slides, and our guide on how to use your logo covers placing it on slides. All prices are on our pricing page.
For funding options beyond investors, the government-owned British Business Bank publishes guidance on finance for smaller businesses.
Get the UK Branding Budget Worksheet (free)
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 10/20/30 rule? +
It is a guideline from Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple marketer and venture capitalist: a pitch should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes and use no font smaller than thirty points. The point is discipline. Ten slides force you to choose, twenty minutes leaves time for questions, and large type stops you filling slides with text.
Do investors really only want ten slides? +
Many investors prefer a short deck for a first meeting, and some will not read a long one. That does not mean exactly ten. Most good first-meeting decks land somewhere around ten to fifteen slides, with detail held back in an appendix or a separate document for later stages.
Does the 10-slide rule apply to sales pitches? +
The discipline does, even if the slide list changes. A client pitch replaces investor slides such as the business model with the client's problem, your approach, examples of similar work, the price and the next step. Keeping it short and leaving time for questions works for any audience.
