The Seed-Ready Deck Checklist: What to Send When an Investor Says “Email It”

October 2, 2025 · Founder DIY

TL;DR — Copy/Paste Deck Checklists (Send This First)

A) 5-Slide Teaser Deck (fast open, fast yes/no)

  1. Problem
    “One line: [who] loses [time/money] because [pain].”
  2. Solution / Product
    “We built [product] that [outcome] in [time].”
  3. Proof / Traction
    “Today: [MRR/users/growth %/logos/retention].”
  4. Why Now
    “Shift: [law/platform/tech/cost] → window for [buyer] right now.”
  5. Ask
    “Raising [round size] to hit [3 milestones] in [months]. Lead/co-lead welcome. Contact [email].”

B) 12-Slide Full Seed Deck (when they want the details)

  1. Title (one-liner + contact)
  2. Problem
  3. Solution / Product
  4. Why Now
  5. Traction (metrics, logos, cohorts)
  6. Market (TAM/SAM/SOM, bottom-up > top-down)
  7. Business Model (unit economics, payback)
  8. Go-To-Market (ICP, motion, pipeline)
  9. Competition (your wedge; how you win)
  10. Team (why you are the team)
  11. Plan & Use of Funds (18–24 months, milestones)
  12. The Ask (round size, structure, target close)
    Appendix: product shots, cohort charts, pricing, roadmap, compliance, FAQs

File-Ops (don’t get blocked)

  • PDF for first send. 10–12 slides. Under 5 MB.
  • Name like: COMPANY_seed_deck_v1_2025-10-02.pdf
  • Put email and site on every slide footer.
  • If you use a link viewer, make it no-login and mobile friendly.
  • Include a 5-slide teaser separately for fast skims.

Design Hygiene

  • One idea per slide
  • 18–24 pt body text
  • High contrast, generous margins
  • Real screenshots over mockups when possible
  • Add alt text and captions where supported

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Walls of text
  • No clear ask
  • Market fantasy (no bottom-up math)
  • Busy competition slide
  • Hiding weak unit economics (acknowledge, show path)

Teaser vs Full Deck (when to send which)

  • Teaser (default): When a partner says “Email it” from LinkedIn or a quick thread. It earns the first call.
  • Full deck: When they ask for details after interest. Use it to prep the 30-minute deep dive.
  • Rule of thumb: Send less to get the meeting. Send more to win the round.

Slide-by-Slide Builders (plain, copy-ready)

1) Title

  • “[Product] for [user] → [outcome].”
  • Contact + short URL.
  • Optional: tiny traction stat in the corner.

2) Problem

  • “Today, [user] loses [X] because [Y].”
  • Evidence in one number or quote.
  • Keep it human. No jargon.

3) Solution / Product

  • “We built [product] that [verb] [outcome] in [time/cost].”
  • 2–3 bullets: what’s new, why it’s faster/cheaper/better.
  • Screenshot > diagram when possible.

4) Why Now

  • “[Shift] changed [thing]. This opens a [size] window.”
  • Examples: regulation, platform change, cost curve, behavior shift.

5) Traction

  • Pick 3: MRR, growth %, retention, CAC payback, cohorts, logos, pipeline.
  • Show trend, not single numbers.

6) Market

  • Bottom-up: # of buyers × price = SOM.
  • Then show SAM/TAM lightly.
  • Add 1–2 buyer facts (budget owner, buying cycle).

7) Business Model

  • “We make money via [pricing].”
  • Show unit economics path: gross margin, payback, LTV drivers.

8) Go-To-Market

  • ICP in one line.
  • Motion: inbound/outbound/product-led/partners.
  • Today’s pipeline and next channels.

9) Competition

  • Matrix with buyer truth (status quo counts).
  • Your wedge: speed, data, distribution, cost, workflow lock-in.

10) Team

  • Why you. 1 line per founder: relevant win tied to buyer or problem.
  • Advisors only if they work.

11) Plan & Use of Funds

  • 3–5 milestones for next 18–24 months.
  • Map ₹/$ to milestones, not departments.
  • State hiring plan at a high level.

12) Ask

  • “Raising [₹/$ amount] on [terms if known].”
  • “Use: [milestone 1, 2, 3].”
  • “Lead/co-lead welcome. Target close [date].”

Appendix (only on request)

  • Pricing tables, cohorts, security/compliance, product roadmap, integrations, case studies.

Metrics That Matter (by stage and model)

Pre-Seed (story + speed)

  • Signals: waitlist, pilot count, time-to-value, first rupees/dollars, retention on a small base, design partner quotes.

B2B SaaS: # pilots, weekly active teams, first paid logo, cycle time to go-live.
Marketplace: GMV, supply liquidity in a city, take rate, repeat rate.
Fintech: licenses/compliance steps done, loss metrics guardrails, early unit tests.
Consumer: D1/D7 retention bands, WAU/MAU, invite rate, cohort stickiness.
Deep Tech/Hardware: prototype TRL, cost curve, secured trials, certifications path.

Seed (proof + repeatability)

  • Signals: MRR, MoM growth, gross margin, payback, cohort retention, pipeline velocity.

B2B SaaS: Net dollar retention, CAC payback, expansion %, sales cycle.
Marketplace: Repeat orders %, city-by-city rollouts, contribution margin path.
Fintech: Unit economics after losses, compliance milestones, risk engine lift.
Consumer: Cohort charts, paid conversion, ARPU, viral coefficient.
Deep Tech/Hardware: BOM trend, pre-orders, pilot-to-PO conversion, regulatory gates.

Visual Hygiene & Accessibility (make it easy to read)

  • Use short lines and white space.
  • High contrast colors.
  • Label charts clearly (units, time windows).
  • Add captions to videos; alt text for images if your viewer supports it.
  • Test on mobile and a small laptop screen.

File & Link Ops (professional basics)

  • Versioning: bump v1 → v2 only for real changes. Keep a change log.
  • Permissions: no login walls; avoid “request access”.
  • Watermark lightly if you must. Don’t block reading.
  • Data room link: only after a meeting or request.
  • Confidential items: put in appendix or data room, not the first deck.

“Email It” Workflows (copy these)

If they asked on LinkedIn
“Thanks, [Name]! Sharing a 5-slide teaser now; full seed deck on request. Happy to 15-min fit check [slot 1] / [slot 2].”

If they reply by email
“Hi [Name]—attached is a 5-slide teaser + 12-slide deck.
Goal: decide go/no-go for a 30-min deep dive next week.
Open [slot 1] / [slot 2] or I can send a link.”

If they want only a teaser
“Sharing the 5-slide teaser. If it resonates, I’ll send the 12-slide and we can book 15 minutes to tailor it.”

If they say ‘later’
“Appreciate the look. I’ll circle back after [milestone/date] with updated metrics. Happy to send monthly snapshots meanwhile.”

7-Day Deck Polish Plan

Day 1: Draft the 5-slide teaser. Cut to one idea per slide.

Day 2: Build the 12-slide seed deck. Keep to ≤12.

Day 3: Add metrics and cohorts. Replace adjectives with numbers.

Day 4: Tighten visuals. 18–24 pt text, clean charts, real screenshots.

Day 5: Add “Plan & Use of Funds” with milestones, not headcount.

Day 6: Dry-run with a founder friend. Fix the two weakest slides.

Day 7: Export PDF. Name and send. Log replies. Book calls.

Common Qs (fast answers)

Teaser or full deck first?
Teaser first. Full deck on interest.

How long should a deck take to read?
Target 3 minutes for the full deck. If longer, cut.

What if my unit economics are early?
Show the path (assumptions, experiments, early wins).

Do I need TAM?
Keep TAM light; focus on bottom-up SOM and buyer math.

Can I send video?
Yes, but as a bonus. Don’t replace the deck. Always share a PDF.

Final word

Send less. Say more.

A clean teaser gets the call.

A sharp seed deck wins the deep dive.

Keep slides short. Keep numbers honest. Keep momentum high.