Pitch Deck Builder: how to make a pitch deck, with a template

Six lessons built on Sequoia and Y Combinator guides, SBA guidance and SEC, FCA and ASIC pages: deck structure, story slides, honest numbers, team and design, practice, and sharing responsibly.

What you'll cover

What a pitch deck is for, and where this course stopsWhat investors use a deck for, why the goal is the next meeting, and the securities-law line this course doesn’t cross.
The slide structure investors expectTwo widely used outlines (Sequoia and Y Combinator), a 10 to 12 slide structure, and a worked outline for a fictional startup.
Write the problem, solution and why-now slidesTurning customer evidence into a sharp problem slide, a plain solution slide and an honest why-now, with AI as an editor, not an author.
Market, traction and numbers you can stand behindSizing a market from sources, showing traction honestly, labeling estimates and projections, and keeping a source log.
Team, the ask, and clear designA team slide that shows fit, an ask slide limited to amount and use of funds (with legal review), and simple, accessible design.
Practice, then share responsiblyRehearsing and handling questions, researching investors, and how sharing a deck publicly can affect the rules in the US, UK and Australia.

Education only, not legal, securities, investment or financial advice. This course doesn’t cover how to structure an investment, valuation, terms or which exemption to use. Talk to a securities lawyer before sharing a deck with investors or posting about a raise. No promise of funding.

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About this course

How to make a pitch deck: a clear, honest startup deck, with a 12-slide template.

Starter · About 1.75 hours of learning · 6 lessons · 14 quick checks · 1 download

Who it's for
Founders building a venture-style startup in the US, the UK, Australia or elsewhere who want to build a clear, honest pitch deck.
How it works
6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time.
Sources we rely on
17 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.

By the end you can

Explain what a pitch deck is for and why sharing it can raise securities-law questions
Outline a 10 to 12 slide deck using a standard structure
Write problem, solution and why-now slides from your own evidence, using AI only to edit
Build market, traction and model slides where every number is sourced or labeled
Rehearse the pitch and prepare a sharing checklist for your lawyer

Downloads

Pitch deck planner .docxA 12-slide outline with prompts, the fictional CrewClock example, an evidence log (actual, estimate, plan, projection), a design and accessibility checklist, a question bank and a pre-sharing checklist for your lawyer.

Rules by country

United States: SEC: every offer and sale of securities must be registered or exempt; public websites can be general solicitation; Rule 506(b) prohibits general solicitation; demo-day criteria. Free or low-cost help: SBA local assistance (SCORE, SBDCs).
United Kingdom: FCA: financial promotions (including websites and social posts) must be clear, fair and not misleading. FSMA s21: an unauthorised company needs an authorised firm to approve its financial promotion, or an exemption. Take advice before approaching UK investors.
Australia: ASIC regulates fundraising; crowd-sourced funding runs through licensed intermediaries. Take advice before approaching investors.

Learning time

About 1.75 hours of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.

Sources

Check the originals.

Drafted with AI assistance and run through automated quality and source checks. How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.

General education only, not legal, tax, financial, securities or investment advice, and no promise of income or results. Rules differ by country and change; check the official sources linked in each course and talk to a qualified adviser about your situation.

Writing a Business Plan · Sequoia Capital
How to build your seed round pitch deck · Y Combinator
A Guide to Seed Fundraising · Y Combinator
Write your business plan · U.S. Small Business Administration
Fund your business · U.S. Small Business Administration
Local assistance · U.S. Small Business Administration
Exempt Offerings · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
General solicitation — Rule 506(c) · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Resources for Small Businesses · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Financial promotions and adverts · Financial Conduct Authority (UK)
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, section 21: Restrictions on financial promotion · legislation.gov.uk (UK)
Crowd-sourced funding · Australian Securities and Investments Commission
County Business Patterns (CBP) · U.S. Census Bureau
Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) · U.S. Census Bureau
Generative Artificial Intelligence Profile, NIST AI 600-1 · National Institute of Standards and Technology (US)
AI for small business · U.S. Small Business Administration
Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities · Microsoft Support

Publisher

Who publishes this course.

Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.

How it's made: drafted with AI assistance from published official business and regulator guidance, then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. Read how these courses are made.

Last updated: 27 October 2026

General information, not tax, accounting, legal or professional advice. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.

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