Archives 2025

10/20/30 Pitch Deck with H.E.A.R.T. Elements:

Slide 1: Problem / Opportunity

• H: Hypothesis / Belief Statement
• E: Enormous Stakes

Slide 2: Current Solutions Grossly Inadequate

• A: Alternatives Grossly Inadequate

Slide 3: Solution

• R: Radically Differentiated Solution 

Slide 4: How it Works

Slide 5: Business Model

Slide 6: Go to Market

Slide 7: Team

• T: Traits and Skills

Slide 8: Projections & Milestones

Slide 9: Status & Timeline

Slide 10: Summary & Call to Action

Information courtesy of Ben Weiner who is obsessed with pitch decks: https://view.genially.com/682f26cc0eb98daa6299f431

In a recent New York Times Dealbook interview Jeff Bezos said that the hardest thing he ever did was raise money in 1994 to build Amazon and he raised $1 million and gave up 20% of the company. Below are the direct transcripts from him:

But I only say because I remember it was very early. I remember watching on 60 Minutes. This is maybe 1999. And at the end of the interview they were asking you about whether this whole thing could work or not and you said it’s not a fear that it can’t work, it’s a fact that it might not work. Right. That is true. No, but I remember seeing that thinking and you just said it in this sort of matter of fact kind of way, which is to say, did you say to yourself, there’s a massive risk, this is not really going to happen?

To raise the first million dollars of seed capital for Amazon. So I sold 20% of the company, at a $5 million valuation, I sold 20% of the company for a million dollars to 22 angel investors, roughly $50,000 each. And I had to take 60 meetings, so whatever, roughly 40 of them said no, and a little over 20, 22 or so said yes. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Everybody said this was 1995-ish, 1995. And the first question was, what’s the internet?