PPSWMT Investor Pitch Structure

The template recommended by Sequoia Capital

 

  

 
 

Sequoia Capital, the ventures capital (VC) firm behind Apple, Oracle, Google, PayPal, Airbnb, WhatsApp, Stripe, and Zoom, has set the gold standard for storytelling in fundraising.

The PPSWMT pitch deck template recommended by Sequoia Capital is more than a guide – it’s a proven framework to craft a narrative that resonates with investors.

  

 
   

This template has helped a great number of founders raise capital and refine their vision.

The PPSWMT pitch deck template covers:

▪ Purpose: Why your company exists
▪ Problem: What pain you solve
▪ Solution: Why your product is the answer
▪ Why Now: Timing is everything
▪ Market: The size of your opportunity
▪ Team: The people behind the vision

 

  

 
 

Flow
Company Purpose
Problem
Solution
Why Now
Market Size
Competition
Product
Business Model
Team
Financial

Company Purpose
Define the company/business in a single declarative sentence

Problem
Describe the pain of the customer (or the customer's customer)
Outline how the customer addresses the issue today

Solution
Demonstrate your company's value proposition to make the customer's life better
Show where your product physically sits
Provide use cases

  

 
 

Why Now
Set-up the historical evolution of your category
Define recent trends that make your solution possible.

  

Venture Financing

Step-by-Step Guide

  

 
 

Market Size
Identify/profile the customer you cater to
Calculate the TAM (top down), SAM (bottoms up), and SOM

Competition
List competitors
List competitive advantages

Product
Product line-up (form factor, functionality, features, architecture, intellectual property)
Development roadmap

Business Model
Revenue model
Pricing
Average account size and/of lifetime value
Sales & distribution model
Customer/pipeline list

Team
Founders & Management
Board of Directors / Board of Advisors

Financials
Profit-Loss; Balance sheet; Cash flow; Cap table
The deal

  

 

 
   

TAM, SAM, and SOM

TAM, SAM, and SOM are acronyms that represent different aspects of market analysis.

TAM stands for Total Addressable Market, which is the total revenue opportunity available if a product or service achieves 100% market share.

SAM, or Serviceable Available Market, identifies the segment of the TAM that is targeted by your products or services, taking into account geographical and competitive limitations.

SOM, or Serviceable Obtainable Market, reflects the portion of the SAM that you can realistically capture in the short term.

These metrics help businesses understand their potential market size and sales strategy.