Investor Files That Convert: 7 Slides & 3 Docs You Actually Need
- Oct 28
- 5 min read
In the fast-paced world of startup funding, getting investor attention can feel like an uphill battle. Investors sift through countless pitches, and to stand out, you need to keep your materials lean, precise, and value-driven. This post aims to break down an effective investor deck format into 7 essential slides, accompanied by 3 short documents that provide verifiable metrics. By doing this, you can create an irresistible presentation that harnesses the power of real data over flowery language.
The Promise of Lean Decks
If an investor can understand your business in just 7 slides and verify traction through 3 short documents, you significantly reduce reasons for them to delay their commitment. Keeping it lean, linking out to a data room, and letting the data narrate your story will lead you to success.
The 7 Slides: What to Show—and What to Leave Out
Problem & Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
What to include: Start with a succinct statement of the problem your business solves. Follow it with an overview of your Ideal Customer Profile. Include the segment, geography (especially if focusing on ASEAN), budget owner, and buying triggers.
What to leave out: Avoid diving into Total Addressable Market calculations. Investors want a clear view of the problem, not exhaustive market sizing.
Product: One Job, End-to-End
What to include: Clearly articulate the job your product is designed to execute. Describe it through visuals, such as 3 screenshots or a 30-second clip demonstrating its functionality. Highlight your Time-to-First-Value (TTFV) benchmark, so investors have a reference for how quickly users can achieve value.
What to leave out: Steer clear of mentioning future modules that are not yet developed or live.
Traction That Repeats (Cohorts > Vanity)
What to include: Present key metrics like Day 1 and Day 7 activation rates alongside a 4-week retention curve from the last three cohorts. Include pre-sale counts, refund rates, and your top three “Tiny Wins.”
Chart Callout: “Oct cohort: 71% activated in 24h; week-4 retained 42%.”
What to leave out: Do not rely on vanity metrics. Focus on demonstrating sustainable and repeatable traction.
Go-to-Market Strategy & Unit Economics
What to include: Outline your current channels (e.g., ambassadors, partnerships) and the related payback math, detailing Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Gross Profit. Provide a pipeline overview that indicates the count, stage, and expected close window.
What to leave out: Any paid channels that you have not yet tested.
Business Model & Pricing Proof
What to include: Explain your pricing plans (in THB/USD), Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA), and gross margin on your pre-sale tier. Discuss potential expansion levers, such as add-ons and usage tiers, including a historical example of customer success.
Team & Proof of Doing
What to include: Highlight three key bullets that outline domain insights, evidence of shipped products, and any relevant cross-border advantages. Mention advisors only if they are actively involved and pertinent to the discussion.
Use of Funds & 2-Quarter Plan
What to include: Clearly state what you will purchase (e.g., personnel, experiments, infrastructure) and how each item unlocks specific KPIs. Construct a milestone table that sets out target metrics by key dates, such as “By Week 8: D7 activation 55% → 65%; Net MRR +THB xxx.”
Tip: Each slide must reference a verifiable source of information, such as a cohort sheet or changelog entry. If no supporting document exists, reconsider the claim being made.
The 3 Short Documents: Investor-Friendly, Founder-Fast
Document A — Metrics One-Pager (2 Pages Max)
Include a snapshot of active users, paying logos, ARPA, and gross margin metrics. Highlight the last three-month cohorts along with notes on activation and retention. Lastly, summarize the funnel stages from visit to paid customers, detailing fixes being implemented.
Format: PDF with a link to an active sheet for real-time data.
Document B — Customer Proof Pack (3-5 Receipts)
This document should contain micro case notes that walk through each customer’s problem, the outcome achieved, and relevant metrics. Include a short video or Loom per use case and two authorized quotes from customers.
Format: PDF, accompanied by a folder containing original materials with filenames organized by date and logo.
Document C — Lean Data Room Index (One Page + Folders)
Outline essential company documents, including cap tables, articles, shareholder agreements, P&L statements, and product roadmaps. Keep privacy in mind and blur sensitive details.
Format: An index PDF linking to various folders; maintain view-only access, ensuring proper version tags.
File Hygiene Investors Notice
To ensure your files and decks are investor-ready, implement proper version control. Use a naming convention like `YYYY-MM-DD_name_v1.2` for all versions. Establish a single source for your metrics, ensuring that the “Metrics (live).xlsx” can generate chart images, so avoid copy-pasting.
Maintain a changelog with weekly bullets detailing what was shipped, learned, and what will happen next. Always safeguard sensitive information; blur any emails and refrain from exposing proprietary secrets in screenshots.
48-Hour Assembly Plan
When operating on a tight deadline, you can assemble your investor materials in two days:
Day 1 (AM): Pull activation and cohort data from your analytics tools and compute TTFV.
Day 1 (PM): Begin drafting Slides 1-3; export any necessary charts and write three case notes.
Day 2 (AM): Create a snapshot of your unit economics and expected pipeline; finalize Slide 7.
Day 2 (PM): Complete Documents A, B, and C; record a 30-second product demo and finalize the PDF deck.
Minimum Acceptable Numbers to Ship
Before you can send out your investor materials, ensure that you have three consecutive monthly cohorts, documented activation and week-4 retention rates—even if early figures are less polished. Aim to show at least three paying logos or pre-paid agreements with specific delivery dates.
Internal Communications: Email Teaser
Craft an email that grabs attention. Here’s a template:
Subject: Lean deck + cohorts (4-week). Asia-bound app stacking proof now
Hi [Name], we are shipping [the one job] for [ICP]. We’ve transitioned from pre-sales to paid usage and are actively seeking angels who prioritize cohorts over adjectives.
D1/D7 activation: 54% / 68%; week-4 retention 41% (last 3 cohorts)
ARPA $xx; gross margin xx%; payback under y months via ambassadors/partners
Raising THB/USD x to hit two milestones: [metric → date], [metric → date]
Here’s the 7-slide deck + 3 docs (metrics one-pager, proof pack, lean data room index). If helpful, I’d love to walk through the cohort figures with you this week.
Ensure Accessibility and Links
To delve deeper into financial instruments, consider exploring our Financial Instrumental & Trade Insurance resource. For guidance on startup advisory, check our Startup Advisory & Industrial Setup section.
Next Steps
If you need expert guidance on your pitch materials or want to discuss refining your investor strategy, consider booking a deck/data room review or contact us directly through our contact page.
Getting investors onboard is simpler with the right tools and information. Equip yourself with these slides and documents, and watch your chances of securing that much-needed funding increase dramatically.
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