Module 12 · The demo day pitch~20s dwell · weight 5
Contact / holding slide
Leave a clean, static slide with contact information visible for the silence between your pitch and the next founder, since demo day format has no on-stage Q&A.
YC's demo day guide notes founders leave a contact slide up during any silence after stepping off, since there is no live Q&A; this slide stays visible for roughly 20+ seconds while the next founder is announced.
Include
- Founder name, company name, and one contact method (email or a short URL)
- The core metric restated visually (ARR, growth multiple)
- The company logo, large and legible from the back of the room
- A QR code linking to the deck or a scheduling link, if the venue allows
Cut
- Dense text paragraphs
- A slide identical to the opening slide with no new information
- Multiple contact methods that dilute which one to actually use
Red flags a reader notices
- The contact info is too small to read from the back of a 300-person room
- No metric or hook is restated, wasting a second impression opportunity
- The slide disappears immediately instead of staying up during the transition
Pitfalls behind them
- Forgetting to leave this slide up and cutting straight to a blank screen
- Including a contact email that isn't checked during the event
- Making the QR code too small to scan from a seat
60-second self-test
- · Can someone in the back row read my contact info and metric without squinting?
- · Have I actually tested my QR code from a phone at seating distance?
Template
[Company], $[metric] ARR, +[multiple]x in [timeframe]: [name]@[domain]
Weak
"Thanks! Feel free to reach out with any questions."
Strong
"Nimbus Payroll: $196K ARR, +4x in 6 months. sarah@nimbuspayroll.com"
Restates the core traction number alongside a direct contact line, legible and specific for the room to note down during the transition.
Quick quiz
Pick an answer. Nothing is graded, and correct answers stay hidden until you choose.
1. Why does demo day format require a contact/holding slide at all?
2. What should the holding slide prioritize?