Module 05 · The demo day pitch~22s dwell · weight 12
Traction
Show one dominant metric with a growth curve, proving momentum rather than potential. This is the highest-weight slide in the pitch.
YC's demo day guide treats traction as the slide investors lean forward for; founders typically spend 20-25 seconds of a 3-minute pitch on one dominant metric and its growth curve.
Include
- One primary metric (revenue, users, or a business-specific KPI)
- A visible growth curve, not just a single end-state number
- The specific multiple and time window (e.g. 4x in 6 months)
- Enough context to know the metric isn't a vanity number
Cut
- Five different metrics on one slide
- Vanity metrics like app downloads or sign-ups if revenue exists
- A flat or declining line dressed up with a log scale
Red flags a reader notices
- The chart has no axis labels or dates
- The metric shown is not the metric that matters for the business model
- Growth is described only in words with no chart at all
Pitfalls behind them
- Choosing a vanity metric because the revenue number is small
- Showing cumulative totals instead of a period-over-period growth curve
- Failing to state the multiple out loud, leaving the room to compute it
60-second self-test
- · Is this the metric an investor in my category would ask for first?
- · Does my chart's shape alone communicate growth without the caption?
Template
[Metric] grew [multiple]x in [time period], from $[start] to $[end].
Weak
"We've seen incredible growth and strong user engagement across the board."
Strong
"Nimbus Payroll grew from $49K to $196K in ARR over 6 months, a 4x increase."
One metric, one time window, one multiple: $196K ARR, +4x in 6 months, nothing else competing for attention on the slide.
Quick quiz
Pick an answer. Nothing is graded, and correct answers stay hidden until you choose.
1. Why does traction carry the highest weight of any demo day slide?
2. Which traction statement is strongest?