Module 03 · The fundraising deck~8s dwell · weight 12
Solution
Show the product, do not describe it abstractly. Completes the three-slide filter that decides whether the rest of the deck gets read.
Include
- The core insight, made obvious in one line
- A visual of the actual product (screenshot, mockup, or short GIF)
- A concrete use case that maps 1:1 to the problem slide
- One measurable outcome the user gets ('new contractor paid in 2 hours')
Cut
- Abstract descriptions with no product shown
- Feature lists longer than three items
- Technical architecture on the main slide
- Screens covered in marketing copy
Red flags a reader notices
- No screenshot, mockup, or demo
- Solution doesn't obviously match the stated problem
- The insight is 'we use AI' with no specificity
Pitfalls behind them
- The slide describes what the product 'enables' instead of what it does.
- There's no image, or the image is a logo instead of the product in use.
- Feature names appear before the outcome the user gets.
60-second self-test
- · Does the same user from the problem slide appear here, in the same units?
- · If you deleted the words and kept only the visual, would a reader still see the change?
Template
[Product] lets [user from problem slide] [do X] in [Y minutes/dollars], without [ugly workaround].
Weak
"An AI-powered platform that leverages machine learning to optimize back-office operations."
Strong
"Nimbus turns payroll into one button in Slack, a new contractor is paid in 2 hours instead of 11 days, and monthly ops time drops from 6 hours to 20 minutes."
Same user as the problem slide (Series B eng org), same units (hours, days), same workflow. Reader doesn't have to translate.
Quick quiz
Pick an answer. Nothing is graded, and correct answers stay hidden until you choose.
1. Best way to show the solution on slide 3?
2. A strong solution line matches the problem slide on…