Module 09 · The fundraising deck~20s dwell · weight 9
Traction
Prove momentum with honest numbers. At Series A this leads the deck; investors' eyes linger here longest.
Include
- Revenue (ARR or MRR), growth rate, and retention
- The single graph that best tells the story, with labeled axes
- Pilots, LOIs, design partners (named, if allowed)
- The driver behind the numbers ('outbound to remote-native CFOs', 'PLG SEO')
Cut
- Vanity metrics with no context (registered users, app installs)
- Cherry-picked date windows
- Screenshots standing in for real numbers
- Cumulative curves that hide flat months
Red flags a reader notices
- Charts with no y-axis labels
- Only cumulative curves (hides flat months)
- Growth-rate quoted with no absolute number
Pitfalls behind them
- The chart is cumulative-only, hiding any flat or declining months.
- Growth rate is quoted without the absolute number behind it.
- Vanity metrics (signups, waitlist, GitHub stars) stand in for revenue or retention.
60-second self-test
- · Can you walk any partner through what happened in your weakest month, unprompted?
- · Are both a growth rate and a retention number visible on the slide?
Template
$[start] → $[current] [MRR/ARR] over [N months], driven by [channel]. Retention: [logo]% / [net dollar]%.
Weak
"Users love us, 4.8 star reviews and growing every week!"
Strong
"$4K → $196K ARR over 8 months (34 customers), driven by founder-led outbound to remote-native CFOs. 22% net-new MoM. Net dollar retention 118% at the 6mo cohort."
Named metric, timeframe, driver, and the two retention numbers a partner asks for anyway, matching the chart on Nimbus's traction slide.
Quick quiz
Pick an answer. Nothing is graded, and correct answers stay hidden until you choose.
1. Which traction claim is strongest?
2. Why is a cumulative chart alone a red flag?