Common questions.
Is Nimbus Payroll a real company?
No. Nimbus is a fictional company we use as a running example across every module and teardown so weak-vs-strong comparisons stay on the same numbers. Every Nimbus figure (ARR curve, corridor rates, seat prices) is illustrative and chosen to be internally consistent, not a market claim. Don't cite Nimbus numbers as evidence in your own deck.
Where does the per-slide dwell data come from?
DocSend's 2015 study of 200 seed decks that raised ~$360M. It's still the most cited per-slide attention benchmark in venture. 9 of our 11 modules use DocSend numbers directly; the two the study didn't break out (Why Now, Traction) are our conservative estimates and clearly labeled.
Can I use How to Make a Deck for a Series A deck?
The 11 modules and the audit are optimized for pre-seed and seed. At Series A the order changes (traction moves earlier), the depth of each slide goes up, and financials become a real slide instead of a placeholder. The First Round teardown in Methodology is the closest thing we have to Series A specifically.
How is my audit score calculated?
Coverage = weighted sum of ticked slides ÷ total weight, scaled by story-clarity (weak ×0.72, good ×0.9, excellent ×1.0). A length penalty applies outside 9–15 slides. Full formula on the Methodology page.
Do you store my deck or audit results?
No. The audit runs entirely in your browser, nothing is uploaded. If you copy the shareable audit URL, the state is encoded in the link itself.
Can I embed a teardown in my newsletter or blog?
Yes. See the Press & embed page for suggested copy and link snippets. Deep-link to any specific hotspot with /teardowns/[type]/[slug]/h/[index].
Is this affiliated with DocSend, Sequoia, YC or First Round?
No. We cite their published research as primary sources. How to Make a Deck is independent and free.