Business Model
Show how you make money and prove the unit economics hold up. Investors spend ~22 seconds here, one of the most scrutinized slides.
Draft your slide, then click Mark complete to move forward. The checklist and quiz below are optional self-tests. You can mark complete anytime.
Include, tick each as you draft
Nothing checked yet. You can still mark this module complete and continue.
Cut
- ✕Vague 'we'll monetize later'
- ✕A model too complex to explain in two lines
- ✕LTV/CAC without stating the payback period
Red flags investors call out
- !No pricing at all
- !'We'll figure out monetization later'
- !80%+ gross margin claimed with no cost breakdown
Common failure patterns
What experienced readers spot first when this slide is weak.
- 1Pricing is 'contact us' or 'usage-based, will figure out'.
- 2Gross margin is stated but the cost of goods behind it is not.
- 3LTV/CAC is a headline but the payback period is missing.
Run this against your own slide (60 seconds)
- ?Can a partner underwrite your model in one glance: price, ACV, margin, payback?
- ?If a customer asked 'what will this cost me a year from now,' can you answer without a call?
If either answer is no, the fix is above in Include or in the Weak vs. strong block below.
Starter template
$[X]/mo per [seat / customer / API call]. ACV $[Y]. Gross margin [Z]%. Payback [N] months.
Weak vs. strong, the same slide, rewritten
“SaaS pricing based on customer needs. We'll iterate.”
“$39/contractor/mo, floor $975/mo per customer. ACV $11.7K. 74% gross margin (FX + banking rails dominant). CAC $4.1K, payback 5.2 months.”
Everything a reader needs to underwrite the model in one line, matching the $11.7K ACV used on Nimbus's market slide.
Check yourself
Sources
See the full methodology for how dwell seconds and scoring weights are derived.