How each of our seven deck templates handles this slide, side by side.
The winning fundraising deck template
The ask
Amount, use of funds, and the milestone it buys the next round.
Formula
Raising [$X] for [N] months to reach [next-round metric]. Use: [%] engineering, [%] GTM, [%] compliance / other.
Strong example
Raising $2.5M seed for 18 months to reach $1.8M ARR, 150 customers, 8% MoM. Use: 55% eng (4 hires), 25% compliance (12 new countries), 20% GTM (founder-led plus 1 AE).
Must have
- Amount and runway on the same line
- Use of funds that ties each bucket back to a slide the reader saw
- The metric the next round will price off, named explicitly
Avoid
- Amount without a runway, or runway without a milestone
- Use-of-funds pie chart labeled 'operations / growth / other'
- A valuation on the deck itself (goes in the data room, not the pitch)
The winning demo day deck template
The ask
State the round, the ARR you'll reach, and one call to action.
Formula
We're raising [$X] to reach [next-round metric] by [date]. If you [invest / intro / hire us], find us at [table/booth/email].
Strong example
Raising $2.5M seed to reach $1.8M ARR by Q3 2026. Find us at table 14 or jane@nimbus.co.
Must have
- Amount, milestone, and date on one line
- One CTA (invest, intro, or hire), not three
- Where to find you after the session
Avoid
- 'We're not raising' followed by a valuation hint
- Three CTAs in ten seconds
- Skipping the where-to-find-you line
The winning demo day deck template
Closing line
One last sentence that says out loud what you want the room to remember.
Formula
[Company] is [category] for [customer]. [Concrete outcome we shipped this month].
Strong example
Nimbus is payroll for remote engineering teams. 22 countries, 2-hour paychecks, 22% MoM.
Must have
- Same company + category as the hook slide (a bookend)
- One number that changed since the hook, if any
- Delivered without looking at the slide
Avoid
- 'Thanks for your time' as the last line
- Reading the URL on the slide
- A new claim the room hasn't heard yet
The winning board deck template
Decisions needed
State the specific decisions the board is being asked to make, with the ask on each.
Formula
Decision: [what]. Options: [A, B, C]. Recommendation: [ours, one line why]. Ask: [approve / delay / discuss in exec].
Strong example
Decision: approve $2.4M opex plan for H2. Options: (A) plan as submitted, (B) trim SDR hires -2, (C) accelerate VP Sales +1 quarter. Recommendation: A. Ask: approve.
Must have
- Options actually laid out, not just the recommendation
- The recommendation, in one line
- The ask: approve, delay, or defer to executive session
Avoid
- 'For discussion' with no ask
- Presenting the recommendation without options
- Skipping the vote and hoping to 'gauge sentiment'
The winning board deck template
Asks (help wanted)
Two or three specific asks the board can act on between now and next quarter.
Formula
Ask: [specific action]. Owner: [board member]. By: [date].
Strong example
(1) Intro to CROs at 3 named PE-backed fintechs. Owner: Sarah (Accel). By May 15. (2) Backchannel J. Kim (VP Sales candidate). Owner: David (Founders Fund). By Apr 22. Last quarter: 3 of 4 asks landed (see appendix).
Must have
- Asks that a specific board member can act on, named
- A deadline (by next board, by end of quarter)
- A follow-up line showing what happened to last quarter's asks
Avoid
- 'Any intros welcome' with no company names
- Asks with no owner or no deadline
- Not tracking what happened to last quarter's asks
The winning investor update template
Next month's priorities (3-5)
Three to five specific goals for next month, worded so you can score them green/yellow/red 30 days from now.
Formula
[Verb] [artifact or metric]: [target] by [date].
Strong example
Land 6 new logos, ARR to $240K. Ship USDC GA. Close VP Sales offer (finalist J. Kim). Hire 2 SDRs. Publish first customer case study (Loop).
Must have
- Each goal has a number or a shippable artifact
- Each goal has a date (end of month or specific)
- At most 5 goals (more and none get done)
Avoid
- 'Continue to grow' as a goal (unscorable)
- 10+ goals (none of them score green next month)
- Ship dates that slip every month with no explanation
The winning investor update template
Asks (2-3, named)
Two or three specific asks investors can act on this week.
Formula
[Type of ask: intro / hire / feedback]: [specific target].
Strong example
1) Intro to Head of People at Rippling-competitors (Deel, Papaya, Multiplier). We're benchmarking pricing. Reply with a name. 2) Backchannel J. Kim (VP Sales candidate) if you've worked with him. 3) Case study photographer in SF: reply with recs.
Must have
- Named company or role, not 'any intros welcome'
- One-line context why (why does this matter now)
- Reply-friendly wording ('reply with a name' beats 'let me know')
Avoid
- 'Any intros welcome'
- 5+ asks (nothing gets acted on)
- 'Let me know' as the CTA
The winning investor update template
Fundraising status
State where you are on the round, so investors don't have to ask.
Formula
Round: [status: not raising / opening in {month} / active with {lead status}]. Runway: [months].
Strong example
Not raising until Q4 2026. Runway 14 months at current burn.
Must have
- One of 4 states: not raising, opening in [month], active, closed
- Runway in months
- If active: whether you have a lead, term sheet, or are pre-lead
Avoid
- Coyness ('we're always talking to investors')
- Skipping this line when you are raising (investors ask offline instead)
- Runway with no burn assumption stated
The winning investor update template
Reply-friendly close
One line at the end that invites a reply and names who to reply to.
Formula
Reply to this thread with [ask] or forward to [named person]. Jane · [email].
Strong example
Reply with a Head of People intro or forward to a friend at a remote-native company. Jane · jane@nimbus.co.
Must have
- A specific reply CTA (not 'let me know your thoughts')
- Name and email of the founder sending it
- No 'please do not forward' if you actually want intros
Avoid
- 'Please let me know if you have questions'
- No signature (looks auto-generated)
- 'Please do not forward' when you want reach
The winning partnership deck template
Mutual math (revenue for both sides)
Show the dollars for their side and yours, in the same table, with a plausible attach rate.
Formula
[N of their customers who qualify] x [X% attach rate] x [$ACV to them] = [$ to them]. Same math, [$ACV to us] = [$ to us].
Strong example
5,400 Rippling customers with >30 international contractors. 12% attach (from our waitlist overlap). ACV to Rippling (integration surcharge): $2.4K = $1.55M/yr. ACV to Nimbus: $11.7K = $7.6M/yr. Assumes: 5% churn, 18-month ramp.
Must have
- Attach rate you can defend with a data point (waitlist %, survey, pilot)
- Revenue estimated for THEIR side too, not just yours
- Assumptions listed so their BD can stress-test
Avoid
- Only showing your side of the math
- Attach rate with no source ('conservative 20%')
- Skipping the assumptions block
The winning partnership deck template
The ask (specific, small)
State the small first commitment you're asking for, not the full partnership contract.
Formula
Ask: [scoped v1, technical or commercial]. From: [named counterpart(s)]. By: [date].
Strong example
Ask: 60-min working session with Chen (BD) and Priya (Product) to scope the onboarding embed v1. By Apr 22. Then a 3-customer pilot in Q2 (mutual customers from our overlap list).
Must have
- A scoped first commitment (a working session, a paper LoI, a 3-customer pilot)
- Named counterpart on their side, not 'the BD team'
- A specific date within the next 3-4 weeks
Avoid
- 'Let's discuss a partnership' as the ask
- Asking for a signed MSA on the first pitch
- No named person, no date
The winning partnership deck template
Next step (their calendar)
Land the calendar invite before the deck is even reviewed by their team.
Formula
Next: [meeting], [date], [attendees]. Reply to this or accept the invite: [calendar link].
Strong example
Next: 60-min scoping working session, Tue Apr 22, 10am PT. Attendees: Chen (Rippling BD), Priya (Rippling Product), Jane (Nimbus CEO), Ravi (Nimbus CTO). Calendly: cal.com/nimbus/rippling.
Must have
- A specific meeting proposed with a date
- Named attendees on both sides
- A calendar link, not 'let's find a time'
Avoid
- 'Happy to find time that works'
- No named attendees
- Sending the deck without a calendar link
The winning recruiting deck template
Top 3 objections (pre-empted)
Answer the three questions their partner, their skeptic friend, and their former boss are going to raise.
Formula
Objection: [what a smart skeptic would say]. Answer: [one line].
Strong example
(1) Cash lower than your current job: base $220K vs. your current $310K. Equity: 1.2% at $50M post, unvested value $600K. At Series B (target $150M), that's $1.8M. (2) Foundation not there: we have Salesforce + Gong + Modern Sales Stack in place, 2 SDRs hired. (3) Exit: base case $500M in 5-7 yrs (Rippling comps at scale), your vested value $6M pre-tax; downside protected by pref stack.
Must have
- The compensation objection ('smaller cash than your current job')
- The stage objection ('you'd be building from scratch, is the foundation there?')
- The exit / dilution objection ('what does this look like in 4 years?')
Avoid
- Pretending the comp gap doesn't exist
- 'You'd help build the foundation' as the answer to the foundation question
- Refusing to talk about outcomes ('too early to say')
The winning recruiting deck template
Time-bound ask
Name the date you need a yes/no by, and the specific next step to get there.
Formula
We'd like a yes/no by [date]. Between now and then: [1 named next step]. If yes: [start date and week-1 handoff].
Strong example
Yes/no by Fri Apr 25. Between now and then: dinner with Jane + Ravi Wed Apr 23 in SF, and a call with Priya at Helio Thu Apr 24. If yes: start May 12, first week is 1:1s with the team + 5 customer calls we've pre-scheduled.
Must have
- A specific date, not 'as soon as you're ready'
- One named next step (dinner with founders, coffee with a customer, backchannel)
- Start date and week-1 handoff on 'if yes'
Avoid
- 'Take your time'
- No named next step
- No start date on the 'if yes'