How to Create & Share a Pitch Deck Online

A pitch deck is the document that introduces your startup to investors, partners, or stakeholders. It needs to be compelling, clear, and easy to share. Here is how to create one and get it in front of the right people.

Pitch Deck Structure

Most successful pitch decks follow a variation of this structure:

Title slide - Company name, tagline, your name and title
Problem - What pain point exists in the market
Solution - How your product solves it
Market size - How big is the opportunity (TAM, SAM, SOM)
Product - Screenshots, demo, or key features
Business model - How you make money
Traction - Metrics, revenue, users, partnerships
Competition - Landscape and your differentiation
Team - Key team members and their relevant experience
Financials - Projections and key metrics
The ask - How much you are raising and how you will use the funds
Contact - How to reach you

Keep it to 10-15 slides. Investors review dozens of decks each week, so brevity matters.

Design Tools

Free Options

Google Slides - Collaborative, easy to export as PDF
Canva - Professional templates designed for pitch decks
Pitch - Purpose-built for startup presentations with a free tier

Professional Options

Keynote - Clean templates, Mac only
Figma - Full design control for custom layouts
PowerPoint - Industry standard with extensive template options

Design Tips

Use one key idea per slide
Limit text to headlines and short bullet points
Include data visualizations instead of raw numbers
Use consistent fonts and colors throughout
Make text large enough to read on a phone screen
Include your logo on every slide

How to Share Your Pitch Deck

Emailing large PowerPoint files is unreliable. Investors may not have the right software, the file might get flagged by spam filters, or the formatting could break.

The better approach:

Export your pitch deck as a PDF
Upload it to Linkyhost
Share the link in your outreach emails

Benefits of Link-Based Sharing

No download required - Investors view it instantly in their browser
Works on any device - Phone, tablet, or desktop
Track views - Know when your deck has been opened
Easy updates - Replace the PDF if you update your metrics
Professional appearance - A clean link is better than a 15MB attachment

Pitch Deck Mistakes to Avoid

Too many slides (keep it under 15)
Walls of text instead of visuals
Missing the ask slide
No traction or proof of concept
Generic market size claims without sourcing
Sharing an editable file instead of a PDF

Get Started

Build your pitch deck, export it as a PDF, and host it on Linkyhost for free. Share it with a single link.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Including too many slides. Investors have short attention spans. The best pitch decks are 10-12 slides. Every slide should earn its place. If a slide does not advance the investor's understanding, remove it.

Overloading slides with text. Each slide should communicate one idea with a headline, a few bullet points, and a visual. If you have a paragraph of text on a slide, move that content to your speaker notes or a follow-up document.

Using unsourced market size claims. "Our market is $50 billion" means nothing without a credible source. Cite specific research reports, government data, or reputable industry analyses. Investors check these numbers.

Sending an editable file. Always share your pitch deck as a PDF, not a PowerPoint file. An editable file can be modified, shared, or have metadata that reveals confidential information. Export as PDF and host on Linkyhost for a professional, controlled sharing experience.

Not including a clear ask. The final slide should state exactly how much money you are raising, what the terms are, and how the funds will be used. Vague asks like "we are raising a round" do not inspire action.

Pitch Deck Sharing Checklist

Before sending your deck to investors:

Exported as PDF (not PowerPoint or Google Slides)
File size under 10MB
All charts and data are current
Contact email is visible on the last slide
Uploaded to Linkyhost for link sharing
Tested link on mobile and desktop
Password protection enabled (optional, for early-stage confidential decks)
View tracking enabled to see when investors open it

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a pitch deck be?

10-15 slides is the standard. The famous Guy Kawasaki format recommends 10 slides. YCombinator's format is even leaner. If your deck is over 15 slides, look for content that can be moved to an appendix or a separate data room document.

Should I password protect my pitch deck?

It depends on your stage and strategy. For widely distributed cold outreach, passwords add friction. For confidential decks shared with specific investors, password protection on Linkyhost ensures only intended recipients can access the document. You can also track views to see which investors are engaging.

Can I track who views my pitch deck?

Yes. Upload your deck to Linkyhost and use view tracking to see when the deck is opened. This helps you time follow-up emails — reach out when you know an investor has just reviewed your deck.