Guidance

The goal of The Problem slide is to grab the attention of the reader. Everyone in the room should be left thinking “wow, that is a problem that needs to be fixed.”

Keep the information on this slide to a minimum. Include relevant statistics, quotes, and others supporting information if necessary. Otherwise, the only thing on the slide should be the problem.

Remember to never exaggerate statistics. There is no faster way to lose credibility than embellishing your numbers.

Don’t assume that investors know anything about the particular problem you’re solving. Make sure to frame the problem in a way that someone with no industry knowledge would understand.

Checklist

• [ ] Communicate the problem in 1-2 sentences
• [ ] Grab their attention. Some examples:
  • Alarming statistic
  • Startling fact
  • Compelling story
  • Contradict conventional wisdom
• [ ] Include source/citation if necessary

Inspiration

The above slides come from Mixpanel’s Series B pitch deck (they raised $65m). While it’s probably not necessary to have two problem slides, both are good examples of getting straight to the point and communicating the problem in a captivating way.

<aside> <img src="/icons/compose_blue.svg" alt="/icons/compose_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Now it’s time to internalize this.

• Jot down some planning notes
• Write out the content of your slide
• What visuals and design style should this slide include?

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