Very good list, Brett, but I will take issue with you on one point. DO have your deck professionally “designed”. Okay, why? Because it’s a “detail” many people miss. Running a company is a collection of paying attention to the details. If you miss certain details, like good design, what else will will be missing?!

Function is fine, every presentation needs to function, just like every company needs to function, but if you leave out design, a professional polish, then you look like an amateur.

When you see an aging plumbing van going down the road and it has a grungy mag sign stuck to the door versus a nice new van with a beautiful full-color wrap and their phone number in big bold bright numbers — which plumber are you going to call? I’ll tell you which one: NOT the guy with the tiny functional mag sign on his door. You’ll call the guy who took the time and expense to make his services look beautiful and polished.

Your deck is a reflection of you and how you will run your company! Polish your pitch deck so that it looks as professional as you are and your services. The last thing you need is for your deck to leave investors with the feeling that you just slapped a mag sign on the door of rusty van.