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Writing a Business Plan

Team sequoia.

When Brian, Joe and Nate founded Airbnb, they had an air mattress, entrepreneurial passion, and a vision for reinventing travel and hospitality, but no clear idea how to approach VCs or how to craft a pitch deck.

They came across Sequoia’s guide for how to write a business plan and the rest is history . They made a great deck.

But it wasn’t really the slides we liked—it was their ideas, the clarity of their thinking, and the scope of their ambition. We love partnering with founders hell-bent on bringing an idea to life that conventional wisdom deems impossible. And we love to partner early— when an idea is newly formed and has the maximal room to grow.

You can find our guide to pitching below (with a few refinements from years of use).

Company purpose Start here: define your company in a single declarative sentence. This is harder than it looks. It’s easy to get caught up listing features instead of communicating your mission.

Problem Describe the pain of your customer. How is this addressed today and what are the shortcomings to current solutions.

Solution Explain your eureka moment. Why is your value prop unique and compelling? Why will it endure? And where does it go from here?

Why now? The best companies almost always have a clear why now? Nature hates a vacuum—so why hasn’t your solution been built before now?

Market potential Identify your customer and your market. Some of the best companies invent their own markets.

Competition / alternatives Who are your direct and indirect competitors. Show that you have a plan to win.

Business model How do you intend to thrive?

Team Tell the story of your founders and key team members.

Financials If you have any, please include.

Vision If all goes well, what will you have built in five years?

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Jun 06 2018.

War, hunger, and some of the world’s great doomed social experiments all changed the way that Moscow eats.

Moscow, the European metropolis on Asia’s western flank, has always been a canvas for competing cultures. Its cuisine is no different. The ancient baselines of winter grains, root vegetables, and cabbage acquired scaffolding from both directions: eastern horsemen brought meat on sticks, western craftsmen brought pastries, and courtly French chefs came and drowned it all in cream.

History has a place on the plate here, as well: war, hunger, and some of the world’s great doomed social experiments from Serfdom to Communism to Bandit Capitalism all changed the way that Moscow eats. So in the spirit of all of those grand failures, we—a Russian chef and an American writer—will attempt here to reduce the towering history of this unknowable city to 13 dishes, with some Imperial past but a special emphasis on the more recent decades of culinary paroxysms as Moscow emerged from its Soviet slumber.

Olivier Salad

To visualize the long marriage between French and Russian cuisines, picture Peter the Great, on a diplomatic sojourn to Paris in 1717, a “ stranger to etiquette ”, meeting the 7-year-old boy-king Louis XV and lifting him in the air out of sheer elán. These things were simply not done, and yet, there they were. Peter’s joyful (and often envious) fascination with all things French took hold, among other places, in the kitchen. He brought French chefs back to his palaces, and then the lesser nobility followed suit, and when the first restaurants emerged in Moscow, they also spoke French. The Hermitage Restaurant, which was open from 1864 until history intervened in 1917, had a Francophone Belgian named Lucien Olivier as a chef, and he made a salad that was a perfectly unrestrained combination of French flavors and Russian ingredients: grouse! Veal tongue! Proto-mayonnaise! The ingredients now tend toward the pedestrian—boiled beef, dill pickles, various vegetables all bound with mayonnaise—and it has become a staple of Russian cuisine, especially on New Year’s. And yes, if you’ve ever seen the lonely Ensalada Rusa wilting behind the sneezeguard of a Spanish tapas bar, that is supposed to be a successor to the Olivier. But in Moscow, you should eat Matryoshka ’s version, which is not the original recipe but has some of that imperial richness: crayfish, quail, sturgeon caviar, and remoulade, all under a translucent aspic skirt, for 990₽ ($16).

There’s a type of expression around bottling things—bottled lightning, summer in a jar, etc.—that feels very apt here. What exactly is bottled with vareniye (jam)? A lot more than just fruit. These jams, which tend to be thinner than western varieties—with whole berries or fruit chunks in syrup—are bottled with a lot of Russian identity. There’s the Russian love of countryside. Deep dacha culture of summer cottages and personal orchards. Traditional naturopathy (raspberry vareniye taken with tea will fight fever). And above all, friendship is bottled here— vareniye made from the overabundance of fruit at one’s dacha is the most typical Russian gift, real sharing from real nature, even in the often-cynical heart of Europe’s largest megacity. Visitors who are short on lifelong friendships in Moscow can pick some up fine vareniye at any Lavka Lavka shop (we recommend the delicate young pine cone jam) or, curiously enough, at many Armenian stores.

Borodinsky Bread

The clinical-sounding title of Lev Auerman’s 1935 classic Tekhnologiya Khlebopecheniya ( Bread Baking Technology) doesn’t promise scintillation. But Auerman’s recipe for rye bread changed Russian bread forever. An older legend had it that the bread was baked dark for mourning by a woman widowed in the battle of Borodino in 1812, but the real birth of the bread came from Auerman’s recipes. A modification on sweet, malted Baltic breads, Auerman’s Borodinsky bread was 100% rye and used caraway or anise. The recipe has evolved a bit—today it is 80% rye and 20% wheat high extraction flour and leans more on coriander than caraway. But its flavor profile (sweet, chewy) as well as its characteristic L7 mold —a deep brick of bread—has made it easily identifiable as the traditional, ubiquitous, every-occasion bread of Moscow. You can buy it everywhere, but the Azbuka Vkusa high-end markets have a reliably good sliced version.

Buckwheat Grechka

Look closely at those Russians who have followed their money to live in London, or are vacationing in Cyprus or Antalya. See the slight melancholy that not even cappuccinos or sunshine can erase. It’s not because Russians are gloomy by nature; it’s probably because there is no real grechka outside of Russia and Ukraine, and that is devastating. Buckwheat grain and groats— grechka (or grecha in Saint Petersburg)—are deep in the culture. It’s a wartime memory: May 9 Victory Day celebrations feature military kitchens serving buckwheat like they did at the front. It’s a little slice of Russian history that lies somewhere between oatmeal and couscous. In Moscow, eat it at Dr. Zhivago with milk (180₽/US$2.90) or mushrooms (590₽/US$9.50), and rejoice.

Mimoza Salad

This fantastically expressive egg-and-canned-fish salad is a testament to Soviet ingenuity—it’s the ultimate puzzle to make a drastically limited food chain sparkle—and the universal human thrill of layering foods. The geological creation starts with a base layer of fish, then layers of grated cooked potato, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, grated carrots, sweet onion, diced egg whites and then capped with a brilliant yellow crumble of boiled egg yolk. It sits there on the plate, dazzling like the flowering mimosa tree it is named after. The taste? Well, it’s comfort food. Pick some up to go at any Karavaev Brothers location —the excellent deli chain sells it for 650₽ (US$10.40) a kilo.

It seems odd, almost impossible, to imagine a time in Russia before shashlik. It’s meat on a stick, something that all humans should have had on the menu since at least the time of Prometheus. But shashlik as we know it know—cubes of marinated meat cooked with vegetables over a mangal grill—didn’t really take off in Russia until the early 1900s. And due to a lack of suitable meat in much of the Soviet era (there were no meat cattle herds, only dairy), we’re starting the clock on shashlik in the late Soviet period. Despite its relatively recent (re)appearance, it is now the ubiquitous grill phenomenon of Russia, a welcome ritual of summer.

Much of Russian cuisine has borrowed heavily from Central Asia and further east over the millennia ( pelmeni anyone?), but plov is a striking example of an entire eastern dish making its way directly into Russian households. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and upheaval in many Central Asian Soviet Republics, mass economic migration to Moscow took off in the late 80s and early 90s. Central Asians today are the lifeblood of the Moscow labor force (part of up to 10-12 million Central Asian migrants living in Russia), and plov—rice steamed in stock with meat and vegetables—has jumped from the migrant communities to the homes of Muscovites everywhere. It has developed an unfortunate reputation for being a food that even finicky kids will eat, so there is a lot of harried domestic plov being made. But you can get a fully expressed Uzbek version at Danilovsky Market, online at plov.com , or at Food City—the surf-and-turf Tsukiji of Moscow.

The Big Mac

So many of the difficulties in American-Russian relations come down to one foundational attitude problem: The Americans (that’s half of this writing duo) were incredibly, distressingly smug through the entire fall of the Soviet Union. We mistook Soviet failure for an American victory, and that made all the difference. What does that have to do with a Big Mac? Well, when Russia’s first McDonald’s opened on Pushkinskaya in 1990 and 5000 people turned out to wait in line for the first taste of America, we back home in the states mistook it for culinary and commercial superiority. But there was something more complicated happening: Russians had been denied Western goods for so long and with such force that any outside identity was much-needed oxygen. And the long-term victory, as McDonald’s has continued to thrive in post-Soviet Russia, really belongs to the local franchise, which used higher-quality ingredients than in the U.S. and created a chain that was successful not because of its American identity but because of its Russian modifications. We wouldn’t recommend eating at any McDonald’s, especially not when there is Teremok for your fast-food needs, but having a soda in the original location is one way to sit and ponder the sin of hubris. And to use the free toilet and Wi-Fi.

The crown jewel of Levantine meat preparations, perhaps the single greatest street meat in the world: Shawarma. It first came to Moscow with a shawarma joint across from the Passazh mall, opened in the early 90s by Syrian cooks who dazzled masses with their sizzling, spinning, spiced meat emporium. Lines that stretched into the hundreds of people weren’t uncommon in those heady early days. And even though the original spot closed many years ago, Moscow shawarma only grew from there, mutating into the beast it is today, where you’re likely to find chicken, cabbage, mayo and a thin tomato sauce all combining to make the Levant a distant memory.

Fish Tartare aka Sashimi

One result of the aforementioned American smugness is that the West seemed surprised at how rapidly 1990s Russia assimilated some of the most hardcore capitalist traits, including but not limited to conspicuous consumerism. Moscow’s new elite was very, very good at that. What could be more conspicuous that recreating a restrained, exclusive seafood cuisine from Japan in the chaotic, landlocked megacity of Moscow? The very improbability of high-end sushi and sashimi in Moscow fueled much of its allure, and even though the trends have moved on from sushi, you can still tell the emotional attachment that the oligarch class has to those formative wastes of money. Sumosan restaurant started in Moscow back in 1997 and has since expanded to Monte Carlo and Londongrad , where they serve a dish that they call Fish Tartare, among others, in their restaurants and through their private jet catering service.

Blue Cheese roll

If the early elite sushi restaurants in Moscow were the frivolous edge of a food phenomenon, then Yakitoriya , a chain which started in the late 1990s, democratized it with affordable sushi rolls geared to local tastes. The Blue Cheese Roll, available now on their menu, seems like the apex (or nadir) of the Russianized roll: salmon, smoked eel, cucumber, cream cheese, Blue Cheese sauce. It might not be Jiro’s dream, but a true Russian middle class, one that can work honestly, earn meaningful salaries, and have a freaky sushi roll at the end of the week just like the rest of us—that’s something worthing dreaming for. Blue Cheese Roll, Yakitoriya, 417₽ (US$6.70)

If you’re American, have you ever wondered why tacos took over middle America but sopes remain virtually unknown? It’s curious how a country can assimilate some foods from their neighbors and but remain blissfully ignorant of others. That may explain what took place two years ago in Moscow, when the city seemingly discovered, as if for the first time, the bagged awesomeness that is khinkali , a soup dumpling from Russia’s southern neighbor Georgia. It became very trendy very quickly, and khinkali joints sprouted across Moscow like griby after a rain. But it wasn’t just that dish: what they were serving was a bit of the imagined southern, sybaritic lifestyle of the Caucasus, as promised in restaurant names like Est’ Khinkali Pit Vino ( Eat Khinkali Drink Wine ). Your best bets are at the stately Sakhli , around 100₽ (US$1.60) per soft, fulsome dumpling, or the more modernized Kafe Khinkalnaya on Neglinnaya Street , 100₽ (US$0.80) a dumpling.

We have named burrata—yes, that Italian alchemy of cheese and cream—the Perfect Dish of Moscow 2018, if only because it is the Dish of the Moment, ready to be enjoyed at the height of its faddishness now, and equally ready to be replaced when the city decides to move on. Read Anna Maslovskaya’s masterful breakdown of why—and where—to eat burrata in Moscow.

Top image: Olivier salad with chicken. Photo by: Kvector /Shutterstock

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The Perfect Dish: The Moscow Burrata

Featured city guides.

Ch. 9 The Development of Russia

Ivan i and the rise of moscow, learning objective.

• Outline the key points that helped Moscow become so powerful and how Ivan I accomplished these major victories
• Moscow was considered a small trading outpost under the principality of Vladimir-Suzdal into the 13th century.
• Power struggles and constant raids under the Mongol Empire’s Golden Horde caused once powerful cities, such as Kiev, to struggle financially and culturally.
• Ivan I utilized the relative calm and safety of the northern city of Moscow to entice a larger population and wealth to move there.
• Alliances between Golden Horde leaders and Ivan I saved Moscow from many of the raids and destruction of other centers, like Tver.

A rival city to Moscow that eventually lost favor under the Golden Horde.

Grand Prince of Vladimir

The title given to the ruler of this northern province, where Moscow was situated.

The Rise of Moscow

Moscow was only a small trading outpost in the principality of Vladimir-Suzdal in Kievan Rus’ before the invasion of Mongol forces during the 13th century. However, due to the unstable environment of the Golden Horde, and the deft leadership of Ivan I at a critical time during the 13th century, Moscow became a safe haven of prosperity during his reign. It also became the new seat of power of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Ivan I (also known as Ivan Kalita) was born around 1288 to the Prince of Moscow, Daniil Aleksandrovich. He was born during a time of devastation and upheaval in Rus’. Kiev had been overtaken by the invading Mongol forces in 1240, and most of the Rus’ principalities had been absorbed into the Golden Horde of the Mongol Empire by the time Ivan was born. He ascended to the seat of Prince of Moscow after the death of his father, and then the death of his older brother Yury.

Ivan I. He was born around 1288 and died in either 1340 or 1341, still holding the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir.

Ivan I stepped into a role that had already been expanded by his predecessors. Both his older brother and his father had captured nearby lands, including Kolomna and Mozhaisk. Yury had also made a successful alliance with the Mongol leader Uzbeg Khan and married his sister, securing more power and advantages within the hierarchy of the Golden Horde.

Ivan I continued the family tradition and petitioned the leaders of the Golden Horde to gain the seat of Grand Prince of Vladimir. His other three rivals, all princes of Tver, had previously been granted the title in prior years. However they were all subsequently deprived of the title and all three aspiring princes also eventually ended up murdered. Ivan I, on the other hand, garnered the title from Khan Muhammad Ozbeg in 1328. This new title, which he kept until his death around 1340, meant he could collect taxes from the Russian lands as a ruling prince and position his tiny city as a major player in the Vladimir region.

Moscow’s Rise

During this time of upheaval, the tiny outpost of Moscow had multiple advantages that repositioned this town and set it up for future prosperity under Ivan I. Three major contributing factors helped Ivan I relocate power to this area:

• It was situated in between other major principalities on the east and west so it was often protected from the more devastating invasions.
• This relative safety, compared to Tver and Ryazan, for example, started to bring in tax-paying citizens who wanted a safe place to build a home and earn a livelihood.
• Finally, Moscow was set up perfectly along the trade route from Novgorod to the Volga River, giving it an economic advantage from the start.

Ivan I also spurred on the growth of Moscow by actively recruiting people to move to the region. In addition, he bought the freedom of people who had been captured by the extensive Mongol raids. These recruits further bolstered the population of Moscow. Finally, he focused his attention on establishing peace and routing out thieves and raiding parties in the region, making for a safe and calm metaphorical island in a storm of unsettled political and military upsets.

Kievan Rus’ 1220-1240. This map illustrates the power dynamics at play during the 13th century shortly before Ivan I was born. Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, sat to the southeast, while Moscow (not visible on this map) was tucked up in the northern forests of Vladimir-Suzdal.

Ivan I knew that the peace of his region depended upon keeping up an alliance with the Golden Horde, which he did faithfully. Moscow’s increased wealth during this era also allowed him to loan money to neighboring principalities. These regions then became indebted to Moscow, bolstering its political and financial position.

In addition, a few neighboring cities and villages were subsumed into Moscow during the 1320s and 1330s, including Uglich, Belozero, and Galich. These shifts slowly transformed the tiny trading outpost into a bustling city center in the northern forests of what was once Kievan Rus’.

Russian Orthodox Church and The Center of Moscow

Ivan I committed some of Moscow’s new wealth to building a splendid city center and creating an iconic religious setting. He built stone churches in the center of Moscow with his newly gained wealth. Ivan I also tempted one of the most important religious leaders in Rus’, the Orthodox Metropolitan Peter, to the city of Moscow. Before the rule of the Golden Horde the original Russian Orthodox Church was based in Kiev. After years of devastation, Metropolitan Peter transferred the seat of power to Moscow where a new Renaissance of culture was blossoming. This perfectly timed transformation of Moscow coincided with the decades of devastation in Kiev, effectively transferring power to the north once again.

Peter of Moscow and scenes from his life as depicted in a 15th-century icon. This religious leader helped bring cultural power to Moscow by moving the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church there during Ivan I’s reign.

One of the most lasting accomplishments of Ivan I was to petition the Khan based in Sarai to designate his son, who would become Simeon the Proud, as the heir to the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir. This agreement a line of succession that meant the ruling head of Moscow would almost always hold power over the principality of Vladimir, ensuring Moscow held a powerful position for decades to come.

• Boundless World History. Authored by : Boundless. Located at : https://www.boundless.com/world-history/textbooks/boundless-world-history-textbook/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

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Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

The Sequoia Pitch Deck Template has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of startup founders that are preparing their pitch deck.

It started as a simple blog post that some smart cookie turned into a very simple series of slides. Sometimes the best things in life are super simple.

Now yes, Sequoia are a big deal and yes they know what they are talking about but no… you’re not going to learn a massive amount when it comes to what to actually write and the narrative you want to tell. This is, however, a nice quick read for you to start building a framework upon which to build you frame of reference

The back story on the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

So what is the back story with the pitch deck template? In Sequoia’s words:

When Brian, Joe and Nate founded Airbnb, they had an air mattress, entrepreneurial passion, and a vision for reinventing travel and hospitality, but no clear idea how to approach VCs or how to craft a pitch deck. They came across Sequoia’s guide for how to write a business plan and the  rest is history . They made a great deck. But it wasn’t really the slides we liked—it was their ideas, the clarity of their thinking, and the scope of their ambition. We love partnering with founders hell-bent on bringing an idea to life that conventional wisdom deems impossible. And we love to partner early— when an idea is newly formed and has the maximal room to grow.

So they shared their guide to pitching (with a few refinements from years of use).

Investors have a short attention span

Investors will give you the most attention at the start of your pitch.

A rookie mistake is to assume that if you have scheduled an hour-long meeting, you will get an hour of attention. #fail

The typical attention span in an hour-long meeting will follow this curve most of the time.

Understand this when you think about the order and priority of the information you want to communicate to venture capitalists.

You have five minutes to earn attention for the rest of the meeting. If you can’t get them thinking ‘Ok, this might be interesting’ they may even call an end to the meeting and say ‘come back when you have more traction.’ Founders LOVE hearing that. Not.

For the love of god, make sure in the first few minutes investors are crystal clear what you actually do! It’s crazy how many founders forget to actually do that. You know your business- everyone else does not!

The flow of the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template

• Company Purpose
• Market Size

Competition

• Business Model

Company purpose

Start here: define your company in a single declarative sentence. This is harder than it looks. It’s easy to get caught up listing features instead of communicating your mission.

I personally like using and x for y (Just don’t use Uber!) and then a simple explanation.

‘Visions’ might work in America, but in most places investors might think it is naff. Investors would prefer to know the insight you identified and how you are proving that out.

Describe the pain of your customer. How is this addressed today and why the current offerings are totally inadequate.

The bigger the pain point the better!

Be very clear about the problem you are solving:

• For consumer concepts, talk about user needs (You need to market to them)
• For enterprise ideas, show a detailed understanding of your customer’s pain (you need to be an industry expert)

If you cannot convince an investor there’s something deeply broke, they will not be interested in what your solution is to the problem. You might have a solution looking for a problem… in which case, come back later.

There are a lot of manners to approach describing the solution. Some of the things you can address include:

• What was your eureka moment?
• Why is your value prop unique and compelling?
• Why will it endure? Is there a competitive moat build in such as network effects?
• And where does it go from here? How big can this get?

You need to figure out the key points that really communicate the big value here.

Timing matters.

The best companies almost always have a clear why now? What happened in the industry to bring your industry to being at the perfect time for you to act on it?

Nature hates a vacuum—so why hasn’t your solution been built before now? There are often good reasons for this.

Market potential

Can this be really big? How big is the market?

You have two ways to size the market:

And some sizing jargon you can use is:

Here is an example of how we have presented it.

You need to identify your customer and your market clearly. Have an avatar in your head.

‘ If we just get 1% of the market ‘ is naive. In fact, some of the best companies invent their own markets (think Airbnb).

If it’s a new market, the best way to tackle this is to explain how many users or customers there are for the product/service, how this number grows over time, and how much each of these users/customers is worth (this last part is a chance to cover pricing/revenue model).

If it’s a replacement market, for example where software is automating an existing service, then explain how big the existing market is today and how much you expect your solution to shrink it, through lower prices. You can read about shrinking a market and owning it here .

One thing not to do is to put up huge numbers from a market study such as Gartner or Forrester and not add any details behind them. Airbnb does this in their deck , albeit simply.

If you cannot prove you have a large market you will not get very far. Here is why .

EVERYONE has competitors. Inertia is always an option.

Who are your direct and indirect competitors? Typically these are mapped out in an x/y axis.

The best is to add some commentary, or at least show that you have a plan to win by talking to the slide.

Better to identify all the competitors than have the investors discover them afterwards. That way, you can proactively explain how you are different. You want to control the discussion and not undermine your credibility.

Especially for early stage where you don’t have a lot of numbers you really want to give a demo.

My recommendation is not to do this live, but to pre-record the demo. DO NOT record your voice. Talk to the video. Otherwise, why didn’t you just send them a link to watch when they want? You can also pause the video and add extra comments on the fly and answer specific questions. You never know if wifi breaks etc.

It’s not possible every time (e.g. for infrastructure software), but whenever you can, a demo is worth a thousand words. Failing that, screenshots and the workflow to bring the solution alive.

Business model

So how do you actually make money?

How you address this slide depends on your business model and the stage you are at (maybe you aren’t clear on pricing yet?).

If you have many ways to make money, don’t talk about them all! Pick one main method. It’s almost always:

• Subscription
• Ads (Ergh…)
• Transactions

Ideally you can add metrics here around critical areas including CAC and LTV.

By this point, if the investor is interested, they will want to know about the team, so it’s worth spending a couple of minutes on the founders’ backgrounds, highlighting any special talents or experiences that make them well-suited to building the business.

Team is critical. Everything else is sort of pointless with out the team to execute on it. Here is a guide so you know what an investible founding team looks like .

I disagree with the Sequoia Capital pitch deck template format here though. If your team is amazing, you want to put it up front. It adds credibility to everything you say.

If you are sending satellites to space, I like to know first that you worked at NASA.

If you don’t know… here is the real reason founders are not funded (that doesn’t get talked about).

I would put advisors at the bottom and very small. Most people think advisors are BS and your friend who agreed to get involved for the sole purpose of the deck. You can add credibility by saying they actually invested. That makes it real, even if it is a small amount.

I typically don’t include financials in a pitch deck, at least nothing like a P&L. What I focus on instead are your metrics and adding growth charts.

You can mention high level MRR/ARR numbers and the like depending on your business model.

It’s easy to lose yourself in the numbers. Sequoia suggest keeping it simple and just showing on a timeline how you would spend the money (e.g., headcount) to achieve specific milestones (e.g., launching the service). I however recommend making a source and use slide which shows what you are raising, how you are going to spend it, and the key milestones you will achieve with it and your defined runway.

There we go. What do you think of the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template? Let me know in the comments and we can discuss them.

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Best Sequoia Pitch Deck Examples for a Winning Application

Make a winning Sequoia pitch deck with our tips on must-have slides, Sequoia's startup criteria, and best formats. Explore proven examples usable as templates.

8 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

What makes an effective Sequoia pitch deck?

An effective Sequoia pitch deck communicates your startup's unique value proposition, market opportunity, and competitive edge. It combines clear, data-backed storytelling with a compelling vision, demonstrating the potential for growth and the team's capability to execute on that vision.

99% of startups fail. Is your application strong enough to stand out?

Pitching to Sequoia? It's tough. Really tough. Out of tens of thousands, a little over 1% make it through.

Think about it: missing out on joining legends like Airbnb, Dropbox, or Apple because your pitch deck didn't hit the mark. That's a tough pill to swallow.

Your deck needs to do more than just share your idea—it needs to make Sequoia believe in your startup as much as you do. Without a standout presentation, your dream might just remain that.

But here's the good news: this blog post is filled with insights that helped others succeed, plus tips on structure, format, and how to pitch like a pro.

Ready to give your startup the best shot at success? Let's dive in and make sure your pitch deck is one that Sequoia can't ignore.

What are the required Sequoia pitch deck slides?

Crafting a pitch deck for Sequoia Capital means distilling your startup's essence into a concise, compelling narrative. It's not just about what your company does but how it stands out in the market.

Inspired by Sequoia's own guide for writing a business plan, here's a breakdown of the essential slides to include in your pitch deck.

12 required Sequoia pitch deck slides:

Cover slide: Start with a visually appealing and attention-grabbing cover slide that includes your company name and logo.

Company purpose: Define your company in a single, clear sentence. This is your mission statement, capturing the essence of what you aim to achieve.

Problem: Detail the customer pain point you're addressing. Highlight the limitations of current solutions, setting the stage for your innovation.

Solution: Share the moment of insight that led to your startup's solution. Explain why it's both unique and compelling, and how it's positioned for longevity.

Why now?: Justify the timing of your solution. Discuss why this is the moment for your startup to enter the market, and why it hasn't been done before.

Market potential: Identify your target customer and market size. Show how you might create or redefine a market space.

Competition / Alternatives: Outline who your competitors are, both direct and indirect, and demonstrate your strategy for success against them.

Business model: Describe how your startup will generate revenue and sustain growth. This is where you clarify your path to financial viability.

Team: Introduce your founders and key team members. Share your team's story, focusing on the experiences and skills that make you uniquely qualified to execute your vision.

Financials: If available, include key financial metrics and projections. This slide lends credibility to your business model and growth potential.

Vision: Paint a picture of where you see your company in 5 years. This is your chance to share your ambition and the broader impact of your startup.

Next steps: Conclude with a clear outline of immediate next steps. This slide should guide the conversation forward, suggesting actions for potential investors, such as meetings, further information exchanges, or investment discussions.

What is Sequoia looking for in a startup?

Sequoia Capital is a big name in venture capital, known for picking winners like Google and Apple. They have a really sharp eye for what makes a startup special.

Here are 7 main things they look for when deciding to invest:

The right team: Sequoia loves teams that are not just smart and creative but also passionate about what they’re doing. They value teams that have shown they can work well together and make things happen.

Big markets: They’re interested in startups that are aiming for big, growing markets. If you’re tackling a niche that’s underserved or totally new, that’s even better in their books.

Important problems: Sequoia gets excited about startups that are solving real, big problems. They like it when technology is used to shake up old ways of doing things or to open up brand new markets.

Standing out: Having something that sets you apart from the crowd is key. This could be a new technology, a different way of doing business, or something else that gives you an edge over others.

Good financials: They take a close look at your financials. Startups that have shown they can grow their revenue and have a clear path to making more money catch their eye. They also like it when you use your funds wisely.

Growth potential: Sequoia is all about growth. They want to see that you have a solid plan for getting bigger and reaching more customers.

A solid business model: Your plan for making money needs to be strong and sustainable. They’re looking for innovative ways you’re going to keep growing and succeeding in the long run.

What is the best Sequoia pitch deck format?

When preparing your pitch deck for Sequoia Capital, choosing the right format is crucial.

While traditional formats like PDF and PowerPoint are widely used, they often fall short in setting your presentation apart. Static decks can't match the dynamic nature of today's startups, potentially leaving your audience disengaged.

Interactive decks present a dynamic alternative, transforming your pitch into an engaging story.

These decks support clickable elements, live demos, and real-time data, offering a richer, more immersive experience that can effectively convey your startup's vision and potential.

Here's a breakdown of popular pitch deck formats:

Sequoia pitch deck examples that offer fast track to funding

Securing funding from Sequoia Capital is a milestone many startups dream of, given Sequoia's track record of backing industry giants.

A well-crafted pitch deck is your first step on this journey, serving as a crucial tool to communicate your vision, strategy, and potential impact.

The right pitch deck can fast-track your funding efforts, turning your innovative ideas into reality. Below, we explore several standout Sequoia pitch deck examples, highlighting key features that set them apart and make them a compelling case for investment.

Fintech Sequoia pitch deck

This pitch deck exemplifies how to effectively communicate a complex fintech solution, leveraging interactive elements and thoughtful design to engage Sequoia Capital and potential investors.

What makes this Sequoia pitch deck example great:

Interactive data visualization components: The deck features dynamic charts and graphs, providing a compelling, data-driven narrative of the startup's market traction and potential.

Easily customizable logo placeholders: It includes a unique logo finder tool that automatically extracts and inserts logos from any website, allowing for easy customization and brand consistency throughout the presentation.

Use of grayed-out content: Strategic use of grayed-out background elements focuses the viewer's attention on key points, ensuring the most important information is highlighted and easily digestible.

Healthcare Sequoia pitch deck

This pitch deck provides a great example of a compelling narrative for a healthcare startup, combining a clear problem-solution framework with interactive elements and a well-defined future roadmap.

What makes this Sequoia pitch deck great:

Timeline slide: The deck includes a timeline slide that clearly outlines the company's future growth plans, providing a detailed roadmap of upcoming innovations and milestones.

Option to embed and play videos: It leverages the power of multimedia by allowing videos to be embedded and played directly within the deck, offering an engaging way to demonstrate the startup's solutions and their impact on healthcare.

Multiple smart CTAs: The presentation concludes with smart call-to-action (CTA) buttons, strategically placed to encourage potential investors and partners to take the next step, whether it's reaching out for more information, scheduling a meeting, or exploring further details about the startup.

Consumer product Sequoia pitch deck

This pitch deck stands out for its strategic focus on consumer trends, innovative solutions, and a keen understanding of the market, making it a compelling case for Sequoia Capital's investment.

Clear value proposition: The deck articulates a compelling value proposition, emphasizing the startup's commitment to sustainability, smart integration, and affordability, directly addressing consumer needs and market gaps.

Solid market research: It presents thorough market research, identifying key trends like the surge in sustainability and the boom in online shopping, which underpin the startup's strategic positioning and growth potential.

Automatic layout adjustment: The design ensures that all added elements, whether text, images, or graphs, seamlessly fit into the overall layout, maintaining a clean, professional look throughout the presentation.

AI Sequoia pitch deck

This pitch deck shows how to compellingly present an AI startup, combining a strong narrative on addressing key industry challenges with interactive and personalized elements.

Option to add dynamic variables: The deck allows for the inclusion of dynamic variables, enabling a personalized presentation experience for each viewer, enhancing engagement and relevance.

Clear problem-solution framework: It effectively outlines the significant challenges in the AI space and presents the startup's solutions, demonstrating a deep understanding of the market needs and a viable path to addressing them.

Scroll-based design: The presentation employs a scroll-based design, facilitating a smooth, narrative-driven exploration of the content, making the complex subject of AI accessible and engaging for all viewers.

Climate tech Sequoia pitch deck

This pitch deck stands out for its strategic focus on addressing critical environmental issues with actionable, technology-driven solutions, coupled with a keen understanding of the market and a solid team ready to make a significant impact.

Responsive design: The deck is built with a responsive design, ensuring it looks great and functions smoothly across different devices, making it accessible to every potential investor or partner.

Clear team slide: It features a well-organized team slide that introduces key members, showcasing their expertise and roles within the company, reinforcing the startup's capability to execute its vision.

Access to an analytics panel: The inclusion of an analytics panel offers valuable insights into viewer engagement, allowing the startup to understand which sections are capturing interest and where improvements can be made.

Crypto Sequoia pitch deck

This pitch deck provides an example of how to effectively leverage the power of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to propose viable solutions for the financial industry's most pressing challenges.

With its strategic focus on innovation, clear problem-solution framework, and user-friendly design, it stands out as a persuasive argument for investment.

Option to edit details after sending the deck: This feature allows for real-time updates and revisions, ensuring the information remains current and accurate, enhancing credibility and relevance.

Option to extract branding from any website: It simplifies the customization process, allowing for seamless integration of consistent branding throughout the presentation.

Embedded calendar: It facilitates direct engagement by enabling viewers to easily schedule meetings or follow-ups right from the pitch deck, streamlining the communication process and accelerating potential partnerships.

How do you pitch your startup to Sequoia?

Pitching to Sequoia Capital isn't just about showcasing a brilliant idea; it's about demonstrating that your startup is ready to redefine its industry.

Sequoia has a legacy of backing companies that have become household names, and they're always on the lookout for the next big thing.

But what sets a successful pitch apart? Drawing from a wealth of resources, including Sequoia's own insights, expert advice, and real-world experiences, here's how you can craft a pitch that captures Sequoia's attention.

1) Define your company purpose clearly

Your pitch needs to kick off with a clear and compelling statement about what your company is set to achieve. Sequoia advises founders to encapsulate their company's purpose in a single, declarative sentence.

This isn't about listing features; it's about zooming out to communicate your mission. Think of Airbnb's early vision of "reinventing travel and hospitality." It's succinct, ambitious, and tells you exactly what they set out to change.

2) Identify the pain point with precision

Every great innovation starts with identifying a problem that needs solving. Sequoia wants to know the specific pain point your customer faces, how it's currently addressed, and where existing solutions fall short.

Being detailed here shows you understand your market inside and out. This is about showing the change your product brings, moving customers from a less desirable state to a more desirable one.

3) Present your solution

After laying out the problem, it's time to shine a spotlight on your solution. What's your product's unique value proposition? Why is it compelling, and how will it stand the test of time?

Sequoia is looking for solutions that not only address current market gaps but are also poised for long-term success. Your solution should reflect a deep understanding of the problem and an innovative approach to solving it.

4) Explain why now’s the right time

Sequoia and other top VCs often ask, "Why now?" This is your cue to explain the market dynamics that make this the perfect time for your solution.

Maybe it's a technological advancement, a shift in consumer behavior, or a new regulatory environment. Whatever it is, make it clear why your startup will succeed right now.

5) Show the size of your market

Sequoia is in the business of backing companies with the potential to dominate large markets. Illustrate how your startup taps into a significant market opportunity.

If you're creating a new market, even better. This is about vision and scalability. Sequoia appreciates founders who can segment markets innovatively, suggesting a path to becoming a market leader.

6) Know your competition

Acknowledging your competition shows you're realistic and have done your homework. Sequoia wants to see that you know who you're up against and have a strategy to win.

This includes direct and indirect competitors, as well as the current alternatives your potential customers might be using.

7) Show how you will thrive

A brilliant idea needs a solid business model to succeed. Sequoia looks for clarity on how your startup will make money, scale, and sustain profitability over time.

Whether it's a subscription model, a marketplace, or something entirely new, your business model should align with your overall vision and market opportunity.

8) Introduce the team

Introduce your team and highlight the journey that brought you together to solve this problem. Sequoia values the story of your founders and key team members because it's the people behind the idea that drive a company's success.

Remember, this is more about why your team is the right fit for this challenge than listing impressive resumes.

According to Stanford professor and investor, Michael Dearing:

“Sequoia tends to match well with founders who have three traits in common with the firm's partners: exceptionalism that they're the best, black and white thinking that leads to a strong sense of conviction, and a love for "wrenching change" that can turn an industry on its head.”

9) Present numbers that make sense

If you're at a stage where you have financials to share, include them. They offer a concrete way to demonstrate your business's potential for growth and profitability. Even early estimates can help paint a picture of your financial acumen and realism.

10) Paint a picture of your vision for the future

Finally, Sequoia wants to know your long-term vision. If everything goes according to plan, what will you have built in 5 years? This is your chance to dream big and show Sequoia the world-changing potential of your startup.

As Team Sequoia says, “We love partnering with founders hell-bent on bringing an idea to life that conventional wisdom deems impossible.”

11) End with a clear next step

Concluding your pitch with a clear call to action is as vital as the pitch itself. This approach shows your eagerness to progress and commitment to building a partnership that goes beyond just securing funding.

Embedding your calendar for scheduling follow-up meetings can significantly reduce the friction in moving from interest to action.

Meanwhile, an external link can provide immediate access to more detailed information, such as technical whitepapers or comprehensive market analysis, further educating potential investors about your startup's value proposition.

Interactive Sequoia pitch deck templates

When you're gearing up to pitch to a heavyweight like Sequoia Capital, starting with a blank slide simply won't cut it. The stakes are too high, and the competition is too fierce.

Interactive Sequoia pitch deck templates are specifically designed with the end goal in mind. They provide a structured framework that helps you hit all the key points Sequoia looks for in a pitch.

But these templates go a step further by incorporating interactive elements like embedded calendars and external links. This interactivity makes your pitch more engaging and facilitates immediate action, setting you apart from the crowd.

Just grab one.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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The Art of Business Planning

Business plans for entrepreneurs and managers, writing a business plan: advice from sequoia capital, one of the most successful vc of the last 40 years.

We love what Sequoia Capital says about Business Plan. The original can be found on their web site, but we are pleased to reproduce it below:

We like business plans that present a lot of information in as few words as possible. The following business plan format, within 15–20 slides, is all that’s needed. Company purpose Define the company/business in a single declarative sentence. Problem Describe the pain of the customer (or the customer’s customer). Outline how the customer addresses the issue today. Solution Demonstrate your company’s value proposition to make the customer’s life better. Show where your product physically sits. Provide use cases. Why now Set-up the historical evolution of your category. Define recent trends that make your solution possible. Market size Identify/profile the customer you cater to. Calculate the TAM (top down), SAM (bottoms up) and SOM. Competition List competitors. List competitive advantages. Product Product line-up (form factor, functionality, features, architecture, intellectual property) Development roadmap Business model Revenue model Pricing Average account size and/or lifetime value Sales & distribution model Customer/pipeline list Team Founders & Management Board of Directors/Board of Advisors Financials P&L Balance sheet Cash flow Cap table The deal

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Sequoia Capital is a renowned venture capital firm that has significantly impacted the technology industry. They specialize in funding innovative companies across various stages, from seed to growth. Sequoia Capital has a rich history of investing in successful ventures; notable examples include Apple, Google, Oracle, and more recently, Airbnb and Stripe.

Sequoia Capital focuses on a broad range of industries including technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, and consumer products, continually seeking out disruptive and scalable business models. Their track record and industry expertise make them one of the most prestigious VC firms in the startup ecosystem.

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Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck

Pitch decks are an essential tool for startups seeking investment from venture capital firms or angel investors. A pitch deck is a presentation slideshow that helps to explain the investment opportunity being offered to potential investors. It's similar to a business plan in that it helps to answer questions that investors may have before deciding to invest in a company.

One pitch deck template that is particularly popular among startups is the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template. Sequoia Capital is a well-known venture capital firm that has a reputation for making successful investments, so it makes sense for startups to use their pitch deck template as a guide.

The Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template includes a number of slides that are designed to build upon each other to create a comprehensive pitch. These slides include:

• Problem: This slide explains the problem that your company is solving and how it affects your target market.
• Solution: This slide outlines your proposed solution to the problem and how it addresses the needs of your target market.
• Why Now?: This slide explains why now is the right time to address this problem, taking into account market trends and other factors.
• Market Size: This slide estimates the size of the market that your product or service is targeting.
• Competition: This slide outlines the competition that your company is facing and how your product or service is different from what's already available.
• Product: This slide provides more detail about your product or service, including its features and benefits.
• Business Model: This slide explains how your company plans to make money, including your revenue streams and pricing model.
• Team: This slide introduces the key members of your team and their relevant experience and expertise.
• Board/Advisors: This slide highlights any advisors or board members that you have, including their credentials and expertise.
• Financial: This slide provides financial information about your company, including revenue projections and funding needs.
• Fundraising: This slide explains how much funding you're seeking and how you plan to use it to grow your business.

Overall, the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template is a valuable resource for startups looking to develop a pitch for potential investors. By using this template, you can ensure that you have a well-structured, comprehensive pitch that addresses all of the key points that investors will be looking for.

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