Home / Blog / How to make a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck

Making the Guy Kawasaki Pitch Deck (Guide & Template)

Learn how to make a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck that impresses investors. See a 10-slide pitch deck example and get templates to create your best deck yet.

Author Dominika Krukowska

5 minute read

How to make a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck

helped business
professionals at:

WorkDay IHeart Meta Nice American Cancer Society Xerox

Short answer

What is a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck?

A Guy Kawasaki pitch deck is a 10-slide presentation concept created by pitching expert, Guy Kawasaki. It follows his 10-20-30 rule to ensure a clear, concise pitch for investors.

Get Guy Kawasaki pitch deck templates
Generate your pitch deck with AI

What is the 10-20-30 rule for pitch decks?

The 10-20-30 rule for pitch decks says your pitch should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and use at least 30-point font.

  • Why 10 slides? A typical human brain, even one belonging to a venture capitalist, can only handle so many concepts in one sitting—10 slides is just the sweet spot. If it takes more than that to explain your business, you might need to rethink your pitch.

  • 20 minutes is all you need for those 10 slides. Even with an hour booked, technical hiccups or late arrivals often cut into your time. And who wants to sit through a long, drawn-out presentation anyway?

  • And finally, a 30-point font ensures your audience can actually read what’s on the slide (especially in a big room). Packing slides with text means people will read ahead of you and zone out.

What does a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck look like?

These days, a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck is an interactive, web-based experience.

The 10-20-30 rule is over a decade old, from a time when pitches were delivered in person, with endless static slides in stuffy meeting rooms.

Since most decks are now viewed remotely, the huge font is no longer necessary, but the presentation must be mobile-friendly and packed with engaging, interactive features to keep investors hooked.


Here's a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck example:

Make yours with AI
Open in new window

How to build a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck?

Most times, you can't be in the room when your deck is being viewed. So, if you don't build your pitch deck to stand out from the other presentations on an investor's desk right away, you've already lost.

In this section, I'll give you a slide-by-slide breakdown of how to build a successful Guy Kawasaki pitch deck.

To do this, I've taken Guy Kawasaki's timeless principles and updated them for this year, so you've got what it takes to give yourself an edge over your competitors.

What does the Guy Kawasaki pitch deck include?

  1. Title slide

  2. Problem/Opportunity

  3. Value proposition

  4. Underlying magic

  5. Business model

  6. Go-to-market plan

  7. Competitive analysis

  8. Management team

  9. Financial projections and key metrics

  10. Current status, accomplishments to date, timeline, and use of funds

1) Title slide

Your title slide sets the tone for your entire pitch, so it’s worth getting it right. Guy Kawasaki suggests including basic details like your company name, your name and title, and even your address, email, and phone number.

While it's fine to list your company name and maybe your headquarters to add credibility, I wouldn’t bother with your email or phone number here.

Nobody’s going to reach out before even seeing your pitch, and asking them to scroll back up later is frustrating.

Instead, I recommend saving contact info for the final slide. Use this space for your logo or, even better, a short, catchy video that can boost engagement by as much as 32%.

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck title slide example

2) Problem/Opportunity

Guy Kawasaki is spot on with this one: you need to start by describing the pain you’re alleviating or the pleasure you’re providing.

The goal is to grab your investors' attention right away and show them you’ve identified a real problem that needs solving.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that not all investors will be familiar with your industry, so you need to clearly demonstrate that your solution addresses a significant issue.

Whether it’s lost revenue or customer frustration, show them why people will be willing to pay for what you offer.

One of the best ways to do this is by opening with a surprising statistic or telling a compelling story that creates a sense of urgency. Make them feel the problem!

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck problem or opportunity slide example

3) Value proposition

This section ties in perfectly with the previous slide. But here's where many founders slip up—they start talking all about themselves and their product features, forgetting that investors care more about the value for the customer.

This isn’t the time to list what your product does; it’s about showing why your solution truly matters to your target audience.

What’s your strategy? What’s your vision for the product? And most importantly, what sets you apart from everyone else in the market? Focus on how you make a difference, not just on the features you offer.

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck value proposition slide example

4) Underlying magic

Guy Kawasaki calls this the “underlying magic” slide, but really, it’s your product slide. This is where you showcase the technology, secret sauce, or unique advantage behind your product.

Kawasaki’s right—less text, more visuals. Diagrams, flowcharts, and prototypes do a much better job of explaining your magic than a block of text ever could.

Here’s the thing: even if you think your product is revolutionary, chances are there are plenty of other companies working on something similar.

So, this is your moment to highlight what only you can bring to life. Show them why your solution is different and why it works better than anything else out there!

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck underlying magic slide example

5) Business model

The business model slide is where you explain how your great idea turns into actual money.

As Guy Kawasaki says, you need to show who’s holding your money temporarily and how you’re going to get it into your own pocket.

Having a groundbreaking idea is wonderful, but without a clear plan to monetize it, it’s just that—an idea.

Break down your pricing model here: will you charge a one-off fee, use a subscription model, or a mix of both?

It’s also smart to consider including a target audience slide to show exactly who you’re aiming to reach. This paints a clearer picture of how your business will bring in revenue.

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck business model slide example

6) Go-to-market plan

The go-to-market plan is where you show how you’ll reach your customers without blowing your budget. Guy Kawasaki’s right—thinking you’ll “go viral” is a red flag that screams you’re not prepared.

Investors want to see a clear, realistic strategy that fits with your business model and target audience (if you’ve included that slide).

This is your opportunity to show you understand your market and have a solid plan to reach potential customers in a way that’s sustainable.

Be clear about your channels, whether it’s social media, partnerships, or direct sales, and be ready to defend your choices. Solid strategy beats wishful thinking every time!

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck go-to-market plan slide example

7) Competitive analysis

The competitive analysis slide is all about showing you understand the market you’re stepping into.

Guy Kawasaki nails it—saying you’re “more passionate” or claiming there’s no competition shows a lack of awareness. It’s naive and shows you haven’t done your homework.

Acknowledge your competitors, especially the big names, and be honest about the gaps they leave that your solution fills.

The fact that there’s competition just proves there’s demand for your offering, but your job is to explain what sets you apart. This is your chance to show why your approach is better, more innovative, or more efficient.

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck competitive analysis slide example

8) Management team

The management team slide is where you introduce the key players behind your business. Guy Kawasaki suggests highlighting your team members, board of directors, advisors, and major investors.

While he mentions it’s okay if your team isn’t perfect, I’m not so sure that flies, especially in places like Silicon Valley where competition is fierce.

You need to show why your team is the best fit to lead your company. Add a personal touch—a sentence or two about each person, highlighting their unique strengths and experience.

Make it clear why they’re the right people to take your business to the next level. It’s not about perfection, it’s about why they’re the best ones to make things happen!

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck management team slide example

9) Financial projections and key metrics

The financial projections and key metrics slide can make or break your whole pitch. Guy Kawasaki suggests providing a 3-year forecast with both financial numbers and key metrics like customer counts and conversion rates.

He’s right—ambition is key, but if you claim you’ll be the next Apple or grab 1% of the Chinese market, you’ll come off as unrealistic. Investors don’t expect you to predict the future perfectly, but they do want to see how you think about growth.

Kawasaki recommends a bottom-up analysis, which means starting with smaller, concrete numbers (like how many customers you can actually sign up this year) and building out from there.

It’s a more realistic way of showing growth, but a top-down approach can work too, depending on the industry.

For example, if you're in a niche market or working with limited competition, it might help illustrate the potential market share more effectively.

Remember, the goal of this pitch is to spark enough interest for a second meeting, so you don’t need to cram every projection and metric onto one slide!

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck financial projections and key metrics slide example

10) Current status, accomplishments to date, timeline, and use of funds

This is probably the most confusing slide in Guy Kawasaki’s pitch deck approach—whew, just saying it all in one breath is a handful!

Kawasaki suggests covering your current product status, future plans, and how you’ll use the funds you’re raising.

While a timeline showing your accomplishments and next milestones is a great follow-up to the financial projections, I think the use of funds deserves its own slide. It’s too important to squeeze into a catch-all section like this.

I do love Kawasaki’s decision not to include an exit strategy slide. His take is spot on: no entrepreneur truly knows when, how, or if they’ll achieve liquidity, and adding the typical “IPO or acquisition” line is just fluff.

If investors ask about your exit strategy, and you answer with that, you’re both missing the point! Focus on the here and now, and how you’ll use the funds to grow, rather than speculating about an uncertain future.

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck current status and use of funds slide example

Bonus: Next steps slide

Here’s a bonus slide that Guy Kawasaki doesn’t mention, but I think it’s absolutely worth breaking the 10-slide rule for: the “Next steps” slide.

After you’ve poured all that effort into building your case, why end with just a “thank you” or slap the use of funds slide at the end? You need something that keeps the conversation going.

This is where your contact details should be, but even more importantly, make it crystal clear what comes next. If you want a second meeting, say it! Don’t leave them guessing.

With interactive decks, you can embed your calendar directly into the slide, making it easy for investors to book time with you on the spot. It’s not just about convenience—it actually boosts conversion rates by 27%.

You’ve captured their interest, now give them a clear, simple way to keep the momentum going!

Generate your pitch deck with AI
Guy Kawasaki pitch deck next steps slide example

Create your pitch deck from a template

While Guy Kawasaki suggests giving your pitch in 20 minutes, the truth is investors often decide if they’re interested in just 15 seconds.

Interactive Guy Kawasaki pitch deck templates follow a structure that’s been proven to work and are optimized to grab attention fast, so you can make the most of what little time you have.

Just grab one.

No templates found
Dominika Krukowska

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.

Table of contents
What is a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck? What is the 10-20-30 rule for pitch decks? What does a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck look like? How to build a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck? What to include in a Guy Kawasaki pitch deck? Create your pitch deck from a template
More on this topic
Grab a Guy Kawasaki deck template
Engaging decks. Made easy

Create your best Guy Kawasaki pitch deck to date.

Stop losing opportunities to ineffective presentations.
Your new amazing deck is one click away!

Create free Book a demo