December 30, 2005 The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint
Ten is the optimal number of slides in a PowerPoint presentation because a normal human being cannot comprehend more than ten concepts in a meeting—and venture capitalists are very normal. (The only difference between you and venture capitalist is that he is getting paid to gamble with someone else’s money). If you must use more than ten slides to explain your business, you probably don’t have a business. The ten topics that a venture capitalist cares about are:
1. Problem
2. Your solution
3. Business model
4. Underlying magic/technology
5. Marketing and sales
6. Competition
7. Team
8. Projections and milestones
9. Status and timeline
10. Summary and call to action
Presentation Zen: “And speaking of Edward Tufte, what a treat it is to be able to hear an NPR interview about Tufte’s new book. (The name of the book is Beautiful Evidence.) There is a short video clip of Tufte presenting at Cal Tech available there as well.
Beyond Bullets: “Looking for a few good BBP consultants Wanted_1Lately I’ve been receiving more requests from companies and individuals who would like to hire consultants and/or designers who are proficient in the BBP approach. I’m in the process of putting together BBP training and certification programs, but in the meantime, I’m glad to make referrals if I can find a match. Here’s an example of what a very large software and services company is looking for
abanet.org: You Ought to Be in Pictures: Ten Tips for Electronic Trial Presentations