The pitchd. field notes
How founders get read, get funding, and get better.
Notes on pitching, decks, and fundraising — written from the front line of the public pitch board.
How to value your pre-revenue startup in 2026
No revenue, no offers — so what is your company worth? Here's how pre-revenue valuation actually works: the three anchors investors use, the ranges that hold in 2026, and how to defend your number.
Read the postThe perfect startup pitch deck, slide by slide
Ten slides, in order, with exactly what belongs on each: problem, solution, traction, go-to-market, and ask. A deck template an investor can skim in three minutes and still understand.
Read the postInvestor outreach emails that actually get replies
Three email templates that work for cold investor outreach: the warm intro, the cold email, and the follow-up. Plus the subject lines and timing that double reply rates.
Read the postWhat is a SAFE note, in simple terms
The SAFE is the most common pre-seed instrument — and many founders sign one without fully knowing what it does. Here is what a SAFE is, what the cap and discount mean, and what to check before you sign.
Read the postTerm sheet terms explained: the clauses that actually matter
Liquidation preference, pro rata, vesting, anti-dilution, the board. A plain-English walkthrough of the term sheet clauses that change real outcomes, and the ones that exist to comfort lawyers.
Read the postHow to write a one-sentence pitch that investors actually read
Your one-sentence pitch is the hardest sentence you'll write. Here's the formula founders on pitchd. use to make investors stop scrolling.
Read the postInvestor updates that build trust: the monthly email your round depends on
A template for investor updates that actually gets read: the five sections, the metrics that matter at seed stage, and why bad news sent early is the highest-leverage email in fundraising.
Read the postWhat actually happens at a demo day, and how to make yours count
Demo days are not pitches — they are auditions for five-minute meetings. What investors scan for in the room, the structure of a demo day talk, and what to do in the four weeks before and after.
Read the postRaising a pre-seed with no network: the founder's playbook
No warm intros, no investor list, no alumni network — here is the structured playbook for a cold pre-seed: the list, the outreach, the public presence, and the honest heart of the problem, which is proof, not network.
Read the postThe only financial metrics that matter before your seed round
Burning cash is not a bug, but confusing it with growth is. The four numbers that matter at pre-seed: revenue, burn, runway, and retention. How to measure them weekly, and which vanity metrics to ignore.
Read the postPaying yourself as a founder: what investors expect
Founder salary is a negotiation between you and the future. Here is what investors actually expect to see, why a zero salary is not the flex it seems, and how to set a number that keeps the company honest.
Read the postFounder equity splits: the math that outlives the friendship
Equal is the default split for equal founders, and vesting is the rule that makes any split fair. The common mistakes, the advisor pool, and the what-ifs nobody asks during the founding week.
Read the postBoard meetings that are worth the hour
Most early board meetings are an hour of status updates that could have been an email. Who to appoint, what the real meetings cover, and the standing agenda that keeps them short.
Read the postWhat angel investors actually read first
Spoiler: it's not your deck. Angels read the same three things in every startup pitch — and most founders spend their time on everything else.
Read the postHow to price your first product
Price on value, not on cost. The three signals that give you a real price range: customer math, the competitor bracket, and the willingness-to-pay phone call. And why the price belongs in your pitch.
Read the postWhen to call it: the difference between a pivot and an ending
Most startups do not blow up, they decay — and the founder is the last to see the runway number. Here is the checklist that separates a pivot from a dead end, and how to close a company cleanly when the answer is to stop.
Read the post7 mistakes founders make in their pitch deck
Most pitch decks die in the first three slides. These are the seven mistakes pitchd. moderators see in every review queue — and how to avoid them.
Read the postReading about pitching? The board is live and public — browse the pitches or post your own.