The 12 Magic Slides: Insider Secrets for Raising Growth Capital

Book description

Author Paul Getty has seen thousands of brilliant founding CEOs present to angel investors, venture capitalists, and institutional investors. And he has seen thousands of them fail in their quest for the money they sincerely believed would lead to entrepreneurial success and riches for all. Again and again, he watched would-be tech titans fail to create a good first impression, deliver poor presentations, tell lengthy stories that put investors to sleep, and fail to address the critical issues sophisticated investors are most eager to hear about.

If only they'd read The Twelve Magic Slides: Insider Secrets for Raising Growth Capital. Getty's slide topics—developed while coaching hundreds of company founders to fundraising success—cover each of the twelve key themes investors want to know about in depth before they part with their hard-earned money: the problem you see, your solution to it, the resulting business opportunity, the amount of money you need to grow the firm, and the potential returns for investors, among others. Getty, managing director of Satwik Capital Advisors in San Jose, California, shows that properly developing each slide—and the thinking behind it—can get you the investment capital required to vault your company to the next level.

But The Twelve Magic Slides is more than a book about how raise money from professional investors. It presents a whole new way of how to think about and develop a successful startup. Regardless, it will show you better ways to accomplish your goals and increase the chances you'll get the green light from investors.

Whether you are seeking startup funding from the angel down the street, or trying to convince investment bankers to help take you public, The Twelve Magic Slides provides a clear step-by-step process that will enable you to:

  • Identify the key elements of the business that must be developed to attract external capital

  • Understand the critical dos and don'ts CEOs must know to sell their story to investors in a quick and efficient manner

  • Create twelve perfect slides and a presentation that secures investor interest from the start and gives them plenty of reasons to write you a check

  • You need to find money to fund your company's growth. Investors need to find entrepreneurs and ideas they can believe in. The Twelve Magic Slides presents a proven method for attracting funds from angel investors, venture capital firms, private equity firms, and institutional investors. It will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to ask for—and receive—the capital you need to launch or grow a business.

    What you'll learn

  • The twelve slide topics that will answer the most critical questions for investors and get them to open up their wallets.

  • What investors are really looking for in the projects they fund.

  • How to define and present a problem, solution, and opportunity that compels backers to fund your company.

  • How to build and showcase a credible leadership team that convinces investors. that it can overcome the challenges startups face and still deliver results.

  • How to come up with realistic financial projections and goals.

  • How to prepare yourself for the stresses of raising capital.

  • Who this book is for

    Entrepreneurs, investors (angels, VCs, etc.), service providers (law firms, accountants, coaches, consultants), students, academics, and pundits surveying the startup scene.

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Apress Business: The Unbiased Source of Business Information
    3. Dedication
    4. Contents
    5. About the Author
    6. Acknowledgments
    7. Introduction
    8. CHAPTER 1: What Investors Want
      1. The Investors You’ll Meet
      2. Is Your Track Record Good Enough?
      3. Strong Customer Validation
      4. Identifying a Big Market for Your Firm’s Products and/or Services
      5. Defensible Business Model
      6. A Good Story, Well Told
      7. A Big Return on Investment
      8. Well-Defined Exit Plans
      9. Summary
    9. CHAPTER 2: Building External Validation
      1. Customers
      2. Partners
      3. Channel Intermediaries
      4. Industry Experts and Consultants
      5. Other Credible Stakeholders
      6. Testimonials
      7. Summary
    10. CHAPTER 3: Identifying the Right Investors
      1. The Landscape of Investment Firms
      2. How to Find Potential Investors
      3. Determining Investor Suitability
      4. Summary
    11. CHAPTER 4: Venture Capital
      1. History of Venture Capital
      2. The VC Business Model
      3. VC Investment Process
      4. VC Investment Criteria
      5. Typical IRR Requirements
      6. Summary
    12. CHAPTER 5: The Elevator Pitch
      1. Short vs. Long Format
      2. Creating Impactful Content
      3. Elevator Pitch Examples: Understanding What Works and What Doesn’t
      4. How to Develop a Compelling Elevator Pitch
      5. Summary
    13. CHAPTER 6: Steps to Building a Successful Investor Presentation
      1. Why 12 Slides?
      2. How Much Time Do You Have?
      3. Summary
    14. CHAPTER 7: Title Slide and Introductions
      1. The First Two Minutes
      2. Convey the Right Attitude from the Start
      3. Tell a Story
      4. Move on to the First Slide
    15. CHAPTER 8: Slide 1: Overview
      1. What to Expect
    16. CHAPTER 9: Slide 2: The Problem
      1. Consumer Products Are Different
      2. Nail That Slide by Solving Serious Problems
      3. Validate the Problem with Quotes
      4. What to Expect
    17. CHAPTER 10: Slide 3: The Solution
      1. What to Expect
    18. CHAPTER 11: Slide 4: Opportunity and Market
      1. TAM, SAM, and SOM
      2. Practical Examples of Segmenting the Market
      3. Further Thoughts on the End Game: Size Matters
      4. What to Expect
    19. CHAPTER 12: Slide 5: Technology
      1. But First: Will Investors Steal Your Ideas?
      2. Present Your Technology
      3. Invent vs. Integrate
      4. What to Expect
    20. CHAPTER 13: Slide 6: Unique Competitive Advantages
      1. It’s All About People, IP, and Relationships
      2. How to Present This Slide
      3. Alternate Slide Formats
      4. Best Practices
      5. Set the Follow-up Hook
      6. What to Expect
    21. CHAPTER 14: Slide 7: Competitive Landscape
      1. Focus on Why You Will Win
      2. Tips on Developing an Effective Competitive Landscape Slide
      3. How to Discuss Your Competition
      4. What to Expect
    22. CHAPTER 15: Slide 8: Go-to-Market Strategy
      1. Information to Include in This Slide
      2. How to Develop This Slide
      3. Remember: Always Start with Your Customers
      4. Opening Remarks
      5. Channel Cost Considerations
      6. What to Expect
    23. CHAPTER 16: Slide 9: Financial Road Map
      1. What’s Behind the Financial Slide
      2. Comparables
      3. Investment Sought
      4. Use of Funds
      5. What to Expect
    24. CHAPTER 17: Slide 10: The Team
      1. The Slide Format
      2. What to Expect
    25. CHAPTER 18: Slide 11: Current Status
      1. What to Report on This Slide
      2. What to Avoid
      3. A Question that Might Come Up
      4. What to Expect
    26. CHAPTER 19: Slide 12: Summary
      1. Call to Action
      2. What to Expect
    27. CHAPTER 20: Backup Slides
      1. Future Timeline Slide
      2. Disclosure Slide(s)
      3. Other Backup Slides
    28. CHAPTER 21: After the Meeting
      1. In Your Car After the Meeting
      2. Within the Week
      3. Next Steps
      4. Best Practices for Following Up
      5. Summary
    29. CHAPTER 22: Building the Executive Summary
      1. Building the Executive Summary
      2. The Private Placement Memorandum
      3. Summary
    30. CHAPTER 23: You Got a Deal! Or Not...
      1. First, What If You Strike Out?
      2. After a Successful First Meeting
      3. The Road Ahead
    31. Index

    Product information

    • Title: The 12 Magic Slides: Insider Secrets for Raising Growth Capital
    • Author(s): Paul M. Getty
    • Release date: December 2013
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430264842