The First 30 Seconds of Your Pitch Deck — Sequoia's 17 Slides, Adapted for Korea

#Three Things You Must Answer in the First 30 Seconds

By the time slide 1 (cover) and slide 2 (problem) are done, an investor has already formed a first impression. If the answers to the following three questions aren't audible within that 30 seconds, the rest of the pitch tends to feel like a formality.

#Sequoia's 17-Slide Structure — Mapped for Korea

In Korean IR, it's natural to show the Korean market first on slide 5 (Market size) and follow with global figures. US VCs expect global-first, but Korean VCs want to hear “why Korea first” before anything else.

#Slides 1–3 — Where the 30-Second Decision Happens

1. Slide 1 (Cover): company name, logo, one-line value proposition — in the form ‘the company that makes ___ ___.’ A viewer should know what the company does within 5 seconds.
2. Slide 2 (Problem): the pain point + one direct quote + one market data point. Use quantified language like ‘___ people spend 30 minutes doing ___.’
3. Slide 3 (Solution): an MVP screenshot + 3 core values. Show it as an image, not text — that's the standard.

#Slides 4–7 — The Trust-Building Stretch

The minute or two after the first 30 seconds is the ‘trust-building’ stretch. Why Now, Market, Product, and Traction need to flow together, short and clear.

• Slide 4 (Why now): at least 2 of regulatory, technological, or behavioral change — with the timing and evidence for each stated explicitly.
• Slide 5 (Market): TAM/SAM/SOM as three layers + one bottom-up formula line. Korea, then global.
• Slide 6 (Product): a GIF or video of the product flow, or a 3-panel screenshot sequence. Minimal text.
• Slide 7 (Traction): 1–2 of your strongest metrics among users, revenue, MOUs, or number of interviews.

#Slides 8–12 — Validating the Business and Execution

• Slide 8 (Business model): one-line revenue formula + pricing + core unit economics (LTV/CAC).
• Slide 9 (Competition): a 2x2 matrix or comparison table, with your area of differentiation highlighted.
• Slide 10 (Team): firsthand experience + domain assets + full-time commitment. Photos and LinkedIn links.
• Slide 11 (Roadmap): quarterly milestones for 12 months, plus a 24-month milestone. Include core KPIs.
• Slide 12 (Financial): Year 1/3/5 revenue + bottom-up assumptions. Sensitivity is optional.

#Slides 13–17 — Closing

• Slide 13 (Ask): funding round (Pre-Seed/Seed/Series A) + amount + valuation range.
• Slide 14 (Use of funds): allocation by category + the milestone you'll reach after 12 months.
• Slide 15 (Vision): what the company looks like in 5 years — pick 1–2 of global reach, industry change, or social impact.
• Slide 16 (Closing): a one-line message + contact info. Something like ‘looking for people to build this with us.’
• Slide 17 (Appendix): patents, detailed financials, and technical detail, kept out of the main deck and moved to a separate document.

The amount on the Ask slide needs to be a reasonable range. In Korea, a seed round typically runs ₩200M–₩1B, and Series A runs ₩3B–₩10B. Too little signals a lack of ambition; too much creates dilution concerns — the standard is the minimum amount needed to hit your 12-month milestones, plus a 20% buffer.

#The Korean IR Environment — 7 Ways It Differs from the US

#Writing Your 30-Second Core Message — Self-Diagnosis

1. Is Slide 1's one-line value proposition understandable within 5 seconds?
2. Is Slide 2's pain point expressed through a direct quote or quantified data?
3. Is Slide 3's solution shown as an image rather than text?
4. Does Slide 4's Why Now clearly state at least 2 of regulatory, technological, or behavioral change?
5. Does Slide 7's Traction highlight your 1–2 strongest metrics?
6. Is Slide 13's Ask a reasonable range? (Seed: ₩200M–₩1B / Series A: ₩3B–₩10B)
7. Is your total slide count between 17 and 22? (Under 15 feels thin; over 25 feels bloated)