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Y Combinator seed deck template (2018)

The Y Combinator pitch deck template is the seed deck template Aaron Harris published in March 2018, a week before YC's Winter 2018 Demo Day. It walks through ten slides for a made-up company, Seed deck template, Inc., with a note from YC on what belongs on each one. Founders use the YC seed deck template as a starting order for their own deck, because it puts clarity first and leaves out everything a seed investor doesn't need.

Company
Y Combinator
Year
2018
Round
Template
Slides
10
Type
Template

ⓘ A template from Y Combinator, not a company's fundraising deck.

Download the Y Combinator pitch deck (PDF)Get your own deck reviewed

Deck © Y Combinator. Shared for learning, credited to ycombinator.com.

What's in the Y Combinator pitch deck

All 10 slides, in order.

  1. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 1: Title

    Slide 1 · Title

    Company name and a one-line description, Seed deck template, Inc., a template that tells you how to build a seed deck. YC's note says this is the only slide where you must stick to one slide.

    How to write this slide
  2. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 2: Problem

    Slide 2 · Problem

    Founders build bad seed decks, which wastes time, means they don't raise what they need, and leaves them surviving on revenue. YC's note asks for the real-world impact of the problem.

    How to write this slide
  3. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 3: Solution

    Slide 3 · Solution

    The template is fast to use, simple to explain, and improves lives and cleans teeth. YC's note says to explain what you do in as few words as possible and name the concrete benefits.

    How to write this slide
  4. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 4: Traction

    Slide 4 · Traction

    A chart of decks created per month through 2017, with 50% growth per month and 100% retention. YC's note says make the numbers clear and add context if you have strong stats.

    How to write this slide
  5. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 5: More metrics

    Slide 5 · More metrics

    A chart of dollars raised per month thanks to the decks. YC calls it a trick slide, since revenue would be better here.

    How to write this slide
  6. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 6: Insight

    Slide 6 · Insight

    Our decks work because of science, with jokes like Edward Tufte approved. This is where you say what makes you special and what your insights are.

    How to write this slide
  7. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 7: Business model

    Slide 7 · Business model

    5% of all capital raised plus a 1% royalty on revenue, said to be $6M last year. YC's note says you should know most of the details of how you make money.

    How to write this slide
  8. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 8: Market

    Slide 8 · Market

    1,000 slide decks made in San Francisco every day as the first market. YC's note says to convince investors the market is big and that you will make it bigger.

    How to write this slide
  9. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 9: Team

    Slide 9 · Team

    Three joke photos for a CTO, a CEO who knows how to pitch and a VP of engineering who does not sleep. YC's note says this slide is about founders, and nobody cares about your advisors.

    How to write this slide
  10. Y Combinator pitch deck, slide 10: The ask

    Slide 10 · The ask

    $1.5M for engineers and marketing. YC's note says to state how much you need, what it gets you, and where it puts you in a year.

    How to write this slide

What the Y Combinator deck does well

  • The order on slides 1 to 10 follows the questions a seed investor asks, what is it, why does it matter, is it working, how does it make money, who are you and what do you need.
  • Each slide makes one point in a few words, which is the whole lesson of the template, and the joke content keeps founders from copying text instead of structure.
  • Slide 10 ties the ask to an outcome, the milestones for the next round, which YC says should leave you Series A ready within a year.

What founders can learn from it

  • Start your seed deck from this order, then add slides only where your story needs them. YC says one slide per section is ideal and more than three is too many.
  • Put real numbers on the traction slide and say what they mean, even if your curve isn't as smooth as the one on slide 4.
  • Make the team slide about the founders and why you fit this problem. Leave the advisors off.

Questions about the Y Combinator pitch deck

What is the YC seed deck template?
It's a ten-slide template Aaron Harris of Y Combinator published in 2018 for founders raising a seed round. It covers title, problem, solution, traction, insight, business model, market, team and the ask.
How many slides does the YC seed deck template have?
Ten. The fake company in the template uses one slide per section, plus a second traction slide for more metrics.
Is this Y Combinator's own pitch deck?
No. It's a template from Y Combinator for founders to follow, filled with joke content for a made-up company. It was not used to raise money.
Can I download the YC seed deck template?
Yes. The slides are free to download as a PDF on this page, taken from the images Y Combinator published with the template.

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