PitchMagic

YouTube pitch deck (2005)

YouTube's 2005 pitch deck is a widely shared slide version of the presentation the founders gave Sequoia in September 2005, before a $3.5M round led by Sequoia. The court record from Viacom v. YouTube holds the same presentation as a longer text document with the same sections. Founders study the YouTube pitch deck because it shows a deck doesn't need design or charts when the problem, the timing and the traction are clear.

Company
YouTube
Year
2005
Round
Series A
Raised
$3.5M
Slides
10
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Deck © YouTube. Shared for learning, credited to pitches.ai.

What's in the YouTube pitch deck

All 10 slides, in order.

  1. YouTube pitch deck, slide 1: Cover

    Slide 1 · Cover

    The YouTube logo and the tagline Broadcast Yourself.

    How to write this slide
  2. YouTube pitch deck, slide 2: Company Purpose

    Slide 2 · Company Purpose

    To become the main outlet for user-generated video on the internet and let anyone upload, share and browse it.

  3. YouTube pitch deck, slide 3: Problem

    Slide 3 · Problem

    Video files are too large to email or host, formats are not standard, and videos sit as isolated files.

    How to write this slide
  4. YouTube pitch deck, slide 4: Solution

    Slide 4 · Solution

    People upload videos to YouTube, which converts them to Flash Video, serves them to millions of viewers and connects users to videos, users and other videos.

    How to write this slide
  5. YouTube pitch deck, slide 5: Market Size

    Slide 5 · Market Size

    Digital video recording is cheap enough to go into consumer products for the first time, and home broadband has reached critical mass.

    How to write this slide
  6. YouTube pitch deck, slide 6: Competition

    Slide 6 · Competition

    OurMedia.org, Open Media Network, Google Video, PutFile, DailyMotion and Vimeo. The version in the court record names a slightly different list.

    How to write this slide
  7. YouTube pitch deck, slide 7: Product Development

    Slide 7 · Product Development

    Community, open architecture, vertical markets that need video, and features in development.

  8. YouTube pitch deck, slide 8: Sales and Distribution

    Slide 8 · Sales and Distribution

    Advertising, paid distribution for promotional videos, premium features for members and premium content for viewers.

  9. YouTube pitch deck, slide 9: Team

    Slide 9 · Team

    Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, all early PayPal employees, with Chad described as PayPal's first designer.

    How to write this slide
  10. YouTube pitch deck, slide 10: Metrics

    Slide 10 · Metrics

    Launched June 11th and has already overtaken all existing competitors to become the dominant player in the space.

    How to write this slide

What the YouTube deck does well

  • Slide 3 lists four specific, technical problems with video in 2005 that anyone who had tried to email a video would recognize.
  • Slide 5 makes the case for timing with two shifts, cheap video recording and home broadband, instead of a big market number.
  • Slide 10 ends on traction with one bold claim, that YouTube had already overtaken every competitor since launch.

What founders can learn from it

  • Follow a simple order of purpose, problem, solution, why now, competition, model, team and traction, and you cover what investors need.
  • Explain why now with the changes in technology that make your product possible today.
  • Don't wait for perfect design, since a clear story in plain text can raise a round.

Questions about the YouTube pitch deck

How many slides are in the YouTube pitch deck?
This slide version has 10 slides. The version filed in the Viacom v. YouTube court case is a five-page text document with the same sections, so the original slide count isn't documented.
What's in the YouTube pitch deck?
It covers company purpose, problem, solution, market size, competition, product development, sales and distribution, team and metrics.
Can I download the YouTube pitch deck?
Yes. The YouTube pitch deck is free to download as a PDF on this page.
How much did YouTube raise with this deck?
YouTube announced $3.5M from Sequoia Capital on November 7, 2005. It's usually called a Series A.
What problem did the YouTube pitch deck describe?
It said video files were too large to email or host, had no standard format, and existed only as isolated files.
Is the YouTube pitch deck real?
The presentation is real: Sequoia's Roelof Botha filed it in the Viacom v. YouTube case as a text document. This slide version follows the same sections and is widely shared, but where it first appeared isn't documented.

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