Making the Revenue Model Slide of Your Pitch Deck [Content + Design]

Our client, Sergio, asked us a question while we were working on their investor pitch deck:

"How detailed does the revenue model slide really need to be?"

Our Creative Director answered without hesitation:

"Detailed enough to inspire confidence, but clear enough to grasp in seconds."

As a presentation design agency, we work on investor pitch decks year-round, and we’ve noticed a common challenge: founders either overcomplicate the revenue model or make it so vague that investors lose interest.

So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to create a revenue model slide that strikes the right balance between detail and clarity, staying focused and uncluttered while saying exactly what you need it to say.

In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.

What is the Revenue Model Slide in a Pitch Deck

A revenue model slide is the part of your pitch deck that explains how your business makes money. It’s not just a table of figures or a fancy chart. It’s a story about your business engine; what drives your income, what customers pay for, and how that money flows back into growth.

Think of it as the moment investors stop wondering “Cool idea, but how do they earn from it?” and start nodding because the logic clicks. It should show your main revenue streams, pricing strategy, and key assumptions behind your earning potential.

People Frequently Ask Us: How is it Different from The Business Model Slide

A revenue model slide focuses on how your company makes money, while a business model slide explains the broader ecosystem of how your company creates, delivers, and captures value. You can read more about the business model slide here.

So now, we’ll first talk about how to craft the content for your revenue model slide, and then we’ll move to how you can design it effectively.

How to Structure & Write Content of Your Revenue Model Slide

1. Start With Your Revenue Streams

Your revenue streams are the backbone of this slide. Investors need to see exactly where the money comes from. Whether you have one primary revenue stream or multiple, make sure they are listed clearly.

Common revenue streams include:

• Subscription models (SaaS, membership platforms)

• One-time purchases (e-commerce, hardware, licensing fees)

• Freemium models with paid upgrades (apps, content platforms)

• Commission-based earnings (marketplaces, affiliate models)

• Ad-based revenue (media platforms, free tools monetized via ads)

  
  

The mistake many founders make is being vague. Saying “we generate revenue from customers” is not helpful.

Instead, be specific:

• “We operate on a B2B SaaS subscription model with tiered pricing plans, ranging from $99 to $499 per month.”

• “Our marketplace earns a 15% commission on every transaction made between buyers and sellers.”

  
  

Clarity is key. Investors should immediately understand who pays you, what they pay for, and how often they pay.

2. Show Your Pricing Model

Your pricing strategy is just as important as your revenue streams. Investors want to see how your business is priced and whether that pricing is sustainable. If you charge too little, you might struggle to become profitable. If you charge too much, you might limit customer acquisition.

A simple table format works well here:

Plan	Price	Key Features
Basic	$99/month	Access to core features
Pro	$249/month	Advanced analytics and integrations
Enterprise	Custom	Tailored solutions for large businesses

Alternatively, if you run an e-commerce or transactional business, you might highlight:

• Average order value (AOV)

• Expected customer lifetime value (LTV)

• Take-rate percentage (for marketplaces)

  
  

Make sure your pricing model aligns with industry benchmarks. If your pricing seems arbitrary or misaligned with competitors, investors will question whether you’ve done your market research.

3. Highlight Your Customer Acquisition Strategy

A revenue model is meaningless without a clear path to acquiring customers.

Investors want to know:

• How do you attract customers? (Organic marketing, paid ads, partnerships)

• How much does it cost to acquire them? (Customer Acquisition Cost or CAC)

• How much are they worth over time? (Lifetime Value or LTV)

  
  

This is where LTV:CAC ratio becomes important. If your customer lifetime value is significantly higher than your acquisition cost, that’s a sign of a profitable, scalable business.

Here’s how to present this in a simple way:

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): $50

• Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): $500

• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): $1,500

• LTV:CAC Ratio: 30:1 (This signals strong profitability)

  
  

If you don’t know these numbers yet, at least show your strategy for reducing CAC over time. Investors want to see that you’re thinking about scalability and efficiency.

4. Provide Revenue Projections (But Keep It Realistic)

Investors expect to see some level of revenue forecasting. But here’s where many founders go wrong: they make their projections look unrealistically optimistic.

Instead of throwing out numbers like “we’ll hit $50 million in revenue in three years,” back it up with logic.

Your forecast should be based on:

• Current traction

• Growth rates in similar companies

• Market demand and pricing trends

  
  

A good way to present this is with a year-over-year revenue table:

Year	Revenue	Customers	Growth Rate
2024	$500K	5,000	-
2025	$2M	20,000	300%
2026	$7M	70,000	250%
2027	$18M	150,000	160%

Make sure your revenue projections align with your acquisition strategy. If you claim you'll hit $50 million in three years but don’t explain how you’ll attract enough customers to get there, investors won’t take you seriously.

5. Keep It Visual and Concise

The biggest mistake founders make with their revenue model slide? Too much information.

Investors don’t want an essay; they want a quick, digestible snapshot.

Here are some ways to keep it visually engaging:

• Use charts to show revenue growth instead of text-heavy explanations

• Keep bullet points short and impactful

• Use bold numbers for key metrics investors care about

  
  

A well-designed revenue model slide should be understandable in 10 seconds. If an investor has to squint and decipher your numbers, they won’t bother.

6. Address Monetization Challenges (If Necessary)

If your business model has monetization challenges, don’t ignore them—address them head-on. Investors appreciate transparency. If you’re in a market where customers are resistant to paying, explain how you plan to overcome that friction.

For example:

• If you have a freemium model, show your expected free-to-paid conversion rates.

• If you’re relying on advertising, demonstrate how much traffic is needed to make it viable.

• If you have a new or unconventional pricing model, provide examples of other companies that have successfully executed something similar.

  
  

The key is to show investors that you understand the risks and have a plan to navigate them.

7. Keep Your Story Consistent Across the Deck

Your revenue model doesn’t exist in isolation—it should align with the rest of your pitch deck.

For example:

• If your market size slide shows a $10 billion opportunity, but your revenue projections max out at $10 million, that disconnect raises concerns.

• If your team slide doesn’t include anyone with financial or business model expertise, investors will wonder if you can execute the plan.

• If your problem-solution slide doesn’t clearly connect to your revenue model, investors might struggle to see how you plan to monetize.

  
  

Your pitch deck should tell one cohesive story. The revenue model slide is just one piece of the puzzle it needs to fit seamlessly with the rest of your deck.

How to Design the Revenue Model Slide

Design is where most founders accidentally make their revenue model slide harder to follow than it needs to be. When numbers, arrows, and icons start fighting for attention, investors stop processing and start guessing. The goal isn’t to make your slide look “busy.”

It’s to make it look inevitable, so that anyone glancing at it can instantly grasp how money moves through your business.

Here’s what works consistently well:

1. Use structure, not decoration.

   Start by visualizing your revenue flow. If you have multiple streams—say, subscriptions, ads, and one-time purchases—group them neatly. Use boxes, icons, or color-coded paths to separate each stream. Avoid gradients, shadows, or fancy clipart. Simplicity signals confidence.

   
   

2. Show the logic, not the ledger.

   Your slide isn’t meant to show accounting details. It should show how revenue is generated, not how much you’ve already made. A clean flow diagram, a recurring vs. one-time breakdown, or a short table with your pricing tiers works far better than ten rows of projected numbers.

   
   

3. Use typography smartly.

   Investors scan, they don’t read. Make your key numbers bold and your labels small but legible. Use consistent font sizes and alignment so their eyes follow your narrative naturally.

   
   

4. Add subtle contrast.

   Every good slide has hierarchy. If everything looks equally important, nothing is. Use contrast in color or weight to highlight what you want investors to notice first—usually your main revenue stream or your growth driver.

   
   

5. Leave breathing space.

   Don’t cram the slide with data. White space makes your content feel intentional and digestible. It tells investors you know what matters and what doesn’t.

   
   

A well-designed revenue model slide isn’t flashy—it’s calm, confident, and crystal clear. It should visually echo the kind of business you run: organized, scalable, and easy to understand.

Biggest Mistakes Founders Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Even with a solid structure & design, many founders make critical mistakes when presenting their revenue model slide. These missteps can instantly erode investor confidence, making your business look riskier than it actually is. Let’s break down the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Being Vague About How You Make Money

A revenue model that lacks clarity is a red flag. Investors don’t want to decipher your slide like it’s a puzzle—they need straightforward answers.

If your revenue model sounds like:

• “We plan to monetize our platform in multiple ways.”

• “We’ll generate revenue through partnerships, subscriptions, and more.”

• “Our customers will pay a competitive price for our premium service.”

  
  

That’s too vague. Instead, spell it out:

• “We charge $199/month per user for our B2B SaaS product, with enterprise plans starting at $999/month.”

• “Our marketplace takes a 10% commission on all transactions, averaging $50 per customer per month.”

  
  

How to avoid this: Be specific. Show exactly who pays, how much they pay, and how often they pay.

2. Overcomplicating the Revenue Model

Founders often fall into the trap of listing too many revenue streams, making their model look scattered.

A slide that says:

• Subscription fees

• Ad revenue

• One-time purchases

• Affiliate commissions

• Partnership revenue

  
  

…without explaining which is the primary driver of revenue can make investors doubt your focus. If your revenue model is overly complex, it suggests you haven’t validated the best path to monetization yet.

How to avoid this: Stick to one or two core revenue streams and only mention secondary ones if they’re relevant. Investors prefer a clear, scalable model over a chaotic mix of revenue ideas.

3. Ignoring Scalability and Margins

It’s not enough to show how you make money—you also need to prove that your model can scale efficiently. Investors are looking for businesses that can grow revenue without costs increasing at the same rate.

For example:

• If you’re selling a hardware product with slim margins, investors will ask: “How do you scale profitably?”

• If your customer acquisition cost (CAC) is too high, they’ll ask: “Can you lower CAC as you grow?”

• If your gross margins are under 50%, they’ll wonder if your business is even worth investing in.

  
  

How to avoid this: Show how your revenue model scales over time. If your margins improve as you grow, highlight that. If your customer acquisition becomes more efficient, explain why.

4. Unrealistic Projections

Founders love to paint a hockey-stick growth curve, but investors have seen enough failed startups to know when projections are pure fantasy.

If your slide shows:

• $500K revenue in Year 1

• $5M in Year 2

• $50M in Year 3

  
  

…without any concrete plan to justify those numbers, investors will dismiss your model as wishful thinking.

How to avoid this: Make sure your projections align with your customer acquisition strategy, pricing model, and market opportunity. Use real-world data from competitors or industry benchmarks to support your estimates.

FAQ: How do you make this slide look visually strong without distracting from the numbers?

The best design doesn’t compete with the data; it quietly directs attention to it. A strong slide is built on clarity, not decoration. Start with a clean structure that shows how revenue flows through your business. Use simple shapes, consistent spacing, and one accent color to highlight your mainstream of income. Keep your fonts minimal and your layout balanced so the eye knows exactly where to look first.

Most people add design elements when they’re unsure about their message. But good design is invisible. It supports the story, gives your data room to breathe, and makes the logic look effortless.

FAQ: How do you make your revenue model slide sound convincing without over-explaining it?

Confidence comes from clarity. The more you explain, the less believable you sound. Instead of long justifications, focus on short cause-and-effect statements that connect revenue to behavior.

For instance, “We earn through monthly subscriptions. Our average customer stays for 14 months.” Investors trust slides that sound grounded, not rehearsed.

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