Both Sides of the Table
What the data shows about how investors actually evaluate a deck versus what founders assume — the gap between the stated thesis and the real scoring behaviour behind it.
4 parts in this series
- 1
Part 1 of 4
The Say-Do Gap: What 7,800+ VC Investment Theses Reveal About How Investors Actually Evaluate Startups
VCs say they bet on teams. Our data from 7,800+ investor theses, 249 scored evaluations, and 162 real VC deal memos shows conviction and traction — not team — actually drive their decisions.
·7 min read - 2
Part 2 of 4
5 Things Investors Look For That Founders Miss
Data from 286 pitch decks scored by NUVC shows a clear pattern: founders focus on market and product, but the lowest-scoring dimensions are risk acknowledgment (4.91/10) and financials (5.10/10). Here is what investors are actually checking.
·7 min read - 3
Part 3 of 4
Your Problem Slide Doesn't Matter (And Here's the Data to Prove It)
Every pitch deck coach says 'start with the problem.' We analyzed 110 expert-scored startup applications. Problem/solution explains 0.2% of variance in overall score. Product explains 77%.
·3 min read - 4
Part 4 of 4
Why Two Good Investors Score the Same Deck Differently: Thesis as a Re-Weighting, Not a Disagreement
A pitch deck's score isn't fixed — it's the same evaluation dimensions read through a different weighting for every fund. An angel, a growth investor, and a family office can score the identical deck differently and each still be right, because an investor's thesis is mechanically a re-weighting, not an opinion.
·8 min read
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