Practical insights on pitch decks, fundraising, and investor psychology from a VC who's reviewed thousands of decks.
Mari LuukkainenInvestors spend under 150 seconds on your deck. Single-message slides, mobile optimization, and live data are the new standard.
AI startups command a 42% valuation premium. But investors say "the more a founder says AI, the less AI the company uses."
Mari Luukkainen
Average time from seed to Series A is 616 days. Less than 40% make it. Planning your runway and metrics for the long haul.
Mari Luukkainen
Burn multiple, magic number, CAC payback. 2026 is a fundamentals-first year. How to present efficiency in your deck.
Mari Luukkainen
More first-time financings than since the pandemic. Early-stage is heating up while later stages concentrate. How to take advantage.
Mari Luukkainen
Editing isn't iteration. Here's how to systematically improve each section of your pitch using the Pitchkit editor.
Mari Luukkainen
We analyzed the 1,003 YC companies that shut down. Industry patterns, one-liner differences, and when companies die.
Mari Luukkainen
We analyzed 5,662 YC companies. 82.3% success rate, the rise of AI, and what top company one-liners have in common.
Mari Luukkainen
You had a great investor meeting. Now what? The day-by-day guide to following up without being annoying.
Mari Luukkainen