Investors want to see a team that has the ability to execute the plan and solve problems that come their way. A strong team slide isn’t just a bulleted list of titles and names. It’s a story about team expertise, credentials and success.

👹 Investors rarely invest in one-person teams. Having only one person on your team slide is a huge red flag. The best teams have at least two founders or key employees. This is all you need to start a company, and it demonstrates that your startup has legs and the right people to navigate a changing landscape. Give special attention to the most impressive people, ideally, individuals that span a range of key positions for your startup: Founder, COO/CMO, etc. Avoid listing market analysts or junior marketing folk unless they have a directly relevant history.

👾 Include relevant people. Consider your specific industry and what roles are critical to the advancement of your business, then hire for those roles. If you’re developing a software product, then a Head of Product or Head of Technology is essential. If you’re developing an e-commerce business, then consider hiring a marketing or branding specialist, in addition to the founder. This will demonstrate to investors that you have the people with the expertise required to get the business moving.

🤏🏽 Keep your bios short. Skip the long bio filled with hobbies and unrelated details. Boil it down to those two to four ‘bullet points’, each of which should involve a specific achievement measured in units. So: ‘Led a team of 300 on project X’, or ‘Employee number one at Uber UK’, or ‘Run company operations as it grew from zero to five million in revenue’. Such short bios are far more powerful. 

🏹 Focus on logos. Visuals are also important. If your founders have worked at reputable companies, include those logos. It’s a common tactic, but it works because people like to see logos of well-known companies. If your team lacks impressive logos, highlight potential hires and mention their experience and the companies they've worked at. Put out impressive facts about your team – have 80 per cent of your founders worked technically? Put that; have you worked together at Company X that grew to whatever? Put that; have you known each other for a decade and a half? Put that.