Lecture: Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy at UJ
A workshop with the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy at the University of Johannesburg on how to build a pitch deck that actually raises money — drawn from the deck I used for The Duchess.
In October 2024 I spoke at the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy at the University of Johannesburg — a workshop with founders building their first ventures. The brief was: teach them how to build a pitch deck that actually raises money.
I structured the workshop around the deck I used for The Duchess — the same one that brought ZX Ventures in (2019) and that anchored the RMB co-investment round (December 2021).
A few things I emphasised that don’t usually make the textbook version:
Your opening line is the only line they read carefully. The first slide is the pitch. The next thirteen are evidence. If your opening line could be lifted from a competitor’s deck and still make sense, rewrite it.
Specific is fundable. Vague is not. “We’ll spend the raise on marketing and growth” gets nowhere. “Hire a US distribution lead at $140k. Place initial inventory in Netherlands. Run a Q3 trial with [named retailer]” gets a follow-up call.
Skip the five-year forecast. Year-one and year-two are the ones that matter. Anything beyond that is a fairy tale and the analyst reading your deck knows it.
The team slide is not for showing off. Two short sentences per founder, each tied to why this venture, specifically. Not “10 years experience in beverage manufacturing.” That’s a CV line. “Built Brannas Draught from scratch and exited to a partnership with KWV — that’s where I learned how brand-led FMCG actually works.” That’s a team slide.
The walkthrough I do in this lecture is now also the spine of the Pitch Deck Sprint — three sessions, finished deck, ready to defend. If you’re a founder going into a round in the next 90 days, that’s the engagement built for you. If you’re earlier — testing whether the venture is even fundable — start with a Founder Clinic and we’ll figure it out.