A few years ago, I coached a group of promising startups preparing for a big pitch event. They had polished their decks, practiced their stories, and walked into the venue radiating confidence. The room was packed with 150 curious investors. The energy was electric.
But as I scanned the room, my stomach sank.
There, at the front, was the screen: a modest 42-inch TV.
From the front rows, everything looked fine. But from halfway back? The bottom third of every slide vanished into nothingness. Logos, key numbers, vital points - completely invisible. And the further back you sat, the less you saw.
I watched these brilliant founders deliver their well-rehearsed pitches, unaware that many in the room couldn't read their most important information. Their logos? Gone. Financial highlights? Gone. Visual impact? Lost.
That day was a great reminder and an important lesson: what works on your laptop doesn't automatically work on stage.
If They Can’t See It, You Can’t Sell It
- Watch out for the "Invisible Third"
I've seen it happen more times than I can count:
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"The slides looked perfect when we tested them."
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"We designed everything in 16:9 format."
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"Our designer made sure it was all clean and professional."
And yet, time after time, the same problems appear:
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Theater-style seating hides the lower part of the screen.
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Small screens become tiny from the back rows.
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Bright lighting washes out low-contrast text.
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Overloaded slides become unreadable in a large room.
The mistake? Assuming the slide design survives the room setup.
Less Is Visible. Less Is More.
Another painful truth many founders miss: even if your full slide technically fits the screen, your audience may not be able to process dense information at a distance. Charts packed with tiny labels, tables full of numbers, bullet lists stretching across the slide, they all become a blur.
When you're pitching on stage:
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One big number beats a full data table.
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One clear message beats a busy slide full of facts.
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One powerful visual beats a complicated chart.
Clarity isn't just about design. It's about restraint.
Design for Maximum Visibility
Since that painful day, my advice has become brutally simple:
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Put your logo at the very top. (Not in the polite lower corner where no one sees it)
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Push all vital content above the centerline. (Don’t balance design - prioritize visibility)
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Use huge, bold fonts. (Forget “nice proportions” - go for unmistakable clarity)
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Maximize contrast. (Dark on light, or light on dark - no artistic grey zones)
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Cut down information per slide. (Simplify to amplify)
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Inspect the room in advance. (Never assume the venue will fit your slides)
If they can’t see it, you might as well not be saying it at all.
Results That Speak Clearly
The next year, we came back to that same event. The organizers had learned too. A bigger venue. A proper screen. Crystal clear visuals for everyone.
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The pitches felt stronger.
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The message landed harder.
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Follow-up meetings came faster.
When your audience doesn’t have to work to see your message, they focus on your story instead of squinting at your slides.
The Bottom Line
If they can’t see it, they can’t believe it.
You only get one chance to make your story clear.
- Visibility builds trust.
- Visibility builds confidence.
- Visibility opens doors.
Ask yourself:
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Have you tested your slides in a real room, from the very back?
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Is your logo commanding attention from the start?
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Are your key numbers impossible to miss?
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Could your slides survive without you explaining every tiny detail?
Design to be seen. Pitch to be believed.