In short
A competition slide names the real alternatives customers use today, including spreadsheets or doing nothing, compares them on the two to five criteria customers care about most, and explains the one or two advantages you have that are hard to copy, such as proprietary data, network effects, distribution or cost.
Every company has competition, even if it is the old way of doing things. Investors want to see that you understand the landscape and have a defensible reason to win.
Two common formats
- Comparison table: you and three competitors in columns, key criteria in rows, ticks where each delivers.
- Two-by-two chart: two axes customers care about, such as price and ease of use, with you in the best corner.
What makes an advantage defensible
- Network effects: the product gets better as more people use it.
- Proprietary data or technology others cannot easily get.
- Distribution: an exclusive partnership or channel.
- Cost: structurally lower costs than competitors.
- Switching costs: once customers adopt you, leaving is hard.
- Deep expertise or regulatory approvals that take years to earn.
Common mistakes
- Saying there is no competition.
- Choosing criteria that only you could tick.
- Listing advantages competitors could copy in a few months, such as a nicer interface.
- Being dismissive of well-known competitors.
Frequently asked questions
Should I name competitors in my pitch deck?
Yes. Investors will look them up anyway, and naming them shows you understand the market. Be accurate and fair.
Written by Gachi Foundation, a non-profit in Jharkhand, India. All pitch deck resources.