Airbnb's Pitch Deck Review - SO - 9/29

Author

Dunky
September 30, 2025

This is Second Opinion, a newsletter created by your friends Deck Doctors and Hustle Fund, where we give tactical advice on how to create the perfect pitch deck.

Today’s Edition

Alright, friends. Imagine it's 2009, and three founders are pitching with a deck that looks like it was made in PowerPoint 2003...

And somehow, that "ugly" deck helped them raise $500K and became one of the most successful startups in history.

✨ Today's deep dive: Airbnb's pitch deck.

Most founders think pitch decks are about pretty slides and fancy animations.

Nope.

It's about strategic thinking. Proving market demand. Creative go-to-market. Building credibility even when you don't have hockey stick growth charts.

Airbnb's 2009 deck nailed all of this despite looking rough.

In today's episode, Alex from the Deck Doctors breaks down exactly what made this seemingly mediocre deck work, and pulls out three key pillars you can steal for your own fundraise.

Here's the episode:

Want a second opinion on your deck?

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Or drop a link to your deck in the video comments and the Docs will reply there.

See ya in two weeks!

 PS: Trying to create the perfect pitch deck? This is for you.

-Dunky, Alex, and Mark

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