Quick answer: A long deck usually isn't wrong because of the content; it's wrong because the argument repeats itself. Cutting it down is a structured edit: find the argument, keep the load-bearing slides, move the rest to the notes or the appendix.

The target length

  • A pitch deck: 10–12 slides, per the length guide.
  • A conference talk: about one slide per minute.
  • A sales deck: 8–12 for a short deal.
  • A webinar: about one per minute, and it can be longer.

Step 1: Write the argument in one sentence

Before cutting, write the argument the deck makes. The deck is a sequence of claims that supports the argument. Any slide that doesn't carry a claim is a candidate to move.

Step 2: Mark the load-bearing slides

The load-bearing slides are the ones the argument breaks without. For a pitch deck, that's the problem, the solution, the product, the market, the traction, the business model, the team, and the ask.

The rest is supporting material.

Step 3: Merge the duplicates

Two slides that make the same claim are merged. The common duplicates:

  • Two slides describing the product.
  • Two slides describing the market.
  • The same number in two charts.
  • The "company overview" and the "about" slides.

Step 4: Move the detail to the notes

The explanation belongs in the speaker notes, not the slide body. The text-heavy slide becomes a headline and a note, per the word count rule.

Step 5: Move the evidence to the appendix

The detailed charts, the full financials, the technical architecture, and the long comparison are appendix material. The appendix stays in the file for the Q&A, and the presented deck stays short.

Step 6: Cut the slide per claim

Go through the remaining deck and ask:

  • What claim does this slide carry?
  • Does the argument break without it?
  • Is the claim already made on another slide?

If it isn't load-bearing and isn't evidence, it goes.

Step 7: Re-read the shortened deck

The reduced deck is read as a complete story from slide 1. The cuts must not leave a gap: the slide after the cut should still follow the one before.

What to cut first

  • The slide that repeats the cover.
  • The "agenda" slide in a short pitch.
  • The long company history.
  • The feature tour that doesn't support the workflow.
  • The generic thank-you with no takeaway.

What to keep

  • The one-line problem and the one-line solution.
  • The one screenshot or the one demo.
  • The key number and the trend.
  • The honest comparison.
  • The ask or the next step.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose the detail in the appendix? No; the appendix stays available and is shown when asked. Should I cut slides or text first? Move the text to notes first, then the whole slide; the first pass shrinks the deck. What if the deck is for a PDF? The PDF can carry more, but the argument still needs the same structure; the detailed slides go after the main story. Can the deck be regenerated shorter? The deck can be regenerated with the load-bearing slides, but the edit is a judgment call the founder owns.

Find the argument, keep the load-bearing slides, and move everything else to the notes or the appendix. The shortened deck reads faster and argues more clearly.