In accelerator programs, the one pager acts as a primary handshake between startup teams and potential investors. It must distill complex ideas into a clear, skimmable narrative that fits a single glance. Start with a precise problem statement and your unique solution, followed by a tangible value proposition. Demonstrate early traction with metrics that are both honest and impressive, such as pilot customers, revenue growth, or engagement benchmarks. Include a crisp market size and a defensible positioning strategy. Finish with a simple call to action that invites the reader to a deeper conversation. The page should feel like a trustworthy bridge to a longer due diligence process.
While a traditional pitch deck is designed to illuminate every facet, a one pager prioritizes speed and focus. Prospective investors skim for signals that your venture can scale, not for every minor detail. Present your business model succinctly, outlining revenue streams and unit economics in a way that a busy investor can grasp within seconds. Highlight competitive advantage through defensible IP, partnerships, or network effects. Address risk with a transparent attention to the key mitigants and contingency plans. Conclude with precise capital needs and a proposed use of funds. The goal is clarity that invites a longer, more meaningful dialogue.
Use of funds maps directly to milestones and measured outcomes.
Traction is the heartbeat of a compelling one pager. Quantify product adoption with monthly active users, retention rates, or cohort improvements that tie directly to revenue. If you operate in a B2B model, emphasize pilot programs, contract values, and time-to-value metrics. For consumer platforms, show activation rates, engagement depth, and monetization milestones. Absolute figures matter, but context matters even more: compare your trajectory against a credible baseline and industry benchmarks. Use visuals sparingly—one or two concise charts or a single graphic can convey progress faster than paragraphs of prose. Always tie every metric back to the core business hypothesis.
Capital needs should be stated with discipline and practicality. Specify the amount you seek, the immediate runway it buys, and the milestones tied to each funding tranche. Align your budget with a lean operating plan: lean salaries, critical engineering bets, customer acquisition costs, and essential infrastructure. Demonstrate unit economics that show path to profitability or sustainable growth. Include a brief timeline linking milestones to fund dispensation, so readers can map risk and reward quickly. Returning to the problem you solve, remind investors why timely capital accelerates the next phase of product-market fit and revenue acceleration.
Barriers and remedies clarify why you will win and how you’ll respond.
The use of funds section translates aspiration into actionable bets. Break the budget into two or three major categories: product development, go-to-market, and operations. For product development, identify core features, integration work, and pivotal tests or pilots. In go-to-market, detail target segments, channels, and approximate CAC versus LTV assumptions. Operations should cover people, compliance, and essential scalability costs. Present a burn rate and runway calculation that are credible under realistic market scenarios. The single-page document should show investors how cash flows through the business and how each dollar advances a defined milestone, eliminating guesswork and reducing skepticism.
Milestones provide the narrative arc that connects present traction to future outcomes. Describe the next 12–18 months in concrete terms: feature releases, customer acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and regulatory or technical milestones. Attach a realistic forecast that shows how these steps translate into revenue, margin improvements, or expanded market reach. Place emphasis on time-bound goals that a potential investor can track. When possible, tie milestones to external signals like customer renewals, contract expansions, or pilot conversion rates. A well-structured milestone plan helps evaluators visualize the path from today to a scalable, investable business.
Visual clarity and layout reinforce credibility, not decoration.
Investors want to see how you anticipate challenges and how you will overcome them. Describe the top three barriers to growth—whether technical, market, or go-to-market—and present concrete remedies. This shows disciplined risk management and executive readiness. Include contingency scenarios that protect downside while preserving upside. For each barrier, connect the remedy to a resource plan and a timeline, so readers can assess feasibility. Demonstrating proactive risk mitigation signals maturity and strategic thinking. The narrative should reassure investors that you are not waiting for luck but actively steering the company toward a safe, scalable future.
Team capability and governance are crucial signals of execution risk. Highlight the founder’s track record and relevant domain experience, along with key hires and advisory support. Mention any notable investors, mentors, or corporate partners that lend credibility. Governance matters too: describe decision rights, board composition, and how you handle critical pivots. A concise org chart can help readers parse accountability quickly. Close this section by connecting team strengths to the ability to deliver on milestones with disciplined budgeting and transparent reporting. Strong team dynamics often convert potential into measurable progress.
From first draft to final version, refinement is essential.
The layout of a one pager should be intentional and reader-friendly. Use a clean hierarchy with a prominent problem-solution statement at the top, followed by traction, market, model, funding, and milestones. Avoid dense paragraphs; prefer short, precise sentences that can be skimmed. Margins, fonts, and spacing matter because they convey professionalism. A single-page document should feel polished but not overproduced. Include a one-sentence value proposition that anchors the entire page. Ensure every section flows logically into the next, so the reader’s mental model builds without friction from misalignment or vague language.
Language and tone carry as much weight as data. Write with confidence but avoid overstatements. Replace “almost” and “near” with concrete numbers; prefer verbs that imply action rather than hope. Use precise terminology for metrics: ARR, gross margin, payback period, and churn, with definitions when necessary. Maintain consistency in unit economics throughout the page. Resist jargon that obscures meaning for an outsider. A persuasive one pager uses crisp storytelling paired with verifiable facts, creating trust that invites a deeper conversation and follow-up meetings.
The iterative refinement process is where many teams unlock a higher-quality one pager. Start with a rough data dump, then prune and restructure until every sentence earns its keep. Seek feedback from mentors, peers, and potential customers who can challenge assumptions or reveal blind spots. Incorporate constructive criticism by tightening metrics, clarifying vocabulary, and removing boilerplate phrases. Run through a mock reading with an investor who has not seen your business before, and adjust until the flow feels natural and persuasive. Remember that brevity is a byproduct of rigor: every word must serve a purpose and every number must be justified.
Final polish turns a good one pager into a compelling instrument for fundraising. Confirm that the page aligns with your broader investor narrative and the materials you share in longer conversations. Ensure consistency with your deck, financial model, and narrative arc. Recheck numbers and dates for plausibility and ensure easy scannability on a screen or printed page. The end product should feel like a concise briefing that invites curiosity, not a directory of every detail. With a strong one pager in hand, you’re positioned to engage accelerators, angels, and venture funds in productive dialogues that accelerate your capital journey.
