Startup Funding Espresso – Using the Four-Quadrant Slide

Startup Funding Espresso – Using the Four-Quadrant Slide

October 16, 2026 by investor

Using the Four-Quadrant Slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching the startup, the founder shows how the business will be positioned in the market. The four-quadrant slide is one tool to show how the startup compares to the competition. Here’s how to set up the four-quadrant slide. Start by identifying the key criteria for customers. This could be cost, performance, ease of use, or more. Check the competition for how they rank on the criteria compared to the startup. Choose the top two criteria and show how the startup’s product performs. Lay out an x/y axis and show one criterion on the horizontal axis. Show the other criteria on the vertical axis. Label the axis so the startup is positioned in the upper right corner. Position the competition in each of the other three corners. This communicates to the investor how the startup will compete and on which criteria they are superior. This helps the investor understand the startup’s position compared to the competition. Consider using the four-quadrant slide in your pitch deck. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let’s go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.


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Disclaimer:
Hall T Martin is the director of Investor Connect, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the education of investors for early-stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for the basis of investment decisions.