Sebastian Scheplitz
Founder, Shepard&Young · Author of the Deckmetric methodology
Cross-border operator, advisor, and investor, Silicon Valley, Europe, and MENA.
Who is Sebastian Scheplitz?
Sebastian Scheplitz is the founder of Shepard&Young and the author of the Deckmetric scoring methodology. He has spent his career as an operator, advisor, and investor across Silicon Valley, European, and MENA capital markets, building and selling companies, advising family offices on three continents, and evaluating thousands of pitches. He authored the Captivate-Validate-Motivate (CVM) framework that powers every Deckmetric grade and writes the editorial voice behind the Deckmetric blog.
- Role
- Founder of Shepard&Young; author of the Deckmetric methodology.
- Background
- Cross-border operator, advisor, and investor, Silicon Valley, Europe, MENA.
- Authored
- The CVM pitch deck framework and the Deckmetric scoring rubric.
- Writes
- The Deckmetric fundraising blog and the monthly market digest.
Articles by Sebastian
The most recent posts from the Deckmetric fundraising blog, sorted by last-updated date.
CVM Teardown: Simile and the $2B Bet on Synthetic Humanity
12 Aug 2026AI pitch deck teardown: Deckmetric scores Simile's public narrative against the CVM framework. $300M raised in six months. Here's what the story gets right a.
The Traction Slide System: Metrics That Make Investors Move
10 Aug 2026traction slide for pitch deck: Learn how to build a traction slide that proves momentum, earns investor trust, and accelerates your raise, no matter your sta.
The Back-to-Market Playbook: Raising in August 2026
6 Aug 2026raising venture capital August 2026: Investors are back at their desks in August 2026. Here's what the market is signaling and how founders can capitalize on.
CVM Teardown: HappyRobot and the $1.2B Logistics Agent Bet
5 Aug 2026AI logistics startup pitch deck: Deckmetric scores HappyRobot's public narrative against the CVM framework after its $150M Series C. Here's what the story do.
The August Reset: How Top Founders Use Slow Season to Win Q4
3 Aug 2026fundraising strategy between rounds: Most founders go quiet in August. Learn how elite founders use the summer lull to reposition, rebuild, and dominate Q4 f.
The Deck Iteration System: Ship Better Slides, Faster
30 Jul 2026how to improve your pitch deck: Build a repeatable deck iteration system that lets founders test, refine, and ship stronger slides after every investor meeti.
CVM Teardown: Paper and the $34M Bet on AI-Native Design
29 Jul 2026AI design tool pitch deck: Deckmetric scores Paper's public fundraising narrative against the Captivate/Validate/Motivate framework after its $34M Series A w.
The Q3 Momentum Play: Closing Rounds Before August Slowdown
27 Jul 2026closing venture round before summer slowdown: Investor calendars stall in August. Here's how smart founders are using late July urgency to accelerate commitm.
The Term Sheet Response System: Negotiate Faster, Close Smarter
23 Jul 2026how to negotiate a term sheet: Build a repeatable term sheet response system that helps founders negotiate deal terms faster, avoid costly mistakes, and clos.
CVM Teardown: CuspAI and the $2.6B Materials Bet
23 Jul 2026CuspAI pitch deck analysis: Deckmetric scores CuspAI's public narrative against the Captivate/Validate/Motivate framework after its $450M Series B at a $2.6B.
The Solution Slide System: Frame Your Fix Investors Fund
20 Jul 2026solution slide pitch deck: Learn how to craft a solution slide that earns investor conviction. The proven framework for framing your fix with clarity, logic,.
Deckmetric vs SaaStr.ai: AI Pitch Deck Analysis Tools Compared
17 Jul 2026AI pitch deck analysis tool: Compare Deckmetric and SaaStr.ai pitch deck analysis platforms. Discover which AI-powered tool best fits your fundraising needs.
What he writes about
Sebastian writes the Deckmetric fundraising blog, the monthly market digest sent to Premium subscribers, and the editorial pages that document the CVM framework and the 9 VC benchmark frameworks. His writing focuses on what investors are actually scoring against, not on motivational founder advice, and on the cross-border differences in how a single deck reads in San Francisco, Berlin, and Dubai.
Read the Deckmetric fundraising blogThe methodology he authored
The Captivate-Validate-Motivate framework is Sebastian’s structured answer to the question every advisor gets asked: “why did my deck not work?” He weighted Validate the heaviest (40%) because validation is the only dimension an investor cannot rationalize past in diligence, Captivate gets you read, Motivate gets you a meeting, but weak validation kills the deal regardless of how strong the other two are.
Read the full Deckmetric methodologyWhere to find him
Sebastian publishes the firm’s writing through Deckmetric and Shepard&Young. For data and processing details, see our Trust page (or email hello@deckmetric.com until the full Trust Center ships). For founders who want hands-on help refining a pitch before partner meetings, Shepard&Young offers the paid one-on-one Investor Readiness Intensive.