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.
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.
DocSend or Deckmetric: The Analytics Founders Actually Need to Close
17 Jul 2026DocSend alternative for founders: Compare DocSend vs Deckmetric to discover which pitch deck analytics platform gives founders the actionable insights they n.
The Pitch Deck Production System: 5-Day Creation Protocol for Founders
17 Jul 2026how to create a pitch deck: Master the 5-day pitch deck creation protocol. A systematic approach for founders to build investor-ready presentations efficient.
CVM Teardown: Bespoke Labs and the RL Infrastructure Bet
17 Jul 2026RL infrastructure startup pitch deck: Deckmetric scores Bespoke Labs' public narrative against the CVM framework. $40M raised, elite backers, and a very spec.
The Competitive Landscape Slide: Map Markets Investors Fund
17 Jul 2026competitive landscape slide pitch deck: Build a competitive landscape slide that wins investor trust. Step-by-step framework, positioning templates, and real.
The Startup Fundraising OS: Build Your End-to-End Raise System
17 Jul 2026startup fundraising process: Build a repeatable fundraising operating system. From deck prep to close, this step-by-step framework helps founders systemize e.
The Business Model Slide Blueprint: Revenue Logic That Converts
17 Jul 2026business model slide pitch deck: Build a business model slide investors trust. Step-by-step framework with templates, real examples, and revenue logic that c.
The Market Size Slide System: TAM/SAM/SOM That Investors Trust
17 Jul 2026market size slide pitch deck: Build a credible market size slide with step-by-step TAM/SAM/SOM frameworks, real examples, and templates investors actually be.
The Investor Pipeline System: CRM Workflows That Close Rounds
17 Jul 2026investor CRM for startups: Build a repeatable investor pipeline system with CRM workflows, stage gates, and tracking processes that keep your raise organized.
The Investor Meeting System: From First Contact to Term Sheet
17 Jul 2026investor meeting process: Build a repeatable investor meeting system that moves founders from first contact to term sheet with structured workflows, scripts,.
The Due Diligence Prep System: Build Your Data Room Before Investors Ask
17 Jul 2026due diligence data room: Build a repeatable data room system before investors ask. Our step-by-step framework helps founders stay ready and close rounds fast.
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.