How Many Slides Should You Present in a One-Hour Meeting?

Some things are just beautiful in their mathematical simplicity — and this is one of them.

We all know the scenario: a one-hour meeting, and somehow, we run out of time before reaching the final slides. The part that truly matters — participant engagement and discussion — often gets skipped.

Here’s the simple proof:Too many slides, too little time.

Let’s break it down:

You have 60 minutes.Reserve at least 5 minutes for questions and 15 minutes for discussion.That leaves you with 40 minutes of presentation time.

If your presentation includes simple graphs, a clear message in each title, and key takeaways — you can present up to 20 slides.

But if your presentation includes complex graphs, lacks clear titles with a message, and requires the audience to figure out the story on their own — limit it to 10 slides max.

Q.E.D. ✔️

So instead of cramming in more and more slides, focus on clarity over quantity.

You’ll create space for interaction, questions, and most importantly the kind of discussion that drives real impact.

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