Board Book
The complete set of materials a board of directors uses to govern a company. Includes the CEO letter, financial pack, GTM update, product update, people update, strategic asks, and any appendices.
Board Deck
The slide presentation used during the live board meeting. Usually a subset of the board book — the highlights and the decisions, not the full appendix.
Board Pre-Read
The version of the board book sent to directors before the meeting (typically 5 business days out). Best practice is for the pre-read to be the full book, so the meeting can focus on discussion instead of recital.
Side-by-Side
| Board Book | Board Deck | Pre-Read | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When | Created during board prep | Used live in meeting | Distributed before meeting |
| Length | 40–80 pages | 15–25 slides | Same as board book |
| Audience | Directors (deep) | Directors (live) | Directors (async) |
| Format | PDF or portal | Slides | PDF or portal |
| Owner | Chief of Staff | CEO | Chief of Staff |
Key Takeaway
If your pre-read and your board deck are different documents, you are doing double work. Make the pre-read the full book and let the deck be a guided tour through it.