Workspace Context
Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.
Operating Contract
This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.
Generate professional investor-ready pitch decks. This skill covers both the narrative structure (what goes on each slide) and the visual design rules (how it should look), then produces a .pptx file via a bundled Python script.
Deck Structure
Use the 12-slide framework — total ~6 minutes. Never exceed 20 slides.
| # | Slide | Duration | Key Question to Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title | 15s | Who are you? |
| 2 | Problem | 45s | Is this a real problem people pay to solve? |
| 3 | Solution | 45s | Is this 10x better than the status quo? |
| 4 | Demo/Product | 60s | What does it actually look like? |
| 5 | Market Size | 30s | Is this big enough to matter? |
| 6 | Business Model | 30s | How do you make money? |
| 7 | Traction | 45s | Is this actually working? |
| 8 | Competition | 30s | Why you, not them? |
| 9 | Team | 30s | Can these people execute? |
| 10 | Financials | 30s | Revenue projections, unit economics |
| 11 | The Ask | 15s | How much, what for, timeline |
| 12 | Contact | 10s | Email, next steps |
Detailed slide guidance: consult references/pitch_deck_best_practices.md for content rules, examples, and common mistakes for each slide type.
Step-by-Step Workflow
Step 1: Gather Information
Ask the user conversationally. Probe for specific metrics and data.
Required:
- Company name and tagline (one sentence)
- Problem being solved (with data/stats if available)
- Solution and key features
Recommended (include if available):
- Market size (TAM/SAM/SOM) and growth rate
- Traction: revenue, users, growth %, milestones
- Business model: pricing, revenue streams, unit economics
- Competition: competitors and your differentiators
- Team: founders and key hires with relevant background
- Financials & Ask: amount, use of funds, runway, milestones
For missing info, offer placeholder slides that can be updated later.
Step 2: Create pitch_data.json
Format collected information as JSON for the generation script:
{
"company_name": "Company Name",
"tagline": "One-line description",
"problem": [
"Problem statement with data",
"Impact/urgency statement"
],
"solution": [
"How the product solves the problem",
"Key feature 1 and its benefit",
"Unique value proposition"
],
"market": [
"TAM: $X total addressable market",
"SAM: $X serviceable market",
"SOM: $X obtainable market"
],
"product": ["Feature 1", "Feature 2", "Tech highlights"],
"traction": ["Revenue: $X (YY% growth)", "Users: X,XXX active", "Key milestone"],
"business_model": ["Revenue model", "Pricing: $XX/month", "CAC, LTV, margins"],
"competition": {
"our_advantages": ["Advantage 1", "Unfair advantage"],
"competitors": ["Competitor 1", "Competitor 2"]
},
"team": [
"CEO: Name - relevant experience",
"CTO: Name - built X at Y"
],
"financials": [
"Raising: $X seed/Series A",
"Use of funds: XX% eng, XX% sales",
"Milestones with this funding"
]
}
Notes: all fields are optional except company_name; competition can be an object (two-column layout) or a plain array.
Step 3: Generate the PowerPoint
python3 scripts/create_pitch_deck.py pitch_data.json output_filename.pptx
Requires python-pptx: pip3 install python-pptx
The script produces a .pptx with consistent formatting, color scheme, and typography — ready for presentation or manual customization.
Step 4: Review and Iterate
- User updates
pitch_data.jsonwith new info, re-runs the script - For design beyond the script, advise manual editing in PowerPoint
- PDF export: File → Save As → PDF (for sharing)
- Presentation timing: ~10–15 minutes for 10–12 slides
Visual Design Rules
Typography
| Element | Size (1920×1080) | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Slide title | 48–72px | Max 6 words |
| Key stat | 96–144px | One per slide max |
| Body text | 24–32px | Max 6 bullet points |
| Caption/source | 16–20px | Always cite data |
| Font | Sans-serif only | Inter, Helvetica, SF Pro |
The 1-6-6 Rule
- 1 idea per slide
- 6 words max per bullet
- 6 bullets max per slide
If you need more text, you need more slides.
Color
| Element | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Background | Dark navy/charcoal OR clean white — pick one, commit |
| Accent | ONE brand color for emphasis |
| Text | White on dark; dark grey (#333) on light |
| Charts | 2–3 colors max; brand color = your company |
| Avoid | Gradients on text, neon, more than 3 colors |
The bundled script defaults: Primary #2962FF (titles), Secondary #646464 (body), white background.
Layout
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Consistent margins (80–100px) | Professional, clean |
| Left-align body text | Easier to scan |
| One visual per slide | Focus attention |
| Slide numbers visible | Investors can reference specific slides |
| Logo in corner | Subtle brand reinforcement |
Chart Type Guide
| Chart | Use For | Never Use For |
|---|---|---|
| Line chart | Growth over time (traction) | Category comparisons |
| Bar chart | Comparing amounts | Time series |
| Concentric circles | TAM/SAM/SOM | Anything else |
| 2×2 matrix | Competitive positioning | Feature comparison |
| Single big number | Key metric highlight | Multiple metrics |
| Pie chart | Never | Anything — hard to read, unprofessional |
For competition slides: use a 2×2 positioning map, not a feature matrix against competitors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| 20+ slides | Max 12–15 |
| Wall of text | Apply 1-6-6 rule |
| Feature matrix vs competitors | Use 2×2 positioning map |
| Pie charts | Use bar or single big number |
| No data source citations | Always cite |
| Team slide with 8+ people | Max 4, most relevant only |
| Vanity metrics | Show revenue, active users, retention |
| Missing "The Ask" slide | State amount + use of funds + timeline |
| Inconsistent design | Same colors/fonts/margins throughout |
Tailoring for Audience
Seed/early-stage investor deck: emphasize problem, solution, market size, and team; show early traction; clear funding ask.
Growth-stage / Series A deck: lead with traction and revenue metrics; detailed unit economics; strong competitive moat story.
Sales / BD deck: de-emphasize fundraising; focus on customer ROI, case studies, and testimonials.
Product launch deck: highlight product features and market need; include demo screenshots; emphasize innovation.
Resources
scripts/create_pitch_deck.py— generates PowerPoint frompitch_data.jsonreferences/pitch_deck_best_practices.md— comprehensive guide: slide-by-slide content rules, design best practices, audience tailoring, pre-pitch checklist