# Officecli Pitch Deck

> Use this skill when the user is building a fundraising / investor pitch deck - seed, Series A / B / C, convertible note, SAFE round, strategic raise. Trigger on: 'pitch deck', 'investor deck', 'Series A deck', 'Series B deck', 'Series C deck', 'fundraising deck', 'seed pitch', 'VC deck', 'raising capital', 'term sheet presentation'. Output is a single .pptx. This skill is a scene layer on top of officecli-pptx - inherits every pptx v2 rule (visual floor, grid, palettes, connector canon, Delivery Gate). DO NOT invoke for a generic board review, sales deck, all-hands, or product launch - route those to officecli-pptx base.

- Skill: `ferroxlabs/officecli-pitch-deck` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ferroxlabs/officecli-pitch-deck`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ferroxlabs/officecli-pitch-deck/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: FerroxLabs (https://skillmd.com/u/ferroxlabs)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ferroxlabs/officecli-pitch-deck

---


# OfficeCLI Pitch Deck Skill

**This skill is a scene layer on top of `officecli-pptx`.** Every pptx hard rule - visual delivery floor (title ≥ 36pt / body ≥ 18pt / title ≥ 2× body), 12-column grid on 33.87×19.05cm, 4 canonical palettes, chart-choice decision table, connector canon (`shape` / `from` / `to` / `tailEnd=triangle`), shell escape, resident + batch, Delivery Gate 1–5a - is inherited, not re-taught. This file adds only what **fundraising** needs on top: stage diagnosis (A / B / C), 5 vertical arc templates, 10 key-slide recipes (cover / problem / solution / market / product / model / traction / team / financials / ask), pitch-specific numbers convention, a VC ship-check, and a pitch-specific fresh-eyes Gate 6.

When the pptx base rules cover it, the text here says `→ see pptx v2 §X`. Read `skills/officecli-pptx/SKILL.md` first if you have not.

## Runtime contract

Wayland Desktop supplies a checksum-pinned native `officecli` runtime. Do not install, update, download, or replace it from this skill. Native authoring requires the exact verified `1.0.136` version. If `officecli --version` or the required `officecli --help` surface fails, stop and use Wayland's reinstall/update recovery path; never bootstrap mutable code or silently switch to hosted-credit generation.

## ⚠️ Help-First Rule

**This skill teaches what a fundraising deck requires, not every command flag.** When a prop name, enum value, or preset is uncertain, consult help BEFORE guessing.

```bash
officecli help pptx                          # All pptx elements
officecli help pptx <element>                # Full schema (e.g. chart, shape, connector, picture)
officecli help pptx <element> --json         # Machine-readable
```

Help reflects the installed CLI version. When this skill and help disagree, **help wins.** Every `--prop X=` in this file has been grep-verified against `officecli help pptx <element>` - if help adds / renames a prop in a later version, trust help.

## Mental Model & Inheritance

**Inherits pptx v2.** You should have read `skills/officecli-pptx/SKILL.md` first. This skill assumes you know how to: add slides + shapes + charts + connectors; address by `@name=` / `@id=`; quote paths; use `batch` heredocs; write `--prop tailEnd=triangle` on every flow connector; and run the 5-gate Delivery Gate. If any of those are unfamiliar, open a pptx v2 session before continuing.

## Shell & Execution Discipline

**Shell quoting, incremental execution, `$FILE` convention** → see pptx v2 §Shell & Execution Discipline. Same rules verbatim - quote `[N]` paths, single-quote values containing `$` (including `$35M`, `$1.2B TAM` in a cover or ask slide), never hand-write `\$ \t \n` in executable examples, one command at a time. Examples below use `$FILE` (`FILE="deck.pptx"`).

**Single-quote every shape text containing `$`.** `--prop text="Series B · $35M"` (double quotes) is WRONG - zsh expands `$35M` → empty, deck renders `Series B · M` silently. `--prop text='Series B · $35M'` (single quotes) is right. This is the #1 pitch-deck shell-escape failure mode (`$35M`, `$18M ARR`, `$1.2B TAM` appear on cover/ask/financials/milestones). Gate 2 cannot detect a stripped `$35M` - no residue. Gate 2b catches common strip patterns; single-quoting PREVENTS them.

## What "pitch deck" means here (identity)

A pitch deck is a pptx with a **fundraising layer** on top: VC-oriented narrative arc, verifiable metrics, stage-appropriate data density, founder-credibility surface. Slides are consumed at ~3 seconds per slide in a live room - the pptx v2 rule. Pitch decks add a second constraint on top: **every slide carries one investable proposition**. If a slide is "interesting background" that doesn't move the ask forward, cut it. VCs will not. The base pptx rules still apply; pitch decks add six deltas:

1. **Stage determines everything.** Series A / B / C each dictates slide count, narrative weight, which metrics are must-haves, and tolerance for unit-econ sophistication. A Series A deck with 6 pages of CAC/LTV math reads as over-packaged; a Series B deck missing unit econ reads as incomplete. Pick the stage first - everything downstream follows.
2. **Narrative arc beats feature dump.** 10 essential slides in a fixed order: cover → problem → solution → market → product → model → traction → team → financials → ask. Out of order = VCs disengage.
3. **Numbers are a contract.** TAM/SAM/SOM must be clean three-layer; CAC/LTV must have a payback line; ARR ≠ revenue; Use-of-Funds must be a four-bucket pie. Sloppy numbers = round dies.
4. **Team slide carries prior companies.** Avatar grid alone reads as a student project. Add prior-company logos / names + one-line role. Without this, first-time founders look exactly like first-time founders.
5. **Traction chart y-axis starts at 0.** A "hockey stick" starting at `y_min = 80% of current` is a visual lie - VCs who have seen 10,000 decks spot it in < 2 seconds.
6. **The ask is a slide, not a footnote.** `$XX M` hero + four-bucket Use-of-Funds + runway length. "We're raising some money" is not an ask.

### Reverse handoff - when to go BACK to pptx base

Stay in **pptx v2 base** for board reviews, all-hands, sales decks, product launches, training decks - anything not tied to raising capital. Use **this skill** only when: (a) the user mentions a specific round (seed / Series A / B / C) or a VC meeting, AND (b) the deck needs at least 4 of {problem, traction, team with credentials, Use-of-Funds, stage-appropriate unit econ, financial projections}.

If the user says "fundraising deck" but the context is a corporate BU quarterly ask, that is a board review. Route to pptx v2 Recipe (d) 10-slide blueprint. If the user says "board review" but the context is a small company raising a bridge round, route here.

## Series A / B / C stage diagnosis (decision tool)

**Read this before writing a single command.** Pick the row that matches the user's description - everything downstream (slide count, which metrics, which recipes, what the team slide must show) derives from this one call.

| Stage             | Revenue band                 | Team         | Slide count | Dominant narrative (weight)                                                                               | Must-have data                                                                               | Common red flag                                                                       |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------ | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Seed**          | $0 – $1M ARR (often pre-rev) | 2 – 8 FTE    | 10 – 12     | Problem (30%) + Solution (25%) + Team (15%) + Market (15%) + Traction (15%)                               | Founder-market fit story; 1 – 2 design-partner / pilot logos; top-down TAM ok                | Over-claiming traction (10 customers = "market proven")                               |
| **Series A**      | $1 – $5M ARR                 | 10 – 25 FTE  | 12 – 16     | Problem (20%) + Solution (20%) + **Market "why now"** (15%) + Product (15%) + Traction (20%) + Team (10%) | PMF proof (NRR > 110%, low churn), bottom-up TAM/SAM, pipeline / pilots converted            | Bottom-up TAM feels fabricated; CAC not yet meaningful but shown anyway               |
| **Series B**      | $5 – $30M ARR                | 30 – 100 FTE | 18 – 22     | **Traction + Unit econ (30%)** + Market + Product + Team + Financials (ask)                               | ARR curve starting at 0; NRR, CAC, LTV, payback (< 18 mo ideal); cohort retention; logo wall | No unit-econ slide; CAC payback > 24mo without explanation; Use-of-Funds missing %    |
| **Series C**      | $30M+ ARR                    | 100+ FTE     | 20 – 24     | **Financials + Scale + Moat (40%)** + Market expansion + Team depth                                       | Multi-year GAAP, rule-of-40, GM trajectory, international expansion plan, defensibility      | No moat slide; revenue growth without margin story; team slide has no prior CEO / CFO |
| **Bridge / SAFE** | any                          | any          | 8 – 10      | **Specific bridge reason** + runway math + commitments                                                    | Prior round context; specific milestone the bridge funds; committed investor amount          | Treating a bridge like a Series A - too many slides dilutes the ask                   |

**Decision procedure.** From one or two user sentences ("Series B, $18M ARR, 120 customers, $35M raise"), pick exactly one stage row. All later choices in this skill reference your stage: which vertical template to pull, which recipes are mandatory vs optional, and which Delivery Gate 6 checks fire.

**Corner cases.** Bridge rounds & convertibles between A → B are closer to A or B depending on whether the bridge milestone is "finish PMF" (A shape) or "hit unit-econ target" (B shape). "Extension" rounds at the same stage reuse the earlier stage's skeleton and add a one-slide "progress since last round" update.

**Non-SaaS stage overrides.** The ARR / unit-econ shape of Series B fits SaaS. For other verticals, substitute revenue band + unit-econ equivalent + Gate 6.3 grep:

| Vertical                  | Revenue "band" at Series B     | "Unit econ" equivalent                                         | Gate 6.3 substitute                                                                                |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Bio / Clinical-stage**  | pre-rev, 20–60 FTE             | burn rate + runway to next milestone (IND / Ph1 readout / BLA) | `shape:contains("ORR")` OR `contains("Pipeline")` OR `contains("BLA")` OR `contains("runway")` ≥ 1 |
| **Deep Tech / Frontier**  | pre-rev or early pilot rev     | technical milestones + TRL level + benchmark vs SoTA           | `shape:contains("TRL")` OR `contains("benchmark")` ≥ 1                                             |
| **Marketplace / Network** | GMV $10–100M                   | take rate + cohort retention + liquidity                       | `shape:contains("GMV")` + `contains("take rate")` ≥ 1                                              |
| **Consumer hardware**     | $2–15M revenue (shipped units) | contribution margin + repeat rate + blended CAC                | `shape:contains("repeat")` OR `contains("contribution")` ≥ 1                                       |

Substitute the analogue grep when running Gate 6.3 on these verticals. False WARN on SaaS CAC/LTV = expected; real concern = vertical-specific analogue present. Bio Series B decks especially: burn + runway-to-milestone IS the "unit econ" story.

## Vertical arc templates (5 families)

5 mainstream verticals. Each one has different slide weights because what VCs require as proof-of-concept differs. Pick the vertical row; the slide skeleton is a copy-able starting point. Slide counts assume the matching stage row above.

### (1) B2B SaaS / Enterprise software

Canonical arc - the template most of VC muscle memory is built on. Series B example (20 slides): cover · TL;DR · problem · problem evidence · solution · product loop · market TAM/SAM/SOM · **unit economics (CAC / LTV / payback / GM)** · ARR trajectory · retention cohort · logo wall · team · competitors · financials 4-year · ask. Must-have: unit-econ slide from Series A onward; logo wall from Series B onward.

### (2) Consumer (B2C app / consumer hardware / D2C)

Narrative-driven. Early-stage decks lean on **product-experience screenshots + founding story + "why now"** market timing; lighter on unit econ (which are usually weaker than SaaS). Series A example (14 slides): cover · hook (30-second product demo or 1-line vision) · problem (lived experience) · solution (product shots) · product-experience flow · "why now" market window · pre-order / crowdfunding / early-sales evidence · retention / engagement (DAU, D30) · market (top-down ok if bottom-up unreliable) · competitive positioning · founder story + team · press / endorsements · financials · ask. Must-have: product visuals on ≥ 3 slides; "why now" slide (window justification); engagement metric not just revenue.

### (3) Deep Tech / Frontier tech (AI foundation models, quantum, climate hardware, robotics)

Technology credibility is the sell. Pre-revenue deep tech replaces "traction" with **technical milestones + defensibility**. Series B example (22 slides): cover · thesis (one-line "what changes if this works") · problem (current state of art) · solution (technical approach) · **technology architecture** · benchmarks vs SoTA · pipeline / TRL levels · market (long-tail) · business model · early commercial traction (pilots, LOIs) · IP / patents · team (usually PhD / ex-FAANG-research) · partners · financials · ask. Must-have: benchmark slide; IP slide; team slide dense with PhDs / prior-lab names.

### (4) Marketplace / Network business (two-sided platform, social, commerce)

Liquidity is the metric. Replace "unit econ" with **GMV + take rate + cohort retention + supply / demand balance**. Series A example (15 slides): cover · problem (friction in current supply-demand) · solution · product demo (both sides) · network effects diagram · early liquidity (first-week GMV, time-to-match) · cohort retention · geographic / category expansion plan · competitive positioning vs incumbents · take-rate model · team · financials · ask. Must-have: liquidity metric slide; cohort retention chart; network-effect diagram.

### (5) Bio / Life sciences / Healthtech

Regulatory pipeline IS the business. Replace "product roadmap" with **clinical pipeline + regulatory path + scientific evidence**. Series B example (22 slides): cover · unmet medical need · scientific rationale (mechanism of action) · preclinical / clinical data (ORR, safety, endpoints) · **pipeline chart** (candidates × stages × dates) · differentiation vs standard of care · IP / exclusivity · regulatory strategy (IND, BTD, fast-track) · market (prevalence × pricing) · commercial strategy (orphan / specialty / biosimilar) · partnerships / collaborations · team (CSO / CMO with prior FDA wins) · financials (burn to next milestone) · ask. Must-have: pipeline chart; clinical data slide; team slide with prior regulatory wins.

**Cross-vertical rule.** You can mix elements across templates, but never drop a must-have from your primary vertical. A SaaS deck missing unit econ, a bio deck missing a pipeline chart, a marketplace deck missing a liquidity metric - each is an instant VC disqualification.

## Slide Patterns (layout canon)

Patterns are **layout geometry**; recipes below are **narrative intent**. A slide picks one pattern for its visual shape (6 canonical ones below) and one recipe for what it argues (cover / problem / traction / ...). Multiple recipes can share one pattern - Problem / Why-Now / Traction-callout all lean on the 3-stat row (C.2). Pick the pattern first, then fill it with recipe content.

**Speaker notes rule.** Every content slide (non-cover, non-closing) MUST carry speaker notes via `officecli add "$FILE" /slide[N] --type notes --prop text='…'`. Missing notes = not shippable - inherits pptx v2 §Hard rules (H7). Run `officecli help pptx notes` to confirm prop names before building.

**Pattern reuse discipline.** Never run the same pattern on two consecutive slides - even with different data, two identical geometries in a row read as a template loop. Alternate C.2 with C.4 or C.5b to break rhythm.

**Vertical centering.** When a slide carries fewer elements than the pattern's maximum, nudge y-positions down 2–3cm to center the visual weight. Tables below assume full content.

### C.1 Title / Cover (dark gradient)

3–4 text shapes on a gradient fill. Slide 1 in every deck.

```
+----------------------------------+
|                                  |
|          TITLE (centered)        |
|          tagline                 |
|                                  |
|   round · amount · date          |
|  ________________________        |  <- thin brand band
+----------------------------------+
```

| Element                 | X   | Y    | Width   | Height | Font / size                     |
| ----------------------- | --- | ---- | ------- | ------ | ------------------------------- |
| Title                   | 2cm | 5cm  | 29.87cm | 4cm    | serif bold, ≥ 36pt (44 typical) |
| Tagline                 | 2cm | 10cm | 29.87cm | 2cm    | sans 18–22pt                    |
| Meta (round · $ · date) | 2cm | 13cm | 29.87cm | 1.5cm  | sans 12–16pt                    |

**Use this when** the slide is the first one (Cover recipe 1) - 3-second identity grab. Background is a 180° linear gradient between two dark palette shades (e.g. Professional Navy `1E2761 → 0D1F35`). If the title wraps to 2 lines, **add height (4cm → 5cm), never drop font below 36pt** - sub-36pt on a pitch cover reads as timid regardless of content. Transition: fade.

### C.2 3-Stat callout row

Title + 3 big-number / label pairs across. The default for Problem / Why-Now / Traction-callout slides.

```
+----------------------------------+
|  Title                           |
|                                  |
|   73%      12hr      $4.2B       |
|   label    label     label       |
|   source   source    source      |
+----------------------------------+
```

| Element               | X      | Y      | Width   | Height | Font / size            |
| --------------------- | ------ | ------ | ------- | ------ | ---------------------- |
| Title                 | 1.5cm  | 1cm    | 30.87cm | 3cm    | serif bold ≥ 36pt      |
| Stat 1 number         | 2cm    | 5cm    | 9cm     | 4cm    | serif bold 60–64pt     |
| Stat 1 label          | 2cm    | 9.5cm  | 9cm     | 2cm    | sans ≥ 16pt (H4 floor) |
| Stat 2 number / label | 12.5cm | (same) | 9cm     | (same) | (same)                 |
| Stat 3 number / label | 23cm   | (same) | 9cm     | (same) | (same)                 |

**Use this when** you have 2–3 anchoring numbers and the story is "three facts argue the point" - Problem, Why-Now, Market-callout, single-row Traction. Labels ≥ 16pt is the H4 floor (sub-label exception); a number without a label reads as bravado, so never drop labels to 12–14pt to fit more text.

### C.3 4-Stat callout row

Same geometry as C.2 but 4 columns. Numbers 60pt, width 7cm each.

```
+-------------------------------------+
|  Title                              |
|                                     |
|  73%   12hr   $9M   4.2x            |
|  lbl   lbl    lbl   lbl             |
+-------------------------------------+
```

| Element      | X positions               | Y     | Width   | Height | Font / size     |
| ------------ | ------------------------- | ----- | ------- | ------ | --------------- |
| Title        | 1.5cm                     | 1cm   | 30.87cm | 3cm    | serif bold 36pt |
| Stat numbers | 1.5 / 9.5 / 17.5 / 25.5cm | 5cm   | 7cm     | 4cm    | serif bold 60pt |
| Stat labels  | (same X)                  | 9.5cm | 7cm     | 2cm    | sans ≥ 16pt     |

**Use this when** exactly 4 parallel metrics tell the story and 3 feels under-counted. Prefer C.2 if in doubt - 4 always feels tighter than 3, and wrap risk is real.

> **Wrap warning.** At 60pt in 7cm width, dollar patterns with both `$` and `.` fail: `$9.4M` is 5 glyphs but the wide `$` and `.` in a serif bold make it wrap to 2 lines and destroy the callout. Safe dollar shapes at 60pt/7cm: `$9M`, `$96B`, `$4K` (3–4 chars). Non-dollar shapes: `340%`, `4.2x`, `12.3` safe up to 5 chars. Values ≥ 6 chars (`197min`, `3 Days`) will wrap - either (a) drop font to 44–48pt, (b) abbreviate (`197m`, `$9M`), or (c) shift to C.2 (9cm per stat). Single tokens only, no internal spaces.

### C.4 Chart + Context (chart left, stats right)

Chart takes left 55%, 2–3 stacked callouts on the right. The default for Traction / Financials / Market-sizing-with-context.

```
+-------------------------------------+
|  Title                              |
|                                     |
|  +---------------+   +--------+     |
|  |               |   | Stat 1 |     |
|  |    chart      |   +--------+     |
|  |               |   | Stat 2 |     |
|  +---------------+   +--------+     |
+-------------------------------------+
```

| Element      | X    | Y    | Width   | Height                                       |
| ------------ | ---- | ---- | ------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Title        | 2cm  | 1cm  | 29.87cm | 3cm                                          |
| Chart        | 2cm  | 4cm  | 17cm    | 13cm                                         |
| Stats column | 21cm | 4cm+ | 11cm    | 2.5cm number + 1.5cm label (~3.7cm per pair) |

Sub-labels ≥ 16pt (H4 floor). For 5 stats stacked, drop number size to 44pt; 6+ stats means pick a different pattern. Post-batch for column/bar charts: `officecli set "$FILE" "/slide[N]/chart[1]" --prop gap=80` to tighten bar spacing.

**Use this when** one primary chart drives the story and 2–3 numeric anchors reinforce it - Traction (ARR curve + current ARR + YoY + NRR), Financials (4-year column chart + assumption callouts), Market (bar chart + SOM / CAGR / methodology).

### C.5 Icon-in-circle grid (3-row vertical)

3 vertical rows, each = circle icon on the left + title + 1-line description.

```
+---------------------------------------+
|  Title                                |
|                                       |
|  (o)  Label one                       |
|       description one                 |
|                                       |
|  (o)  Label two                       |
|       description two                 |
|                                       |
|  (o)  Label three                     |
|       description three               |
+---------------------------------------+
```

| Element     | X     | Y positions        | Width | Height | Font / size                   |
| ----------- | ----- | ------------------ | ----- | ------ | ----------------------------- |
| Icon circle | 2cm   | 4.5 / 8.5 / 12.5cm | 2.5cm | 2.5cm  | ellipse, accent fill          |
| Label       | 5.5cm | (icon Y + 0)       | 25cm  | 1.2cm  | sans bold 18pt                |
| Description | 5.5cm | (icon Y + 1.3cm)   | 25cm  | 1.8cm  | sans ≥ 16pt (H4 floor), muted |

**Use this when** you have 3 short vertical points that benefit from a visual anchor per row - Solution mechanism, Value pillars, Product loop. Choose C.5b (2×2 grid) when items are parallel and you have exactly 4; choose a horizontal 5-across variant when icons should read side-by-side (e.g. 5-step process).

### C.5b 2×2 Feature grid (4 parallel items)

4 rounded cards, 2 columns × 2 rows. Use when you have exactly 4 parallel items (product pillars, service types, feature quadrants).

```
+-----------------------------+
|  Title                      |
|                             |
|  +---------+  +---------+   |
|  | (o) T1  |  | (o) T2  |   |
|  | body    |  | body    |   |
|  +---------+  +---------+   |
|  +---------+  +---------+   |
|  | (o) T3  |  | (o) T4  |   |
|  | body    |  | body    |   |
|  +---------+  +---------+   |
+-----------------------------+
```

| Element                  | X              | Y              | Width   | Height | Font / size            |
| ------------------------ | -------------- | -------------- | ------- | ------ | ---------------------- |
| Slide title              | 2cm            | 1cm            | 29.87cm | 2.5cm  | serif bold 32pt        |
| Card 1 bg (top-left)     | 1.5cm          | 4cm            | 14.5cm  | 7cm    | roundRect              |
| Card 2 bg (top-right)    | 17.5cm         | 4cm            | 14.5cm  | 7cm    | roundRect              |
| Card 3 bg (bottom-left)  | 1.5cm          | 12cm           | 14.5cm  | 7cm    | roundRect              |
| Card 4 bg (bottom-right) | 17.5cm         | 12cm           | 14.5cm  | 7cm    | roundRect              |
| Icon ellipse (each card) | card_x + 0.5cm | card_y + 0.5cm | 2cm     | 2cm    | -                      |
| Card title (each)        | card_x + 3.2cm | card_y + 0.6cm | 10.5cm  | 1.8cm  | sans bold 16pt         |
| Card body (each)         | card_x + 0.5cm | card_y + 3cm   | 13cm    | 3.5cm  | sans ≥ 16pt (H4 floor) |

**Use this when** you have exactly 4 parallel items and the eye should land on each equally - 4 product pillars, 4 service tiers, 4 stakeholder types. 3 items feel lonely in a 2×2; 5+ items break the grid - go to a 3×2 (see pptx v2 §(d) grid math) or C.5 row pattern.

> **Z-order canon (critical).** Each card's `roundRect` background must be added immediately before that card's icon / title / body shapes in the batch JSON - pptx paints in insertion order, so a background added after its text paints over and hides the text. When building with `officecli batch`, follow the per-card sequence `bg → ellipse → title → body` strictly. Pattern and z-order details → see pptx v2 §Recipe (c) z-order canon; reuse grid math from pptx v2 §(d) for non-2×2 counts.

**Dark-background variant.** Change card fill from `F0F4F8` (light) to a lighter-dark shade like `1A2540` and bump body text to `FFFFFF` / `E8E8E8`. Palette variables (e.g. `$MUTED`) do NOT expand inside single-quoted heredocs - write the literal hex (`64748B`) in the JSON.

---

## Key-slide recipes (10 essentials)

The 10 slides every pitch deck carries. Each recipe below gives: **visual outcome** (what the slide looks like from 3m away) + **runnable block** (≤ 18 lines) + **QA one-liner**. All recipes inherit pptx v2 palettes, grid math, type hierarchy, and `--prop tailEnd=triangle` on every connector. Recipes reference the Slide Patterns above: Cover reuses C.1; Problem / Why-Now reuse C.2; Traction / Financials reuse C.4; Feature / pillar slides reuse C.5b. `$FILE` is your deck file.

**Long-title wrap rule.** A 36pt+ title that wraps to 2 lines: add `height` (e.g. 2cm → 3.5cm) - never drop the font below 36pt. Titles < 36pt on a pitch deck read as timid regardless of content.

### (1) Cover slide - company · tagline · round · date

**Visual outcome.** Dark navy fill, centered 44pt company name, 20pt one-line tagline underneath, small 16pt meta line at the bottom with round + amount + date. Thin brand band at the very bottom (0.5cm high) in the accent color.

```bash
officecli add "$FILE" / --type slide --prop layout=blank --prop background=1E2761
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[1]" --type shape --prop name=BrandBand \
  --prop geometry=rect --prop fill=CADCFC \
  --prop x=0cm --prop y=18.5cm --prop width=33.87cm --prop height=0.55cm
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[1]" --type shape --prop name=CoverTitle --prop text="Acme DevOps" \
  --prop x=2cm --prop y=7cm --prop width=29.87cm --prop height=3cm \
  --prop font=Georgia --prop size=44 --prop bold=true --prop color=FFFFFF --prop align=center --prop fill=none
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[1]" --type shape --prop name=Tagline --prop text="Kubernetes observability, built for production at scale" \
  --prop x=2cm --prop y=10.5cm --prop width=29.87cm --prop height=1.5cm \
  --prop font=Calibri --prop size=20 --prop color=CADCFC --prop align=center --prop fill=none
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[1]" --type shape --prop name=CoverMeta --prop text='Series B · $35M · April 2026' \
  --prop x=2cm --prop y=15cm --prop width=29.87cm --prop height=1.2cm \
  --prop font=Calibri --prop size=16 --prop color=FFFFFF --prop align=center --prop fill=none
```

**QA.** Cover has 4 discrete elements (brand band + title + tagline + meta). 80%-whitespace covers fail the pptx "cover ≥ 60% filled" floor.

**Consumer variant (3-second grab).** Consumer decks (B2C app / hardware / D2C) should add a single dominant motif - hero product shot, oversized company name (60–96pt), or symbolic mark (crescent moon / abstract geometric). Replace the 44pt title with an 80–96pt name + one motif shape (`--type shape --prop geometry=ellipse --prop fill=<accent>` for an abstract mark, or `picture` at ~40% of slide for a product hero). Keep tagline + round + date identical. SaaS / B2B may skip - the typographic-only cover is sufficient.

### (2) Problem slide - industry pain in 1 sentence + 3 data cards

**Visual outcome.** 36pt title stating the pain (not "The Problem"). Below, three equal-width data cards across the slide: each a giant number (40pt) + one-line qualifier (16pt) + source footnote (12pt gray).

Grid math for 3 cards, 1.5cm margins, 0.76cm gap: `usable = 33.87 − 3 − 2·0.76 = 29.35`, `col_width = 29.35 / 3 = 9.78cm`. x-positions: `1.5 / 12.04 / 22.58`.

```bash
SLIDE=2  # second slide, after cover. Adjust from your build order.
officecli add "$FILE" / --type slide --prop layout=blank --prop background=FFFFFF
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop text="Kubernetes debugging burns 12 engineering hours / incident" \
  --prop x=1.5cm --prop y=1.2cm --prop width=30.87cm --prop height=2.5cm \
  --prop font=Georgia --prop size=36 --prop bold=true --prop color=1E2761 --prop fill=none
cat <<EOF | officecli batch "$FILE"
[
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"name":"PC1","geometry":"roundRect","fill":"F5F7FA","x":"1.5cm","y":"5cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"10cm"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"73%","x":"1.5cm","y":"6cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"3cm","font":"Georgia","size":"60","bold":"true","color":"1E2761","align":"center","fill":"none"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"of incidents take > 1 hour to diagnose","x":"1.5cm","y":"9.5cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"3cm","font":"Calibri","size":"18","color":"333333","align":"center","fill":"none"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"Source: 2025 DORA Report","x":"1.5cm","y":"13cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"1cm","font":"Calibri","size":"12","italic":"true","color":"666666","align":"center","fill":"none"}}
]
EOF
# Repeat the 4-block pattern at x=12.04cm and x=22.58cm for cards 2 and 3.
```

**QA.** `officecli query "$FILE" 'shape:contains("Source")'` returns ≥ 3 (every claim carries a source). If zero sources, VCs will not trust a single number.

### (2b) Why Now slide - Consumer / Seed / early A must-have

**Visual outcome.** 3 cards across: each = **trigger headline** (24pt bold) + **data point** (60pt number or date) + **one-line implication** (16pt) + **source footnote** (12pt gray). Reuse Problem grid math (`col=9.78cm`, x = `1.5 / 12.04 / 22.58`). §Vertical Consumer row 2 must-have; Seed / early A in any vertical benefits when "market window" IS the thesis.

```bash
SLIDE=3
officecli add "$FILE" / --type slide --prop layout=blank --prop background=FFFFFF
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop text="Why now: three converging triggers" \
  --prop x=1.5cm --prop y=1.2cm --prop width=30.87cm --prop height=2.5cm \
  --prop font=Georgia --prop size=36 --prop bold=true --prop color=1E2761 --prop fill=none
# Card 1 (x=1.5cm) - trigger / data / implication / source. Repeat at x=12.04cm and x=22.58cm.
cat <<EOF | officecli batch "$FILE"
[
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"geometry":"roundRect","fill":"F5F7FA","x":"1.5cm","y":"5cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"10cm"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"BOM cost","x":"1.5cm","y":"5.5cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"1.2cm","font":"Calibri","size":"24","bold":"true","color":"1E2761","align":"center","fill":"none"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"−90%","x":"1.5cm","y":"7cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"3cm","font":"Georgia","size":"60","bold":"true","color":"B85042","align":"center","fill":"none"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"Wearable BOM fell 90% since 2021; sub-$40 retail now viable","x":"1.5cm","y":"11cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"2cm","font":"Calibri","size":"16","color":"333333","align":"center","fill":"none"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/slide[$SLIDE]","type":"shape","props":{"text":"Source: IDC Wearables Teardown 2025","x":"1.5cm","y":"13.5cm","width":"9.78cm","height":"1cm","font":"Calibri","size":"12","italic":"true","color":"666666","align":"center","fill":"none"}}
]
EOF
# Card 2 pattern: Oura IPO 2024 / +$2.4B valuation / category proven. Card 3: On-device LLM (Llama 3.2) / Q4-24 / privacy moat viable.
```

**QA.** 3 cards, each with a date/year citation in the source footnote, each card ≤ 30 words. `officecli query "$FILE" 'shape:contains("2024")'` + `'shape:contains("2025")'` ≥ 2 combined (timing anchors visible).

### (3) Solution slide - product in one sentence + 3-step "how it works"

**Visual outcome.** 36pt title naming the product pattern (not "Our Solution"). Below: 3 or 4 rounded boxes horizontally at y=7cm with elbow connectors + triangle arrowheads. Each box = one verb (observe / correlate / resolve). Reuse pptx Recipe (c) flowchart - orchestration, not a new primitive.

```bash
# Title - "a product pattern, not a brand slogan".
# Good: "Auto-correlate K8s events across 3 data planes in 90 seconds"
# Bad:  "The future of observability"
SLIDE=4
officecli add "$FILE" / --type slide --prop layout=blank --prop background=FFFFFF
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop name=SolTitle \
  --prop text="Correlate K8s events across 3 data planes in 90 seconds" \
  --prop x=1.5cm --prop y=1.2cm --prop width=30.87cm --prop height=2.2cm \
  --prop font=Georgia --prop size=32 --prop bold=true --prop color=1E2761 --prop fill=none
# 3 boxes across: gap = (33.87 − 3 − 3·7) / 2 = 4.93cm; x = 1.5, 13.43, 25.36
# Connectors + arrowheads: --prop tailEnd=triangle ALWAYS (pptx Known Issues C-P-5..6).
# Full batch block → see pptx v2 §Creating and Editing (c) 4-step flowchart; swap N from 4 boxes to 3.
```

**Product-pattern title rule.** The solution title is a verb + differentiated mechanism + metric. "Observe / Correlate / Resolve" is generic; VCs read it as any APM vendor. "Correlate K8s events across 3 data planes in 90 seconds" is specific; VCs read it as an insight.

**QA.** Count connectors: `officecli query "$FILE" 'connector' --json | jq '.data.results | length'` ≥ (step_count − 1). Every connector must have `tailEnd=triangle` - `view annotated` confirms arrowhead direction. Title must be ≤ 12 words (one breath).

### (4) Market slide - TAM / SAM / SOM nested columns

**Visual outcome.** 36pt title "Market: $X.YB growing Z% CAGR". Below: three horizontal bars (or three stacked nested rectangles), labeled TAM / SAM / SOM with dollar values + growth rate. Bottom footnote cites **top-down vs bottom-up source** - pick one methodology per deck, don't mix.

```bash
# Use a pptx column chart with 3 values. Categories = TAM,SAM,SOM. Source annotation is a separate shape.
SLIDE=5
officecli add "$FILE" / --type slide --prop layout=blank --prop background=FFFFFF
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop text="$42B observability market, 18% CAGR" \
  --prop x=1.5cm --prop y=1.2cm --prop width=30.87cm --prop height=2cm \
  --prop font=Georgia --prop size=36 --prop bold=true --prop color=1E2761 --prop fill=none
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type chart --prop chartType=bar \
  --prop series1.name="USD (billions)" --prop series1.values="42,8.4,0.62" --prop series1.color=1E2761 \
  --prop categories="TAM,SAM,SOM (5-yr)" \
  --prop x=2cm --prop y=4cm --prop width=22cm --prop height=12cm \
  --prop title='Market sizing - bottom-up by enterprise count × ACV'
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop text='Source: Gartner 2025 APM Magic Quadrant; SAM = 20% of TAM (K8s-first shops); SOM = 7.4% of SAM over 5 years at 18-24% share.' \
  --prop x=2cm --prop y=16.5cm --prop width=29.87cm --prop height=2cm \
  --prop font=Calibri --prop size=12 --prop italic=true --prop color=666666 --prop fill=none
```

**QA.** Top-down vs bottom-up MUST be declared in the source footnote. A TAM without methodology reads as fabricated.

### (5) Product slide - screenshot + 3 bullets OR 3-card feature grid

**Visual outcome.** Two layout options: (a) hero product screenshot on the left (60% of slide), 3 one-line feature bullets on the right (each ≥ 18pt body, no bullets under bullets). (b) 3 feature cards with one icon / screenshot thumbnail each. Pick (a) for consumer / app products, (b) for B2B / infrastructure.

```bash
# (a) screenshot + bullets - consumer pattern
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type picture --prop src=product_hero.png \
  --prop x=1cm --prop y=4cm --prop width=18cm --prop height=13cm
officecli set "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]/picture[1]" --prop alt="Product UI: dashboard with 12 K8s clusters, live correlation graph"
# Right column bullets (each as a separate shape so sizes stay explicit)
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop text="Auto-correlate across 3 data planes" \
  --prop x=20cm --prop y=5cm --prop width=12cm --prop height=1.5cm \
  --prop font=Calibri --prop size=20 --prop bold=true --prop color=1E2761 --prop fill=none
# Repeat for bullets 2 and 3 at y=7.5cm / y=10cm.
```

**QA.** Picture alt text present (`query 'picture:no-alt'` = empty). Bullets each ≥ 18pt. No "Lorem"/"product name here"/`{{...}}` tokens.

### (6) Business model slide - unit econ or revenue model

**Visual outcome.** Decision tree by vertical:

- **SaaS / Enterprise (Series A+)** - 4 KPI callouts: CAC / LTV / Payback / GM (reuse pptx Recipe (e)).
- **Consumer / D2C** - AOV · repeat-purchase rate · contribution margin · blended CAC.
- **Marketplace** - GMV / take-rate / liquidity metric / cohort retention.
- **Bio / Deep tech** - revenue model (license / milestone / royalty split) with assumed ranges.

Title names the dominant metric (e.g. "LTV:CAC 4.7x · 14-month payback · 78% gross margin"), not "Business Model". Full 4-card batch block → see pptx v2 §(e) KPI callouts.

```bash
# SaaS pattern: KPI card values + sub-label + gray VC-floor context under each.
# Card 1 (LTV): big number "$420K", sub "Lifetime value", context "floor: ARPU × GM / churn"
# Card 2 (CAC): big number "$90K",  sub "Acquisition cost", context "fully-loaded S&M spend"
# Card 3 (Payback): big number "14 mo", sub "CAC payback", context "VC floor: < 18 mo"
# Card 4 (GM): big number "78%", sub "Gross margin", context "SaaS floor: 70%+"
# Grid math for 4 cards across: usable = 33.87 − 3 − 3·0.76 = 28.59, col = 7.15cm
# → Full batch template → pptx v2 §(e). Adapt card count 3→4 and card width 9.78cm→7.15cm.
```

**QA.** For Series B+, all four of {CAC, LTV, payback, GM} present: `officecli query "$FILE" 'shape:contains("CAC")'` ≥ 1 AND `shape:contains("LTV")'` ≥ 1 AND `shape:contains("payback")'` ≥ 1 AND `shape:contains("gross margin")'` ≥ 1.

### (7) Traction slide - ARR curve that starts at 0

**Visual outcome.** Line chart taking 60% of slide width; ARR on y-axis **starting at 0** (not at 80% of current value - the VC hockey-stick lie). Right-side commentary card: single giant number (current ARR) + growth rate + 2-3 milestones. If Series B+, second row: cohort retention snippet or logo wall.

```bash
SLIDE=7
officecli add "$FILE" / --type slide --prop layout=blank --prop background=FFFFFF
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLIDE]" --type shape --prop text='ARR: $0 → $18M in 24 months' \
  --prop x=1.5cm --prop y=1.2cm --prop width=30.87cm --prop height=2cm \
  --prop font=Georgia --prop size=36 --prop bold=true --prop color=1E2761 --prop fill=none
officecli add "$FILE" "/slide[$SLI

…(truncated)