# Pitch Deck Creation

> Pitch Deck Creation

- Skill: `manojbajaj95/pitch-deck-creation` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add manojbajaj95/pitch-deck-creation`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/manojbajaj95/pitch-deck-creation/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: manojbajaj95 (https://skillmd.com/u/manojbajaj95)
- Updated: 2026-08-19
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/manojbajaj95/pitch-deck-creation

---


# Pitch Deck Creation

## 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:

```json
{
  "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

```bash
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.json` with 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 from `pitch_data.json`
- `references/pitch_deck_best_practices.md` — comprehensive guide: slide-by-slide content rules, design best practices, audience tailoring, pre-pitch checklist