pitch-deck-patterns
Create compelling pitch decks for startups, projects, and internal proposals. Covers narrative structure, slide design principles, data visualization, and audience-specific adaptation. Triggers on pitch deck creation, presentation design, or fundraising deck requests.
What this skill does
# Pitch Deck Patterns Build presentations that communicate vision, demonstrate value, and compel action. ## Narrative Structures ### The Classic 10-Slide Pitch | Slide | Purpose | Time | |-------|---------|------| | 1. **Title** | Name, tagline, contact | 15s | | 2. **Problem** | Pain point with evidence | 1min | | 3. **Solution** | How you solve it | 1min | | 4. **Demo/Product** | Show, don't tell | 2min | | 5. **Market** | TAM/SAM/SOM, growth | 1min | | 6. **Business Model** | How you make money | 1min | | 7. **Traction** | Metrics, milestones, users | 1min | | 8. **Team** | Why this team wins | 30s | | 9. **Ask** | What you need, what they get | 30s | | 10. **Contact** | CTA, next steps | 15s | ### The Problem-First Arc ``` Hook → Pain → Failed Solutions → Your Insight → Product → Evidence → Vision → Ask ``` Best for: Markets where the problem is well-known but solutions are bad. ### The Vision-First Arc ``` Vision → Why Now → How → Product → Traction → Team → Ask ``` Best for: Category-creating products where the vision is the differentiator. ### The Traction-First Arc ``` Results → How We Did It → The Market → The Team → What's Next → Ask ``` Best for: Growth-stage pitches where numbers speak louder than vision. ## Slide Design Principles ### One Idea Per Slide ``` BAD: Slide with 5 bullet points, a chart, and a screenshot GOOD: One clear statement + one supporting visual ``` ### The 3-Second Rule A viewer should grasp the slide's point within 3 seconds. If they can't, simplify. ### Visual Hierarchy ``` 1. Headline (largest, boldest) → The claim 2. Key visual (chart/screenshot) → The evidence 3. Supporting text (smallest) → The context ``` ### Data Visualization | Data Type | Best Chart | Avoid | |-----------|-----------|-------| | Trend over time | Line chart | Pie chart | | Comparison | Bar chart | 3D chart | | Part of whole | Stacked bar, treemap | Pie chart (>5 segments) | | Relationship | Scatter plot | Table | | Single metric | Large number | Any chart | ### The Big Number Slide ``` ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ 47% │ │ reduction in deploy time │ │ │ │ (from 45min to 24min) │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Content Patterns ### Problem Slide **Formula:** Specific pain + Quantified impact + Who feels it ``` "Engineering teams waste 15 hours/week on manual deployment tasks. For a 50-person team, that's $1.2M/year in lost productivity." ``` ### Solution Slide **Formula:** What it does + How it's different + Key benefit ``` "One-click deployment pipelines that integrate with your existing CI/CD stack. No migration needed — install and deploy in 5 minutes." ``` ### Market Slide **TAM/SAM/SOM Framework:** - **TAM** (Total Addressable Market): Everyone who could use it - **SAM** (Serviceable Addressable Market): Your reachable segment - **SOM** (Serviceable Obtainable Market): What you'll capture in 2-3 years ### Traction Slide Show growth trajectory, not just current numbers: ``` Month 1: 50 users Month 3: 500 users Month 6: 5,000 users Month 12: 50,000 users (projected) ``` ### Team Slide Focus on: **Why this team?** Not resume bullets, but relevant achievements. ``` "Previously built and sold DevToolCo (acquired by BigCorp). 15 years combined experience in CI/CD infrastructure. Early engineers at [credible company]." ``` ## Audience Adaptation | Audience | Emphasize | De-emphasize | |----------|-----------|-------------| | Investors | Market, traction, team | Technical details | | Technical | Architecture, scalability | Business model | | Executives | ROI, risk, timeline | Implementation details | | Internal | Impact, resources needed | Market analysis | ## Delivery Tips ### Timing - **5 minutes:** Problem + Solution + Demo + Ask - **10 minutes:** Full 10-slide deck - **20 minutes:** Deck + deep-dive on 2-3 slides + Q&A - **30 minutes:** Full deck + demo + extensive Q&A ### Opening Hooks - **Startling statistic:** "90% of deployments fail on first attempt" - **Story:** "Last month, our team lost 3 days to a broken deploy..." - **Question:** "How many hours does your team spend on deployments?" - **Demonstration:** Start with the product, then explain the context ## Anti-Patterns - **Wall of text** — If it's readable as a document, it's not a presentation - **Feature list** — Benefits, not features; outcomes, not capabilities - **Vanity metrics** — "10M downloads" without engagement or revenue context - **Missing the ask** — Always end with a clear, specific call to action - **One-size-fits-all** — Adapt emphasis for each audience - **Demo disasters** — Pre-record demos or have a screenshot fallback
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