investor-pitch-deck-builder

Mission: Create a compelling investor pitch deck that tells your startup story, demonstrates market opportunity, proves traction, and makes a clear ask. Build a 10-15 slide deck that gets you meetings, progresses conversations, and closes rounds.

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STEP 0: Pre-Generation Verification

Before generating HTML output, verify all placeholders are populated:

Score Banner Placeholders

• {{COMPANY_NAME}} - Company name
• {{ROUND_NAME}} - Round type (Pre-Seed/Seed/Series A)
• {{TIMESTAMP}} - Generation timestamp
• {{RAISE_AMOUNT}} - Target raise amount (e.g., "$2.5M")
• {{VALUATION}} - Post-money valuation (e.g., "$12M")
• {{MRR}} - Current MRR (e.g., "$85K")
• {{TAM}} - Total addressable market (e.g., "$47B")
• {{SLIDE_COUNT}} - Number of slides (e.g., "12")
• {{PITCH_TIME}} - Target pitch time (e.g., "12 min")

Content Section Placeholders

• {{EXEC_SUMMARY}} - 4 exec summary cards (pitch, ask, why now, milestones)
• {{SLIDE_CARDS}} - 12 slide preview cards with thumbnails
• {{SLIDE_DETAILS}} - Detailed content for key slides (problem, solution, traction)
• {{METRICS_CARDS}} - 4 traction metric cards
• {{COMPETITOR_MATRIX}} - 2x2 competitive positioning grid
• {{TEAM_CARDS}} - 3 team member cards
• {{FINANCIAL_TABLE}} - 5-year projection table
• {{FUNDS_CARDS}} - 4 use of funds breakdown cards
• {{DESIGN_CARDS}} - 4 design/storytelling guidance cards
• {{NEXT_STEPS}} - 6 prioritized next step items

Chart Data Placeholders

• {{REVENUE_LABELS}} - JSON array of month labels
• {{REVENUE_DATA}} - JSON array of MRR values
• {{CUSTOMER_LABELS}} - JSON array of quarter labels
• {{CUSTOMER_DATA}} - JSON array of customer counts
• {{PROJECTION_LABELS}} - JSON array of year labels
• {{PROJECTION_DATA}} - JSON array of ARR projections
• {{FUNDS_LABELS}} - JSON array of fund category names
• {{FUNDS_DATA}} - JSON array of fund percentages

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STEP 1: Detect Previous Context

Ideal Context (All Present):

• problem-validation-study → Problem statement, customer pain points
• customer-persona-builder → Target customer, market size
• product-positioning-expert → Unique value proposition, differentiation
• competitive-intelligence → Competitive landscape, competitive advantages
• revenue-model-builder → Business model, unit economics, pricing
• metrics-dashboard-designer → Traction metrics, KPIs, growth rate
• go-to-market-planner → GTM strategy, customer acquisition
• financial-model-architect → Financial projections, runway, ask amount

Partial Context (Some Present):

• problem-validation-study → Problem definition available
• revenue-model-builder → Business model available
• metrics-dashboard-designer → Traction data available

No Context:

• None of the above skills were run

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STEP 2: Context-Adaptive Introduction

If Ideal Context:

I found outputs from problem-validation-study, customer-persona-builder, product-positioning-expert, competitive-intelligence, revenue-model-builder, metrics-dashboard-designer, go-to-market-planner, and financial-model-architect.

I can reuse:

• Problem statement ([X])
• Target customer ([Y])
• Value proposition ([Z])
• Competitive landscape (competitors: [A, B, C])
• Business model (revenue streams, pricing, unit economics)
• Traction metrics (MRR: [$X], growth: [Y% MoM], customers: [Z])
• GTM strategy (channels, CAC, LTV)
• Financial projections (revenue forecast, burn rate, runway)

Proceed with this data? [Yes/Start Fresh]

If Partial Context:

I found outputs from some upstream skills: [list which ones].

I can reuse: [list specific data available]

Proceed with this data, or start fresh?

If No Context:

No previous context detected.

I'll guide you through building your investor pitch deck from the ground up.

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STEP 3: Questions (One at a Time, Sequential)

Pitch Deck Basics

Question PDB1: What round are you raising?

Fundraising Stage:

• ☐ Pre-Seed ($250K - $1M) — idea to MVP, finding product-market fit
• ☐ Seed ($1M - $5M) — product-market fit, scaling early traction
• ☐ Series A ($5M - $15M) — proven business model, scaling GTM
• ☐ Series B ($15M - $50M) — scaling operations, expanding markets
• ☐ Series C+ ($50M+) — mature company, aggressive growth or M&A

Your Round: [e.g., "Seed — raising $2.5M"]

Your Ask:

• Amount Raising: [e.g., "$2.5M"]
• Valuation (if applicable): [e.g., "$10M post-money valuation"]
• Use of Funds: [What will you use the money for? e.g., "60% product, 30% GTM, 10% ops"]

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Question PDB2: What is your fundraising narrative?

The Story Arc (every great pitch follows this structure):

1. Problem: The world has a problem (customer pain point)
2. Solution: You've built something that solves it (product/service)
3. Market: The opportunity is huge (TAM, SAM, SOM)
4. Traction: You've proven it works (metrics, customers, revenue)
5. Vision: You're going to win (competitive advantage, team, roadmap)
6. Ask: You need capital to accelerate (how much, what for)

Your 1-Sentence Pitch (the "elevator pitch"):

• [e.g., "We're building the Stripe for construction, enabling $10T in transactions annually"]

Your 3-Sentence Pitch (the "Twitter pitch"):

• Problem: [e.g., "Construction companies waste 30% of project budgets on manual processes"]
• Solution: [e.g., "We automate procurement, invoicing, and payments in one platform"]
• Traction: [e.g., "We've processed $50M in transactions for 200+ contractors in 12 months"]

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Slide-by-Slide Content

Question S1: TITLE SLIDE — What is your company tagline?

Title Slide Elements:

• Company Name: [Your company name]
• Tagline: [One sentence — what you do, for whom]
  • Example: "Stripe for construction" or "Figma for data teams"
• Contact: [Your name, title, email]
• Round: [e.g., "Seed Round — $2.5M"]

Your Tagline: [e.g., "The operating system for construction teams"]

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Question S2: PROBLEM SLIDE — What problem are you solving?

Problem Statement (3-5 bullet points):

• Keep it customer-centric (not "the market lacks X", but "customers struggle with X")
• Use concrete examples, stats, or quotes
• Show pain intensity (time wasted, money lost, frustration)

Example:

• "Construction companies waste 30% of project budgets on manual processes"
• "Project managers spend 10+ hours/week chasing invoices and approvals"
• "Payment delays cause cash flow issues for 70% of subcontractors"

Your Problem Statement (3-5 bullets):

1. [Problem 1] — [stat or quote]
2. [Problem 2] — [stat or quote]
3. [Problem 3] — [stat or quote]

Visual (if available):

• Photo of frustrated customer
• Chart showing cost/time waste
• Quote from customer interview

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Question S3: SOLUTION SLIDE — What is your solution?

Solution Statement (2-3 sentences):

• How do you solve the problem?
• What is your product/service?
• What makes it different/better?

Example:

• "BuildFlow automates procurement, invoicing, and payments for construction teams in one platform"
• "Contractors save 10+ hours/week and reduce payment delays by 80%"

Your Solution Statement:

• [2-3 sentences describing your product/service and impact]

Visual (critical for this slide):

• Product screenshot
• Product demo video (embedded or link)
• Before/After comparison

Key Features (3-5 bullet points):

1. [Feature 1] — [What it does, why it matters]
2. [Feature 2] — [What it does, why it matters]
3. [Feature 3] — [What it does, why it matters]

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Question S4: MARKET OPPORTUNITY — How big is the market?

Market Sizing (TAM, SAM, SOM):

• TAM (Total Addressable Market): Total market demand for your solution (if everyone in the world who could use it, did use it)

  • Example: "Construction industry = $10T global market"

• SAM (Serviceable Available Market): Portion of TAM you can realistically target with your product/service

  • Example: "U.S. commercial construction = $800B"

• SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): Portion of SAM you can realistically capture in the next 3-5 years

  • Example: "Targeting 5% of U.S. commercial construction = $40B"

Your Market Sizing:

• TAM: [e.g., "$10T global construction market"]
• SAM: [e.g., "$800B U.S. commercial construction"]
• SOM: [e.g., "$40B (5% of SAM) over next 5 years"]

Market Trends (2-3 bullet points):

• What tailwinds support your business? (e.g., "Digital transformation in construction accelerating post-COVID")
• [Trend 1]
• [Trend 2]

Visual: Concentric circles (TAM → SAM → SOM) or bar chart

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Question S5: BUSINESS MODEL — How do you make money?

Revenue Model (1-2 sentences + pricing table):

Your Revenue Streams (choose 1-3):

• ☐ Subscription (SaaS): Monthly/annual recurring revenue
• ☐ Transaction Fee: % of GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)
• ☐ Marketplace: Commission on transactions
• ☐ Licensing: Per-user or per-deployment fee
• ☐ Freemium: Free tier + paid upgrades
• ☐ Usage-Based: Pay-per-API call, per-GB, etc.
• ☐ Services: Professional services, implementation, training

Your Primary Revenue Model: [e.g., "Subscription (SaaS) — $99/mo per user"]

Pricing Table (if applicable):

Plan	Price	Target Customer
Starter	$99/mo	Solo contractors
Pro	$299/mo	Small teams (5-20)
Enterprise	Custom	Large firms (50+)

Unit Economics (critical for investors):

• ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): [$X/month]
• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): [$X]
• LTV (Customer Lifetime Value): [$X]
• LTV:CAC Ratio: [X:1 — target 3:1 or higher]
• Gross Margin: [X% — target 70%+ for SaaS]
• Payback Period: [X months — target <12 months]

Your Unit Economics:

• ARPU: [$X]
• CAC: [$X]
• LTV: [$X]
• LTV:CAC: [X:1]
• Gross Margin: [X%]

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Question S6: TRACTION SLIDE — What have you achieved so far?

Traction = Proof that your business is working (the most important slide for investors)

Traction Metrics (choose 3-5 that best demonstrate growth):

For Early-Stage (Pre-Seed, Seed):

• ☐ Revenue: MRR, ARR (e.g., "$50K MRR, 20% MoM growth")
• ☐ Customers: # of paying customers (e.g., "200 paying customers")
• ☐ User Growth: # of users, signups, activations (e.g., "5,000 users, 40% MoM growth")
• ☐ Product Metrics: DAU, WAU, MAU, retention (e.g., "D30 retention: 50%")
• ☐ GMV (for marketplaces): Gross Merchandise Value (e.g., "$50M GMV processed")
• ☐ Pilots/LOIs: Signed pilots or letters of intent (e.g., "10 enterprise pilots signed")

For Growth-Stage (Series A+):

• ☐ Revenue Growth: MRR/ARR growth chart (e.g., "ARR: $5M → $10M in 12 months")
• ☐ Customer Growth: Logo count (e.g., "500 → 1,200 customers in 12 months")
• ☐ Net Revenue Retention: NRR (e.g., "120% NRR — customers expanding")
• ☐ Market Share: % of target market captured (e.g., "5% market share in U.S.")

Your Traction Metrics (choose 3-5):

1. [Metric 1] — [Value + growth rate]
2. [Metric 2] — [Value + growth rate]
3. [Metric 3] — [Value + growth rate]

Visual (critical):

• "Hockey stick" chart (revenue, users, or GMV over time)
• Cohort retention curve (if strong retention)
• Logo wall (if you have recognizable customers)

Milestones (recent achievements — 3-5 bullets):

• [Milestone 1] — e.g., "Launched product in Q1 2024"
• [Milestone 2] — e.g., "Hit $100K MRR in Q3 2024"
• [Milestone 3] — e.g., "Signed first Fortune 500 customer in Q4 2024"

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Question S7: PRODUCT DEMO — How will you show your product?

Product Demo Options:

• ☐ Live Demo (during pitch — risky but impressive if it works)
• ☐ Video Demo (2-3 minutes — embedded in deck or link)
• ☐ Screenshots (3-5 key screens showing core workflows)
• ☐ Interactive Prototype (Figma, InVision link)
• ☐ No Demo (if product is too complex or too early)

Your Demo Approach: [Choose one]

Key Screenshots (if using screenshots — 3-5):

1. [Screen 1] — [What it shows — e.g., "Dashboard: Real-time project overview"]
2. [Screen 2] — [What it shows — e.g., "Invoicing: One-click payment approvals"]
3. [Screen 3] — [What it shows — e.g., "Analytics: Budget tracking and forecasting"]

Demo Talking Points (what to highlight — 3-5):

1. [Point 1] — e.g., "10x faster than manual spreadsheets"
2. [Point 2] — e.g., "Real-time collaboration for distributed teams"
3. [Point 3] — e.g., "Mobile-first for on-site usage"

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Question S8: COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE — Who are your competitors?

Competitive Positioning (show 2-4 competitors + you):

Competitor 1: [Name — e.g., "Procore"]

• Strengths: [e.g., "Market leader, enterprise-focused"]
• Weaknesses: [e.g., "Expensive, complex, legacy UI"]

Competitor 2: [Name — e.g., "Buildertrend"]

• Strengths: [e.g., "Popular with residential builders"]
• Weaknesses: [e.g., "Limited features for commercial construction"]

Competitor 3: [Name — e.g., "Manual spreadsheets + QuickBooks"]

• Strengths: [e.g., "Familiar, low cost"]
• Weaknesses: [e.g., "Error-prone, time-consuming, no real-time collaboration"]

Your Company:

• Competitive Advantages (why you win — 3-5 bullets):
  1. [Advantage 1] — e.g., "10x faster implementation (days vs. months)"
  2. [Advantage 2] — e.g., "50% cheaper than incumbents"
  3. [Advantage 3] — e.g., "Mobile-first design for on-site teams"

Visual: 2x2 Matrix (plot you + competitors on two axes)

• Example axes: "Price" (low → high) vs. "Ease of Use" (hard → easy)
• You should be in the top-left or bottom-right (differentiated position)

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Question S9: GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY — How do you acquire customers?

GTM Strategy (2-3 primary channels):

Your Channels (choose 2-4):

• ☐ Outbound Sales (cold email, cold calls, LinkedIn outreach)
• ☐ Inbound Marketing (content, SEO, paid ads)
• ☐ Product-Led Growth (free trial, freemium, viral loops)
• ☐ Partnerships (integrations, resellers, channel partners)
• ☐ Community / Word-of-Mouth (referrals, user communities)
• ☐ Events / Trade Shows (industry conferences, demos)

Your Primary GTM Channels (rank by importance):

1. [Channel 1] — [e.g., "Outbound sales to commercial contractors"]
2. [Channel 2] — [e.g., "Inbound marketing via content (SEO, case studies)"]
3. [Channel 3] — [e.g., "Partnerships with construction software companies"]

GTM Metrics:

• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): [$X]
• Sales Cycle: [X days/weeks/months]
• Conversion Rate: [X% from lead to customer]
• Payback Period: [X months]

Customer Acquisition Roadmap (next 12 months):

• Q1: [Goal — e.g., "Launch outbound sales team (2 AEs, 1 SDR)"]
• Q2: [Goal — e.g., "Launch SEO content strategy (50 articles)"]
• Q3: [Goal — e.g., "Sign 3 channel partnerships"]
• Q4: [Goal — e.g., "Hit $1M ARR"]

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Question S10: TEAM SLIDE — Who is building this?

Team Members (3-6 people — founders + key hires):

Founder 1: [Name]

• Title: [e.g., "CEO & Co-Founder"]
• Background: [One sentence — previous company, relevant experience]
  • Example: "Former VP Product at Stripe, built payments platform to $10B GMV"
• Why this person?: [What makes them uniquely qualified?]

Founder 2: [Name]

• Title: [e.g., "CTO & Co-Founder"]
• Background: [One sentence]
  • Example: "Former Engineering Lead at Uber, scaled team from 5 to 50 engineers"
• Why this person?: [What makes them uniquely qualified?]

Key Hire 1: [Name — if applicable]

• Title: [e.g., "Head of Sales"]
• Background: [One sentence]
  • Example: "Former VP Sales at Salesforce, closed $50M+ in ARR"

Your Team:

1. [Founder 1] — [Name, Title, Background, Why]
2. [Founder 2] — [Name, Title, Background, Why]
3. [Key Hire 1] — [Name, Title, Background, Why]

Advisors / Investors (if you have notable ones):

• [Advisor 1] — [e.g., "Former CEO of [Company], now advising on GTM"]
• [Investor 1] — [e.g., "Sequoia Capital (Seed investor)"]

Visual: Headshots + LinkedIn logos (past companies)

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Question S11: FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS — What are your financial projections?

Financial Projections (next 3-5 years):

Metric	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028
Revenue (ARR)	$500K	$2M	$8M	$20M	$50M
Customers	200	600	2K	5K	10K
Gross Margin	60%	70%	75%	78%	80%
Burn Rate (monthly)	$100K	$200K	$300K	$400K	—
Headcount	10	25	60	120	200

Key Assumptions (3-5 bullets explaining your projections):

1. [Assumption 1] — e.g., "Average customer spends $300/month"
2. [Assumption 2] — e.g., "CAC of $1,000, 12-month payback period"
3. [Assumption 3] — e.g., "80% annual retention, 120% net revenue retention"

Your Projections (fill in table above based on financial model)

Path to Profitability:

• When will you be cash-flow positive? [e.g., "Q4 2026"]
• When will you be profitable? [e.g., "2027"]

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Question S12: THE ASK — What are you raising and what for?

The Ask (be specific):

Amount Raising: [e.g., "$2.5M Seed Round"]

Use of Funds (breakdown by category):

Category	% of Funds	$ Amount	What For
Product/Engineering	50%	$1.25M	Hire 5 engineers, ship features X, Y, Z
Sales & Marketing	35%	$875K	Hire 3 AEs, 2 SDRs, launch paid marketing
Operations	10%	$250K	Hire COO, finance/legal, ops infrastructure
Runway/Buffer	5%	$125K	6-month buffer

Milestones (what will you achieve with this capital — next 12-18 months):

1. [Milestone 1] — e.g., "Hit $2M ARR (4x growth)"
2. [Milestone 2] — e.g., "Expand from 200 → 1,000 customers"
3. [Milestone 3] — e.g., "Launch enterprise tier and sign 10 enterprise customers"
4. [Milestone 4] — e.g., "Build out GTM team (10 → 25 headcount)"

Runway (how long will this funding last?):

• [e.g., "18 months runway to Series A"]

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Question S13: APPENDIX — What supporting slides will you include?

Appendix Slides (optional slides for Q&A or follow-up):

Common appendix slides:

• ☐ Customer Testimonials / Case Studies
• ☐ Product Roadmap (next 12 months)
• ☐ Detailed Financial Model (5-year P&L, cash flow)
• ☐ Market Research / Customer Validation (surveys, interviews)
• ☐ Competitive Analysis Deep Dive (feature comparison table)
• ☐ Go-to-Market Deep Dive (channel strategy, sales playbook)
• ☐ Technology / IP (architecture, patents, defensibility)
• ☐ Team Bios (extended backgrounds, advisors)
• ☐ Press / Media Coverage (articles, awards)

Your Appendix Slides (choose 3-5):

1. [Slide 1] — e.g., "Customer testimonials from 3 enterprise customers"
2. [Slide 2] — e.g., "12-month product roadmap"
3. [Slide 3] — e.g., "Detailed 5-year financial model"

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Pitch Deck Design & Storytelling

Question PDD1: What is your deck design approach?

Design Principles:

1. Simple & Clean: Minimal text, lots of white space, large fonts
2. Visual-First: Use charts, screenshots, photos (not walls of text)
3. Consistent Branding: Use your brand colors, fonts, logo throughout
4. One Idea Per Slide: Each slide should have one clear message

Design Tool:

• ☐ Google Slides (simple, collaborative, free)
• ☐ PowerPoint (professional, widely used)
• ☐ Keynote (Apple, best for design)
• ☐ Pitch (modern, built for pitch decks)
• ☐ Canva (templates, easy design)
• ☐ Custom (designer-made, fully branded)

Your Tool: [Choose one]

Template or Custom:

• ☐ Use template (e.g., Sequoia pitch deck template, YC pitch deck template)
• ☐ Custom design (hire designer, fully branded)

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Question PDD2: How will you structure your narrative?

Narrative Arc (the story flow of your pitch):

1. Hook (Title + Problem): Grab attention with a bold claim or surprising stat
2. Setup (Problem + Market): Establish the pain and opportunity
3. Solution (Solution + Product): Introduce your product as the hero
4. Proof (Traction + Business Model): Show it's working
5. Vision (Competitive + GTM + Team): Show you'll win
6. Ask (Financials + Ask): Close with the opportunity to join you

Storytelling Tips:

• Start with a personal story (why did you start this company?)
• Use customer stories (real examples of impact)
• Show, don't tell (use visuals, demos, not text)
• End with a clear ask (don't make investors guess)

Your Opening Hook (first 30 seconds):

• [What will you say to grab attention? e.g., "Construction is a $10T industry that still runs on spreadsheets and paper. We're changing that."]

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Implementation Roadmap

Question IR1: What is your pitch deck creation timeline?

Phase 1: Content (Week 1)

• Day 1-2: Gather data from upstream skills (problem, solution, market, traction, etc.)
• Day 3-4: Draft slide-by-slide content (bullet points, no design yet)
• Day 5: Review with co-founder/team, refine content

Phase 2: Design (Week 2)

• Day 1-2: Choose design tool and template (or hire designer)
• Day 3-4: Design slides (apply brand, add visuals, create charts)
• Day 5: Review with co-founder/team, refine design

Phase 3: Practice (Week 3)

• Day 1-2: Practice pitch with team (aim for 10-15 minutes)
• Day 3: Get feedback from advisors/mentors
• Day 4: Refine deck based on feedback
• Day 5: Final practice (record yourself, time yourself)

Phase 4: Send & Pitch (Week 4+)

• Week 4: Send deck to investors, book intro meetings
• Week 5+: Pitch investors, iterate based on questions/feedback

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STEP 4: Generate Comprehensive Investor Pitch Deck

You will now receive a comprehensive document covering:

Section 1: Executive Summary

• Fundraising round and ask (e.g., "Seed — $2.5M")
• One-sentence pitch (elevator pitch)
• Three-sentence pitch (problem, solution, traction)
• Use of funds breakdown (product, GTM, ops)

Section 2: Slide-by-Slide Content

Slide 1: Title (company name, tagline, round, contact) Slide 2: Problem (3-5 customer pain points with stats/quotes) Slide 3: Solution (product description, key features, screenshots) Slide 4: Market Opportunity (TAM, SAM, SOM, market trends) Slide 5: Business Model (revenue streams, pricing, unit economics) Slide 6: Traction (key metrics, hockey stick chart, milestones) Slide 7: Product Demo (screenshots or video link) Slide 8: Competitive Landscape (2x2 matrix, competitive advantages) Slide 9: Go-to-Market (channels, CAC, sales cycle, roadmap) Slide 10: Team (founders, key hires, advisors, backgrounds) Slide 11: Financials (5-year projections, assumptions, path to profitability) Slide 12: The Ask (amount, use of funds, milestones, runway) Slide 13+: Appendix (testimonials, roadmap, detailed financials)

Section 3: Design & Storytelling

• Design principles (simple, visual-first, consistent, one idea per slide)
• Design tool and template choice
• Narrative arc (hook, setup, solution, proof, vision, ask)
• Opening hook (first 30 seconds)
• Storytelling tips (personal story, customer stories, show don't tell)

Section 4: Practice & Delivery

• Practice schedule (Week 1: Content, Week 2: Design, Week 3: Practice)
• Pitch timing (10-15 minutes for deck, 5-10 minutes for Q&A)
• Common investor questions and answers
• Follow-up materials (send deck, exec summary, data room access)

Section 5: Investor Outreach Strategy

• Target investor list (20-50 investors aligned with stage, sector, geography)
• Warm intro strategy (leverage network, mutual connections, advisors)
• Cold outreach (email template for cold outreach)
• Meeting progression (intro meeting → partner meeting → due diligence → term sheet)

Section 6: Next Steps

• Finalize deck this week
• Practice pitch with 3 advisors
• Build target investor list (20-50 names)
• Start outreach next week

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STEP 5: Quality Review & Iteration

After generating the strategy, I will ask:

Quality Check:

1. Does the deck tell a compelling story (problem → solution → traction → vision → ask)?
2. Is the traction slide strong (hockey stick chart, clear metrics)?
3. Are unit economics healthy (LTV:CAC > 3:1, gross margin > 70%)?
4. Is the ask clear (amount, use of funds, milestones)?
5. Is the design clean and visual (not text-heavy)?
6. Can you pitch this deck in 10-15 minutes?

Iterate? [Yes — refine X / No — finalize]

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STEP 6: Save & Next Steps

Once finalized, I will:

1. Save the investor pitch deck content to your project folder
2. Suggest running financial-model-architect next (to build detailed financial projections)
3. Remind you to practice your pitch with advisors before investor meetings

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8 Critical Guidelines for This Skill

1. Traction is the most important slide: Investors bet on momentum. Show clear, undeniable growth (hockey stick chart).

2. Problem > Solution: Spend more time on the problem than the solution. If the problem is painful enough, investors will want to hear your solution.

3. Show, don't tell: Use visuals (charts, screenshots, photos) instead of text. Investors want to see, not read.

4. Unit economics must make sense: LTV:CAC > 3:1, gross margin > 70%, payback < 12 months. If your economics don't work, fix them before fundraising.

5. Be specific with the ask: Don't say "raising $2-5M". Say "raising $2.5M at $10M post-money valuation for 18 months runway."

6. Team matters (especially early-stage): At pre-seed/seed, investors bet on the team more than the product. Show why you're uniquely qualified to win.

7. Pitch in 10-15 minutes: Investors have short attention spans. Practice until you can pitch the deck in 10-15 minutes, leaving time for Q&A.

8. Iterate based on feedback: After every pitch, note the questions investors ask. Update your deck to address those questions proactively.

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Quality Checklist (Before Finalizing)

• Deck tells a clear story (problem → solution → market → traction → vision → ask)
• Problem slide has 3-5 specific customer pain points with stats/quotes
• Solution slide has product screenshots or demo video
• Market slide has TAM, SAM, SOM with sources
• Business model slide has unit economics (ARPU, CAC, LTV, LTV:CAC, gross margin)
• Traction slide has hockey stick chart with 3-5 key metrics
• Competitive slide has 2x2 matrix showing differentiation
• Team slide has founders + key hires with relevant backgrounds
• Financial slide has 3-5 year projections with key assumptions
• Ask slide is specific (amount, use of funds, milestones, runway)
• Design is clean and visual (not text-heavy)
• Deck can be pitched in 10-15 minutes

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Integration with Other Skills

Upstream Skills (reuse data from):

• problem-validation-study → Problem statement, customer pain points, quotes
• customer-persona-builder → Target customer, market size (TAM/SAM/SOM)
• product-positioning-expert → Unique value proposition, differentiation, competitive advantages
• competitive-intelligence → Competitive landscape, competitor strengths/weaknesses
• revenue-model-builder → Business model, pricing, unit economics (ARPU, CAC, LTV, margins)
• metrics-dashboard-designer → Traction metrics (MRR, growth rate, retention, NPS)
• go-to-market-planner → GTM strategy, channels, customer acquisition roadmap
• financial-model-architect → Financial projections, burn rate, runway, path to profitability
• team → Founder backgrounds, key hires, advisors

Downstream Skills (use this data in):

• financial-model-architect → Detailed 5-year financial model for appendix
• investor-brief-writer → Executive summary for email outreach
• fundraising-strategy-planner → Investor outreach strategy, meeting progression
• operational-playbook-creator → Use of funds breakdown informs hiring and ops plan

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HTML Editorial Template Reference

CRITICAL: When generating HTML output, you MUST read and follow the skeleton template files AND the verification checklist to maintain StratArts brand consistency.

Template Files to Read (IN ORDER)

1. Verification Checklist (MUST READ FIRST):

   html-templates/VERIFICATION-CHECKLIST.md
   

2. Base Template (shared structure):

   html-templates/base-template.html
   

3. Skill-Specific Template (content sections & charts):

   html-templates/investor-pitch-deck-builder.html
   

How to Use Templates

1. Read VERIFICATION-CHECKLIST.md first - contains canonical CSS patterns that MUST be copied exactly
2. Read base-template.html - contains all shared CSS, layout structure, and Chart.js configuration
3. Read investor-pitch-deck-builder.html - contains skill-specific content sections, CSS extensions, and chart scripts
4. Replace all {{PLACEHOLDER}} markers with actual analysis data
5. Merge the skill-specific CSS into {{SKILL_SPECIFIC_CSS}}
6. Merge the content sections into {{CONTENT_SECTIONS}}
7. Merge the chart scripts into {{CHART_SCRIPTS}}

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HTML Output Verification

Before delivering the HTML report, verify:

Structure Verification

• Header follows canonical StratArts pattern with skill name and timestamp
• Score banner displays 6 key metrics (Raise, Valuation, MRR, TAM, Slides, Pitch Time)
• All 10 sections present with proper content
• Footer includes StratArts branding and regeneration guidance

Chart Verification (4 Charts Required)

• Revenue Growth Chart (Line) - MRR hockey stick over 12 months
• Customer Growth Chart (Bar) - Quarterly customer count
• 5-Year Projection Chart (Bar) - ARR by year
• Use of Funds Chart (Doughnut) - Fund allocation breakdown

Content Verification

• Executive summary covers pitch, ask, why now, milestones
• Slide overview shows all 12 slide thumbnails with titles
• Key slides have detailed content (problem, solution, traction at minimum)
• Traction metrics show 4 key metrics with growth indicators
• Competitive matrix is 2x2 with company in differentiated quadrant
• Team section includes 3 founders/key hires with bios
• Financial table shows 5-year projections (ARR, customers, margin, headcount)
• Use of funds breakdown totals 100% with descriptions
• Design section covers principles, narrative arc, opening hook, timeline

Visual Verification

• Dark theme applied (#0a0a0a background, #1a1a1a containers)
• Emerald accent (#10b981) used consistently
• Slide preview cards have proper 16:9 aspect ratio
• Charts render correctly with Chart.js v4.4.0
• All sections have proper spacing and visual hierarchy

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End of Skill