--- name: investor-pitch-deck-builder description: Create a compelling 10-15 slide investor pitch deck that tells your startup story, demonstrates market opportunity, proves traction, and makes a clear ask. Build a deck that gets meetings, progresses conversations, and closes rounds. version: 1.0.0 category: fundraising-operations --- # 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. --- ## 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 --- ## 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 --- ## 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. --- ## 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"] --- **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"] --- ### 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"] --- **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 --- **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] --- **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 --- **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%] --- **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" --- **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" --- **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) --- **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"] --- **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) --- **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"] --- **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"] --- **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" --- ### 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) --- **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."] --- ### 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 --- ## 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 --- ## 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] --- ## 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 --- ## 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. --- ## 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 --- ## 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 --- ## 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}}` --- ## 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 --- **End of Skill**