Pitch Deck Creator for EdTech Startups

Overview

Transform content-heavy pitch materials into visually compelling, narrative-driven pitch decks. This skill guides EdTech startup founders through collaborative content refinement, wireframe validation, professional design generation, and hybrid deck creation (PowerPoint + Google Slides).

Target User: EdTech startup founders with written pitch content who need help with structure, narrative flow, and visual design.

Core Value: Combines storytelling expertise with graphic design principles to maximize investor impact.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

•User asks to "create a pitch deck" or "design a presentation"
•User has pitch content but needs help with structure and visual design
•User mentions they don't know how to make content visually appealing
•User wants to refine existing pitch materials for investors
•User says they have content but struggle with narrative flow

Trigger phrases: "create pitch deck," "design presentation," "make slides," "help with my pitch"

Prerequisites

Required from user:

•Content markdown file structured by slide topics (similar to Harry_Llama_Pitch_Deck_Content.md format)
•Each slide should have: slide number, title, and content organized by section

Resource locations:

•Best practices: /pitch_deck_skill/ (articles, examples, design principles)
•Example decks: examples/ (visual reference images relative to skill directory)
•Output directory: ./pitch_deck_output/ (will be created in working directory)

The 7-Phase Process

Phase 1: Discovery & Setup

Goal: Gather requirements and understand user's needs.

Actions:

•
Ask user for content markdown file path
•
Use AskUserQuestion tool to gather:
- •Purpose: Investor pitch | Customer pitch | Partnership pitch | Internal pitch
- •Target Audience: VCs | Angels | Strategic investors | Corporate partners
- •Tone: Bold/aggressive | Professional/measured | Visionary/aspirational | Data-driven/analytical
- •Format Preference: PowerPoint | Google Slides | Both
- •Brand Assets: Colors (hex codes), Fonts (names), Logo location
•
Use Read tool to load:
- •User's content markdown file
- •Best practices resource: resources.md (from skill directory)
- •2-3 example pitch deck images from examples/ folder (use Read tool to view visual design patterns)
- •1-2 HTML template examples from templates folder for reference
•
Use TodoWrite to create checklist:
- • Content analysis and collaborative editing
- • Text wireframes generation
- • ASCII wireframes confirmation
- • HTML slides generation
- • Visual preview and iteration
- • PowerPoint creation
- • Google Slides creation (if requested)

Output: Complete understanding of requirements + loaded resources.

Phase 2: Content Analysis & Collaborative Editing

Goal: Refine content for maximum narrative impact through collaborative editing.

Analysis Criteria: Evaluate content against EdTech pitch deck best practices:

•Narrative flow: Story builds logically (Problem → Solution → Market → Why Us)
•Clarity: Each point immediately understandable (no jargon, concrete examples)
•Emotional impact: Connects with investor motivations (FOMO, vision, urgency)
•Data balance: Right mix of numbers and story (not too dry, not too fluffy)
•Slide economy: Can any slides be combined/removed? (10-20 slides ideal)
•Audience alignment: Tone matches investor expectations (confident but honest)

Analysis Process:

•
Read through ALL slide content
•
Identify issues per slide:
- •Redundant points
- •Unclear messaging
- •Missing emotional hooks
- •Too much/too little data
- •Poor narrative transitions
- •Weak value propositions
•
Prioritize by impact: HIGH (narrative/clarity) > MEDIUM (emotional/data) > LOW (polish)

Edit Presentation Format: For each proposed change, show:

code

═══════════════════════════════════════════════
SLIDE X: [Slide Title]
SECTION: [Which part of the slide]

CURRENT:
[Original text]

PROPOSED:
[Edited text]

RATIONALE:
[Why this change improves the pitch - specific principle applied]

IMPACT: [High/Medium/Low] - [Narrative/Clarity/Emotional/Data]
═══════════════════════════════════════════════

Presentation Strategy:

•Present 3-5 edits at a time (don't overwhelm)
•Start with HIGH impact changes first
•After each batch, ask: "Approve all | Approve some | Reject all | Suggest alternative"
•If "Approve some": Present each edit individually for Accept/Reject decision
•If "Suggest alternative": Listen to user's direction, regenerate proposals

Editing Guidelines:

•Preserve founder's voice - Don't make it sound generic
•Respect data integrity - Never change numbers without explicit approval
•Flag assumptions - If proposing content not in original, clearly mark as [SUGGESTED ADDITION]
•Prioritize high-impact - Show most important changes first
•Show before/after - Make it easy to compare

Collaborative Loop:

•Present batch of edits
•Gather user decisions
•Apply approved changes
•Present next batch
•Repeat until all slides reviewed

Output:

•Refined content markdown with all approved edits applied
•Use Write tool to save: ./pitch_deck_output/content_refined.md
•Mark Phase 2 todo as complete

Phase 3: Text Wireframes

Goal: Define slide layouts in text form before visual design.

For each slide, describe:

•Layout structure: Header placement, content zones (left/right/center), footer
•Content organization: How many sections, how points are grouped
•Visual emphasis: Which elements are primary/secondary/tertiary
•Special elements: Stats callout boxes, charts, images, tables

Text Wireframe Format:

code

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
SLIDE X: [Title]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

LAYOUT TYPE: [Full-bleed header | Split-screen | Centered | Grid]

HEADER ZONE:
- Background: [Brand color]
- Title: [Large, bold, brand accent color]
- Position: [Top-left | Centered | Top-banner]

CONTENT ZONE:
- Organization: [3-column | Left-text-right-visual | Bullet list | Cards]
- Primary element: [Main headline or key stat]
- Secondary elements: [Supporting points]
- Emphasis: [Callout box | Color highlight | Size variation]

SPECIAL ELEMENTS:
- [Stats callout box bottom-right]
- [Chart placeholder center]
- [Icon grid for features]

FOOTER:
- [Logo left | Page number right]

WHITESPACE: [~35% of slide]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Validation: After presenting all text wireframes, ask: "Do these layouts support the narrative flow? Any slides that need restructuring?"

If user requests changes, update wireframes before proceeding.

Output:

•Text wireframe descriptions for all slides
•Use Write tool to save: ./pitch_deck_output/wireframes_text.md
•Mark Phase 3 todo as complete

Phase 4: ASCII Wireframes

Goal: Show spatial relationships and visual hierarchy before committing to code.

ASCII Wireframe Format:

code

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                         SLIDE X: [TITLE]                      ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ║
║ │                     [HEADER BANNER]                       │ ║
║ │            ████████ SLIDE TITLE ████████                  │ ║
║ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ║
║                                                               ║
║  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐         ║
║  │   POINT 1   │  │   POINT 2   │  │   POINT 3   │         ║
║  │             │  │             │  │             │         ║
║  │ • Detail    │  │ • Detail    │  │ • Detail    │         ║
║  │ • Detail    │  │ • Detail    │  │ • Detail    │         ║
║  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘         ║
║                                                               ║
║                                     ┌──────────────────┐     ║
║                                     │ ▓▓ STAT CALLOUT  │     ║
║                                     │ 114 hours/year   │     ║
║                                     │ $5,800+ wasted   │     ║
║                                     └──────────────────┘     ║
║ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ║
║ [Logo]                                         Page X of Y   ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Visual Elements Key:

•████ = Primary emphasis (titles, headers)
•▓▓ = Secondary emphasis (stats, callouts)
•│─┐┘┌└ = Boxes/containers
•╔═╗╚╝║ = Slide borders
•Spacing = Whitespace (critical for readability)

Create ASCII wireframes for:

•All slides from Phase 3
•Show spatial relationships clearly
•Indicate relative sizing (bigger boxes = more emphasis)
•Demonstrate whitespace distribution

Presentation: Present 3-4 wireframes at a time with brief explanation of design rationale.

Validation: After showing all ASCII wireframes: "Do these visual layouts work for you? Any slides need adjustment before we code them?"

If changes needed, regenerate specific wireframes.

Output:

•ASCII wireframes for all slides
•Use Write tool to save: ./pitch_deck_output/wireframes_ascii.txt
•Mark Phase 4 todo as complete

Phase 5: HTML Slide Generation

Goal: Create professional HTML slides with proper styling and brand application.

Visual Design Reference: Before generating HTML, review example pitch deck images from examples/ folder to understand:

•Professional slide layouts and spacing
•Effective use of visual hierarchy
•Color palette application
•Balance between text and visuals
•Modern design patterns for investor decks

Design Principles Application:

Visual Hierarchy:

•Titles: 36-54pt, bold, brand primary color
•Headings: 24-30pt, bold, dark neutral
•Body text: 14-18pt, regular weight, high contrast
•Captions/Stats: 12-16pt, accent color for emphasis

Layout Principles:

•Whitespace: 30-40% of slide should be empty (breathing room)
•Alignment: Consistent grid system (left-align text blocks, center hero content)
•Contrast: High contrast for readability (dark text on light background, or vice versa)
•Focal point: One primary element per slide (eye knows where to look first)
•Color psychology: Brand colors reinforce identity, accent colors guide attention

EdTech-Specific Design:

•Problem slides: Contrasting colors to show pain (reds/oranges for urgency)
•Solution slides: Calm, confident colors (blues/greens for trust)
•Data slides: Clean charts, not cluttered tables (visualize numbers)
•Team slides: Professional but approachable (headshots + credentials)

Template Structure: Follow existing HTML template pattern (like slide01_cover.html):

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
html { background: #ffffff; }
body {
  width: 720pt; height: 405pt; margin: 0; padding: 0;
  background: [background-color];
  font-family: [user-specified-font], Arial, sans-serif;
  display: flex;
  /* Layout specific to slide type */
}
/* Slide-specific styles */
</style>
</head>
<body>
<!-- Content structured per wireframe -->
</body>
</html>

Dimensions:

•720pt × 405pt (16:9 aspect ratio)
•Standard presentation size

Generation Process:

•
For each slide:
- •Load approved wireframe
- •Apply refined content
- •Insert user's brand colors
- •Apply design principles
- •Generate clean HTML + CSS
•
Use Write tool to create: ./pitch_deck_output/slideXX_[topic].html
•
Special slide types:
- •Tables: Use proper HTML table markup (competitive analysis, financials)
- •Charts: Create CSS-based visualizations or note placeholders for later insertion
- •Icons: Use unicode symbols or note where custom icons needed

Quality Checks:

•✅ Color contrast meets WCAG AA standards (4.5:1 for text)
•✅ No slide has >100 words (slide economy)
•✅ Font sizes readable at distance (14pt minimum)
•✅ Visual hierarchy clear (title > heading > body obvious)
•✅ Whitespace properly distributed (30-40%)

Output:

•Individual HTML files for each slide: slideXX_[topic].html
•Mark Phase 5 todo as complete

Phase 6: Visual Preview & Iteration

Goal: User reviews designs and requests any adjustments.

Preview Generation:

•Create slide_preview.html showing all slides:

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
.preview-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  gap: 20px;
  padding: 20px;
}
.slide-preview {
  border: 2px solid #ccc;
  background: white;
}
.slide-preview iframe {
  width: 360px;
  height: 202.5px;
  border: none;
}
.slide-label {
  text-align: center;
  padding: 5px;
  background: #f5f5f5;
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="preview-container">
  <!-- iframe for each slide -->
</div>
</body>
</html>

•
Use Write tool to create: ./pitch_deck_output/slide_preview.html
•
Tell user: "Preview file created at: ./pitch_deck_output/slide_preview.html - Open in browser to review all slides"

Iteration Process:

•
Ask: "How do the slides look? Any adjustments needed?"
•
If changes requested:
- •User specifies: "Slide 5 feels cluttered" or "Change color on slide 8"
- •Identify specific issue
- •Regenerate ONLY affected slides
- •Update preview file
- •Show user the changes
•
Repeat until user approves

Common Adjustments:

•Color tweaks (contrast, mood)
•Content spacing (more/less whitespace)
•Font size adjustments
•Layout refinements
•Emphasis changes (what stands out)

Exit Criteria: User explicitly says: "Looks great" | "I approve these designs" | "Let's create the deck"

Output:

•Approved HTML slides ready for conversion
•Mark Phase 6 todo as complete

Phase 7: Final Deck Creation (Hybrid Approach)

Goal: Generate PowerPoint and/or Google Slides from approved HTML designs.

Option A: PowerPoint Creation via Node.js

Prerequisites Check:

•Use Bash to check Node.js installation:

bash

node --version

•Check if dependencies exist:

bash

cd ./pitch_deck_output && ls node_modules 2>/dev/null

•If dependencies missing, install:

bash

cd ./pitch_deck_output && npm init -y && npm install pptxgenjs

Script Generation:

•Copy html2pptx.js converter from template directory:

bash

cp /Users/bmcmanus/Documents/my_docs/portfolio/lucid-north.com/business/pitch_deck_workspace/html2pptx.js ./pitch_deck_output/

•Generate custom create_pitch_deck.js using Write tool:

javascript

const pptxgen = require('pptxgenjs');
const html2pptx = require('./html2pptx.js');

async function createPitchDeck() {
    const pptx = new pptxgen();
    pptx.layout = 'LAYOUT_16x9';
    pptx.author = '[User Name/Company]';
    pptx.title = '[Deck Title]';

    // Slide 1: Cover
    await html2pptx('slide01_cover.html', pptx);

    // Slide 2: Problem
    await html2pptx('slide02_problem.html', pptx);

    // [... add all slides ...]

    // Handle special slides with tables/charts
    // [table generation code if needed]

    // Save presentation
    await pptx.writeFile({ fileName: '[DeckName]_Pitch_Deck.pptx' });
    console.log('Pitch deck created successfully!');
}

createPitchDeck().catch(err => {
    console.error('Error creating pitch deck:', err);
    process.exit(1);
});

•Use Write tool to save: ./pitch_deck_output/create_pitch_deck.js

Execution:

bash

cd ./pitch_deck_output && node create_pitch_deck.js

Validation:

•Check for .pptx file creation
•If errors, troubleshoot dependencies or HTML formatting issues

Output: Tell user: "PowerPoint deck created: ./pitch_deck_output/[DeckName]_Pitch_Deck.pptx"

Option B: Google Slides Creation via API

Prerequisites:

•Check if Google Slides API is available
•Verify user authentication

Process:

•
Create new presentation via API
•
For each HTML slide:
- •Parse HTML structure
- •Extract text content and styling
- •
  Convert to Google Slides API format:
  - •Text boxes with positioning
  - •Shapes for containers
  - •Colors from brand palette
  - •Images (if any)
•
Add slides sequentially
•
Apply master theme if available

API Conversion Logic:

code

HTML element → Slides API element
<h1> → Text box (title style)
<p> → Text box (body style)
<div class="stats-box"> → Shape with fill + text
<ul><li> → Bulleted text box

Authentication Handling:

•If auth fails: Inform user, provide setup instructions
•Fall back to PowerPoint option if Google Slides unavailable

Output:

•Google Slides presentation link
•Share with user: "Google Slides deck created: [link]"

Both Options Workflow:

If user selected "Both formats":

•Generate PowerPoint first (Option A)
•Then generate Google Slides (Option B)
•Provide both outputs to user

Final Deliverables:

•✅ PowerPoint file: ./pitch_deck_output/[DeckName]_Pitch_Deck.pptx
•✅ Google Slides link (if requested)
•✅ All HTML source files (for future edits)
•✅ Preview file (for quick reference)

Mark Phase 7 todo as complete

Error Handling & Common Issues

Issue: Content File Not Structured Correctly

Detection: Missing slide markers like "## SLIDE X:", inconsistent formatting

Solution:

•Show user the expected format:

markdown

## SLIDE 1: COVER SLIDE
**Title:** [Title text]
**Tagline:** [Tagline text]

## SLIDE 2: THE PROBLEM
### [Section Heading]
[Content...]

•Offer to restructure if possible, or ask user to fix and re-run

Issue: Brand Colors Don't Provide Enough Contrast

Detection: Contrast ratio calculation fails WCAG AA standards (<4.5:1)

Solution:

•Calculate contrast ratio between text and background
•
If fails: Suggest adjusted shades
- •Darken text or lighten background
- •Show before/after hex codes
•Preview adjusted colors in one slide
•Get user approval before applying globally

Issue: Too Much Content Per Slide

Detection: Character count >500 per slide, >5 bullet points

Solution:

•Identify overloaded slide
•
Propose splitting into 2 slides with clear flow:
- •Example: "Slide 5 has 8 bullet points. Split into 'Part 1' and 'Part 2'?"
•Show proposed content division
•User approves split

Issue: Node.js Conversion Fails

Detection: Script error, dependency issues, HTML parsing failures

Solution:

•Check error message
•
Common fixes:
- •Install missing dependencies: npm install pptxgenjs
- •Validate HTML (check for unclosed tags)
- •Simplify complex CSS (some styles don't convert)
•
If unfixable: Offer HTML-only fallback
- •User can manually import HTML to PowerPoint
- •Provide instructions for import process

Issue: Google Slides API Authentication Fails

Detection: API returns 401/403 errors

Solution:

•Inform user: "Google Slides API authentication required"
•
Provide setup instructions:
- •Enable Google Slides API in Google Cloud Console
- •Create OAuth credentials
- •Authorize application
•Fall back to PowerPoint option
•Offer to retry after user completes setup

Quality Validation Checklist

Before marking any phase complete, verify:

Content Quality (Phase 2)

•✅ All required slides present (Cover, Problem, Solution, Market, Team, Ask)
•✅ No slide has >5 bullet points (slide economy principle)
•✅ Stats formatted consistently ($5.8K vs $5,800 - pick one style)
•✅ Every claim has supporting evidence or rationale
•✅ Narrative flows logically without gaps
•✅ Tone matches target audience expectations

Design Quality (Phase 5)

•✅ Color contrast meets WCAG AA (4.5:1 minimum)
•✅ Font sizes readable (14pt minimum body text)
•✅ No text-heavy slides (>100 words triggers warning)
•✅ Visual hierarchy clear (title > heading > body obvious)
•✅ Brand colors applied consistently
•✅ Whitespace properly distributed (30-40%)

Technical Quality (Phase 7)

•✅ All HTML files validate (no broken tags)
•✅ CSS renders correctly (test in browser)
•✅ Node.js dependencies installed (if using PowerPoint)
•✅ Output files created successfully
•✅ Files have correct naming convention

Success Metrics

A successful pitch deck creation includes:

•✅ Content refined through collaborative editing (>3 meaningful improvements made)
•✅ Visual designs approved at wireframe stage (no major revisions in HTML phase)
•✅ Final deck generated in requested format(s)
•✅ User can present immediately (no additional work needed)
•✅ Design follows best practices (validated against checklist)
•✅ User expresses satisfaction: "This looks great" or equivalent

Key Principles

Throughout the process:

•Collaborative, not prescriptive - Always show before/after, explain rationale, get approval
•Validate early, validate often - Catch issues at wireframe stage, not after coding
•Preserve founder's voice - Refine, don't replace; maintain authenticity
•Design with purpose - Every visual choice supports narrative goals
•Iterate gracefully - Make it easy to adjust specific elements without redoing everything
•Educate as you go - Explain design principles so user learns for future decks

Remember:

•This is the user's pitch, not yours - guide, don't dictate
•Investors see dozens of decks - help user stand out with clarity + design
•Every slide should pass the "glance test" - key message clear in 3 seconds
•If user disagrees with a suggestion, respect their judgment (they know their business)

After Completion

Once deck is created:

•
Summarize what was delivered:
- •Number of slides created
- •Key improvements made during editing phase
- •Format(s) provided (PowerPoint/Google Slides)
- •Location of all output files
•
Offer additional support:
- •"Need any slides adjusted?"
- •"Want to create alternate versions (different audiences)?"
- •"Should I generate speaker notes for any slides?"
•
Suggest next steps:
- •"Practice the pitch with these slides"
- •"Get feedback from advisors"
- •"Iterate based on investor questions"

Notes for Skill Maintenance

Resource locations are hardcoded:

•Best practices: /Users/bmcmanus/Documents/pitch_deck_skill/
•HTML templates: /Users/bmcmanus/Documents/my_docs/portfolio/lucid-north.com/business/pitch_deck_workspace/

If resources move: Update paths in Phase 1 and Phase 7 (Option A: PowerPoint creation)

If new best practices added: Skill will automatically incorporate them during Phase 1 resource loading

If HTML template structure changes: Update Phase 5 template structure section to match new pattern