create-pitch-deck

Preamble (run first)

_TEL_TIER=$(cat ~/.superstack/config.json 2>/dev/null | grep -o '"telemetryTier": *"[^"]*"' | head -1 | sed 's/.*"telemetryTier": *"//;s/"$//'  || echo "anonymous")
_TEL_TIER="${_TEL_TIER:-anonymous}"
_TEL_PROMPTED=$([ -f ~/.superstack/.telemetry-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_TEL_START=$(date +%s)
_SESSION_ID="$$-$(date +%s)"
mkdir -p ~/.superstack
echo "TELEMETRY: $_TEL_TIER"
echo "TEL_PROMPTED: $_TEL_PROMPTED"
if [ "$_TEL_TIER" != "off" ]; then
_TEL_EVENT='{"skill":"create-pitch-deck","phase":"launch","event":"started","ts":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)'"}' 
echo "$_TEL_EVENT" >> ~/.superstack/telemetry.jsonl 2>/dev/null || true
_CONVEX_URL=$(cat ~/.superstack/config.json 2>/dev/null | grep -o '"convexUrl":"[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f4 || echo "")
[ -n "$_CONVEX_URL" ] && curl -s -X POST "$_CONVEX_URL/api/mutation" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"path":"telemetry:track","args":{"skill":"create-pitch-deck","phase":"launch","status":"success","version":"0.2.0","platform":"'$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)'","timestamp":'$(date +%s)000'}}' >/dev/null 2>&1 &
true
fi

If TEL_PROMPTED is no: Before starting the skill workflow, ask the user about telemetry. Use AskUserQuestion:

Help superstack get better! We track which skills get used and how long they take — no code, no file paths, no PII. Change anytime in ~/.superstack/config.json.

Options:

• A) Sure, help superstack improve (anonymous)
• B) No thanks

If A: run this bash:

echo '{"telemetryTier":"anonymous"}' > ~/.superstack/config.json
_TEL_TIER="anonymous"
touch ~/.superstack/.telemetry-prompted

If B: run this bash:

echo '{"telemetryTier":"off"}' > ~/.superstack/config.json
_TEL_TIER="off"
touch ~/.superstack/.telemetry-prompted

This only happens once. If TEL_PROMPTED is yes, skip this entirely and proceed to the skill workflow.

Wrong skill? See SKILL_ROUTER.md for all available skills.

Create Pitch Deck

Overview

Generate a compelling, investor-ready pitch deck using proven frameworks from Sequoia, YC, a16z, and Guy Kawasaki — adapted for crypto/Solana projects. Produces a polished HTML artifact with slide content, speaking notes, narrative arc, and audience-specific tailoring.

This skill doesn’t just generate slides — it coaches you through building a narrative that lands.

Core Principles

Hackathon judges review hundreds of submissions quickly and often skim for the essentials. Capture attention in the first 30 seconds with a punchy one-liner using a sharp, relatable analogy that instantly clarifies the idea — “HIP-3 for Solana”, “Jupiter for lending”, “Uber for compute”. Follow immediately with a crisp, high-quality demo that shows the working product in action. Structure the deck as a simple narrative: clearly explain the problem, the innovative solution, and the business model or path to users. Skip stiff slide templates — focus on storytelling. Keep everything short, visually polished, aesthetic, and easy to scan. Draw inspiration from top competitors on design and flow. Clarity and impact win every time.

Non-Negotiables (Read First)

• Never skip the interview. Don’t auto-generate from context files alone. Every pitch needs a human conversation to find the real story.
• Stay blunt. If their “problem” is vague, push back. If their “why now” is weak, say so. If they have no traction, don’t hide it — help them frame what they DO have.
• Problem first, always. No one cares about Solana until they care about the problem. (Sequoia rule #1)
• One idea per slide. If you need two slides, use two slides. (YC rule)
• Real numbers only. “Growing fast” is not a metric. Mark unknowns as “TBD”.
• Crypto necessity must be proven. “Why blockchain?” must have a concrete answer. If removing the blockchain doesn’t break the product, the pitch has a fatal flaw — say so.
• The ask must be specific. Amount + instrument + use + timeline + milestone. “We’re raising” is not an ask.
• Always generate the HTML artifact. Using the design system from references/deck-design-system.md and slide templates from references/slide-templates.md.
• 3 questions max per message. Conversational rounds, not a questionnaire dump.

Workflow

Phase 1: Context Gathering (Silent)

Before asking anything, read what exists:

• .superstack/idea-context.md — Product concept, audience, value prop
• .superstack/build-context.md — Tech stack, features, deployment status
• Output from competitive-landscape skill, defillama-research skill if available

Also auto-detect project assets:

# Screenshots, logos, product images
find . -maxdepth 3 -type f \( -name "*.png" -o -name "*.jpg" -o -name "*.svg" \) ! -path "*/node_modules/*" ! -path "*/.git/*" 2>/dev/null | head -15
# Project name/description
cat package.json 2>/dev/null | grep -E '"name"|"description"' | head -5

If you find useful context, mention it during the interview: “I see from your idea-context that you’re building X for Y — let’s start from there.”

Phase 1.5: Live Research (mandatory before deck generation)

Every deck needs real, current numbers. Never use stale data from context files or training data alone. Before generating any slides, run a research pass for the specific idea:

Market data:

• Use DefiLlama MCP or web search to pull current TVL, volume, and protocol stats for the relevant category
• Get competitor TVL/volume/user numbers as of today, not from memory
• Pull total market size data (perps volume, lending TVL, stablecoin market cap, etc.)

Competitor landscape:

• Identify the 3-5 closest competitors and get their current metrics
• Check what’s launched in the last 3 months in this space
• Note any recent funding rounds, partnerships, or shutdowns

Ecosystem data:

• Solana-specific stats: total TVL, DEX volume, number of active programs, relevant Pyth feeds
• Any recent ecosystem announcements or regulatory changes that affect the idea

How to research:

• Use web search, DefiLlama MCP, CoinGecko MCP, or any available data tools
• If MCP tools are unavailable, use web search as fallback
• Cross-reference at least 2 sources for key numbers
• Mark any numbers you couldn’t verify as “~estimate” in the deck

Every number in the deck must come from this research pass, not from the interview or context files alone. If a stat is outdated or unverifiable, either update it or mark it clearly.

Check for recent hacks/exploits. Before citing any protocol as a competitor, integration, or reference point, verify it hasn’t been recently compromised. Don’t reference hacked protocols positively in the deck.

Phase 2: Deep Interview

This is a conversation, not a form. Start with anchor questions, pull deeper based on answers. Do NOT move to deck generation until you can clearly articulate: the problem, the solution, the proof, the audience, and the ask.

Round 1 — The Story (ask all three together):

1. “Explain what you do to me like I’m someone you met at a bar — no jargon.” Why: Forces plain language. If they can’t say it simply, they don’t understand it yet (YC principle). The bar test is the first line of the title slide.

2. “What personal experience made you angry enough to build this?” Why: Founder-problem fit is the #1 signal VCs look for at pre-seed. (a16z: “We back founders who have lived the problem.”) If they didn’t live it, ask “then who told you about this problem, and why did you listen?”

3. “What’s the most surprising thing a user has told you?” Why: Reveals customer discovery depth. If they haven’t talked to users, that’s a red flag — but a fixable one. Push: “Have you talked to potential users? What did they say?”

Round 2 — The Evidence (adapt based on Round 1):

4. “What’s your single strongest proof that this works?” Why: Forces prioritization. Could be: users (DAU), money (revenue/TVL), speed (testnet metrics), demand (waitlist), or conviction (LOIs/pilots). Follow-up if weak: “If you have nothing yet, what’s the cheapest experiment that would prove demand in 2 weeks?”

5. “What changed in the last 12 months that makes this possible NOW?” Why: Sequoia’s most overlooked slide. “Why Now” separates ideas from opportunities. Common catalysts: new regulation (MiCA), tech breakthrough (state compression), market shift (institutional on-ramps), behavior change (mobile-first wallets). Push back if generic: “‘Crypto is growing’ is not a why-now. What specific event or change created this window?”

6. “If I ripped out the blockchain from your product, what breaks?” Why: The blockchain necessity test. If the answer is “nothing” — the pitch has a fatal flaw. Help them find the real crypto angle or be honest that it’s weak. Good answers: “Composability breaks — other protocols can’t build on us.” / “Permissionless access breaks — no bank account needed.” / “Trustless settlement breaks — agents can pay each other without intermediaries.”

Round 3 — The Audience & Ask (ask based on Round 2):

7. “Who exactly will you be presenting this to?” Why: Everything changes based on audience. Push for specificity:

   • Hackathon judges → Show working demo, innovation, completeness
   • VCs → TAM/SAM, revenue model, team, defensibility
   • Grant committees → Ecosystem impact, open-source, Solana-specific value
   • Accelerators → Execution speed, coachability, early signals
   • Strategic partners → Integration value, mutual benefit, user overlap

8. “What’s the specific outcome you want? Be precise.” Why: “Raise money” is not specific. Push for: “$500K SAFE at $5M cap to hire 2 engineers and reach 1K DAU in 6 months.” OR: “Win the DeFi track at Colosseum Radar.”

9. “What’s the question you’re most afraid someone will ask?” Why: This reveals the biggest weakness. If they say “I don’t know” — probe: “Is it about traction? Team size? Why crypto? Competition?” The answer shapes the objection prep.

Round 4 — Taste & Positioning (ask if needed):

10. “Do you have a preferred writing tone? Some folks want lowercase and casual, others want polished and corporate.” Why: The tone of slide text, speaking notes, and social copy should match the founder’s voice — not sound AI-generated. Read ../tone-guide.md for defaults if they have no preference.

11. “Have you seen a pitch or deck you loved? Any industry.” Why: Reveals their quality bar and communication style. If they name something, use it as a reference. If not, offer: “Clean and minimal like Airbnb’s 10-slider? Data-heavy like Coinbase’s seed deck? Story-driven like Buffer?”

12. “Do you have brand colors? If not, what’s the vibe — corporate and trustworthy, or bold and consumer?” Why: NEVER default to purple or AI-ish gradients. The palette must come from the user’s brand or be intentionally chosen. See references/deck-design-system.md for recommended palettes (Navy+White for DeFi, Teal+Ivory for consumer, Black+White for premium). Ask, don’t guess.

13. “Who are the 2-3 competitors someone will mention? What’s your honest take on them?” Why: Saying “no competition” kills credibility. Competitors include: direct rivals, indirect alternatives, and “doing nothing.” (Peter Thiel: the biggest competitor is always the status quo.)

Interview Rules

• Adapt, don’t script. If context files answer a question, skip it. If an answer is rich, dig deeper instead of moving on.
• Challenge weak answers. “We’re building a DEX” → “Why would anyone use YOUR DEX instead of Jupiter?” Be direct.
• No false praise. If their traction is weak, help them frame what they have honestly. Don’t invent momentum.
• Pull for specifics. “Users like it” → “How many users? What’s retention? What do they actually say?”
• The interview succeeds when you can fill every slide with conviction. If you can’t articulate their “why now” or their “ask” — keep asking until you can.

Phase 3: Select Narrative Framework

Based on the interview, choose the strongest storytelling approach. Read references/storytelling-frameworks.md for full details.

Default: Use the 6-Part Investor Arc for VCs/accelerators, PAS for hackathons, Before-After-Bridge for product-led pitches.

Phase 4: Build the Deck

Read ALL reference files:

• references/pitch-structure.md — Slide-by-slide framework (Sequoia + YC + Kawasaki hybrid)
• references/crypto-pitch-mistakes.md — 12 antipatterns that kill pitches
• references/investor-audience-guide.md — Audience-specific tailoring with scoring rubrics
• references/storytelling-frameworks.md — Narrative frameworks with examples
• references/crypto-pitch-examples.md — Real case studies from Phantom, Jupiter, Uniswap, etc.

For each slide:

1. Write the content following the chosen narrative framework
2. Add speaking notes (what to say, not what’s on the slide)
3. Add an “objection prep” note for the 3 hardest slides (Problem, Traction, Ask)
4. Flag any data marked “TBD” or “assumed” so the user knows what to fill

Phase 5: Score & Strengthen

Before delivering, self-score the deck against the audience rubric from references/investor-audience-guide.md. For each dimension:

• 🟢 Strong (8-10): Ready to present
• 🟡 Moderate (5-7): Needs work — suggest specific improvements
• 🔴 Weak (1-4): Critical gap — must fix before presenting

Show the scorecard to the user with actionable suggestions for any 🟡 or 🔴 areas.

Phase 6: Generate HTML Artifact

Write a polished HTML pitch deck to pitch-deck-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.html in the project root.

How to build the HTML:

1. Start with the shell from references/deck-design-system.md — this gives you the complete CSS design system (colors, typography, layout, navigation, animations, print support) and the JavaScript for slide navigation + presenter notes.

2. Pick slides from references/slide-templates.md based on audience:

   • Hackathon: Title → Problem → Solution → Demo → Why Crypto → Traction → Ask → Contact (8 slides)
   • VC: All 13 slides + optional Tokenomics/Roadmap
   • Grant: Title → Problem → Solution → Why Solana → Demo → Traction → Ecosystem Impact → Ask → Contact
   • Accelerator: Title → Problem → Solution → Demo → Traction → Team → Ask → Contact

3. Fill every {{PLACEHOLDER}} with content from the interview. Every piece of text comes from what the user told you — never generate generic filler.

4. Customize the visual direction — invoke the design-taste skill’s “Pitch Deck Styles” section (references/theme-references.md) to choose between Confident Navy, Clean White, Dark Premium, or Warm Editorial based on audience. If the user has brand colors, apply them within the chosen style. If no brand exists, the style’s default palette applies.

5. Add presenter notes to every slide (hidden by default, press N to show).

The templates are a design system, not a fixed layout. Each user gets a unique deck — different slides, different content, different narrative — but all built on the same professional visual foundation. Think of it like a brand kit: consistent quality, infinite variation.

Design rules (enforced):

• One idea per slide (YC rule)
• 30pt minimum font equivalent (Kawasaki rule)
• Max 6 words per bullet, max 6 bullets per slide
• Visuals > text. Use metric cards, comparison tables, progress bars, timelines — not paragraphs
• First slide must hook in under 5 seconds
• Whitespace is confidence — don’t fill every pixel

Phase 7: Objection Prep

After generating the deck, provide a Q&A Prep Sheet covering:

1. The user’s self-identified “hardest question” from the interview
2. Standard VC objections for their category (DeFi, infrastructure, consumer, etc.)
3. Crypto-specific challenges: “Why not just use [existing protocol]?”, “What happens in a bear market?”, “Why does this need a token?”

For each objection, provide a 2-sentence response framework.

Prior Context (Optional — never block on this)

If .superstack/idea-context.md or .superstack/build-context.md exist, use them to enrich the deck. If they don’t exist, proceed immediately — interview the user about their project. Do NOT redirect to other commands.

Resources

Writing Tone

• ../tone-guide.md — Default writing tone for generated content. Ask the user’s tone preference during the interview before generating final output. Covers casing, sentence style, what to avoid, and format-specific notes for slides, speaking notes, and social copy.

references/ — Content & Strategy

• references/pitch-structure.md — Sequoia/YC/Kawasaki hybrid slide framework
• references/pitch-reference-sources.md — Deep pitch wisdom from Sequoia, YC, a16z, Multicoin, real deck teardowns (Phantom, Uniswap, Jupiter), traction benchmarks by stage, 10-slide litmus test
• references/storytelling-frameworks.md — 6 narrative frameworks (PAS, AIDA, Hero’s Journey, Pixar, 6-Part Arc, BAB)
• references/crypto-pitch-mistakes.md — 12 antipatterns with examples
• references/investor-audience-guide.md — 5 audience types with scoring rubrics
• references/crypto-pitch-examples.md — Real case studies (Phantom $1.2B, Uniswap $11M, Filecoin $257M)

references/ — Design & Templates

• references/deck-design-system.md — Complete HTML/CSS design system: brand palette, typography scale, layout grid, components (cards, badges, progress bars, comparison tables, timelines, quote blocks), slide navigation, presenter notes, print support, animations
• references/slide-templates.md — 15 production-ready slide templates: Title, Problem (2 variants), Why Now, Solution, Demo/Product, Why Crypto, Traction, Market (TAM/SAM/SOM), Competition, Business Model, Team, Ask, Contact, Tokenomics, Roadmap — all with {{PLACEHOLDERS}}

Cross-skill references

• design-taste → references/theme-references.md § “Pitch Deck Styles” — 4 deck-specific visual directions (Confident Navy, Clean White, Dark Premium, Warm Editorial) with audience mapping. Use to choose the visual direction before generating HTML.
• number-formatting — for any metrics, traction numbers, or financial data shown in slides

Cross-skill data (use if available)

• skills/data/colosseum/hackathon-winners.md — Complete Colosseum hackathon winner dataset — 6 grand champions, 40+ track winners, winning patterns by track, track distribution analysis. Use to reference similar winners and position your pitch.
• skills/data/ideas/ — 228+ curated ideas from YC, a16z, Alliance, Superteam for market positioning
• skills/data/solana-knowledge/ — “Why Solana” talking points

Quick Start

# Just ask naturally:
#   "Create a pitch deck for my Solana project"
#   "Help me pitch to Colosseum hackathon judges"
#   "I need a VC deck for my DeFi protocol"
#   "Prepare a grant application for Solana Foundation"
#   "Create slides for demo day"

# The skill will:
# 1. Interview you deeply (story, evidence, ask)
# 2. Choose the right narrative framework
# 3. Generate a polished HTML deck with speaking notes
# 4. Score the deck and suggest improvements
# 5. Prepare you for Q&A with objection handling

Decision Points

• Audience type drives everything: VCs want TAM/SAM/SOM + revenue model + team. Hackathon judges want working demo + innovation. Grant committees want ecosystem impact. See the full rubrics in the audience guide.
• Narrative framework: PAS for hackathons, 6-Part Arc for VCs, Before-After-Bridge for product demos. Always select before generating slides.
• Token slide: Only include if token is integral. If included, must cover: utility (not speculation), distribution, vesting, bear-market resilience. Reference crypto-pitch-mistakes.md Mistake #4.
• Demo: Must be live and working. Devnet is fine for hackathons. Mainnet required for VCs. If no demo exists, the deck must acknowledge this honestly.
• Traction: On-chain metrics (active users, retention, TVL, tx count) beat vanity metrics (Discord size, Twitter followers). See Phantom case study for what “good traction slides” look like.

Framework Credits

This skill synthesizes proven frameworks from:

• Sequoia Capital — The 12-slide standard (pitchbuilder.io)
• Y Combinator — Radical simplicity, one idea per slide (ycombinator.com/library)
• Guy Kawasaki — 10/20/30 rule: 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30pt font (guykawasaki.com)
• a16z Crypto — Crypto-specific pitch guidance, CSX program (a16zcrypto.com)
• Pixar — Narrative structure for complex products
• Real fundraise analysis: Phantom ($1.2B), Uniswap ($11M), Filecoin ($257M), Axie Infinity ($7.5M)

Telemetry (run last)

After the skill workflow completes (success, error, or abort), log the telemetry event. Determine the outcome from the workflow result: success if completed normally, error if it failed, abort if the user interrupted.

Run this bash:

_TEL_END=$(date +%s)
_TEL_DUR=$(( _TEL_END - ${_TEL_START:-$_TEL_END} ))
_TEL_TIER=$(cat ~/.superstack/config.json 2>/dev/null | grep -o '"telemetryTier": *"[^"]*"' | head -1 | sed 's/.*"telemetryTier": *"//;s/"$//' || echo "anonymous")
if [ "$_TEL_TIER" != "off" ]; then
echo '{"skill":"create-pitch-deck","phase":"launch","event":"completed","outcome":"OUTCOME","duration_s":"'"$_TEL_DUR"'","session":"'"$_SESSION_ID"'","ts":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)'","platform":"'$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)'"}' >> ~/.superstack/telemetry.jsonl 2>/dev/null || true
true
fi

Replace OUTCOME with success/error/abort based on the workflow result.