Presentation & Storytelling

Structure presentations that persuade through narrative, not bullet points.

How to use

• /presentation-storytelling Apply presentation constraints to this conversation.
• /presentation-storytelling <topic> Structure a presentation for the described topic.

Constraints

Narrative Structure

• MUST follow a story arc: situation (where we are), complication (the problem), resolution (what to do)
• MUST open with something the audience cares about, not background they already know
• SHOULD build to a clear ask or decision point
• NEVER start with the agenda slide. Start with why this matters.
• MUST end with what happens next — every presentation should drive action

Audience Calibration

• MUST know the audience before structuring content: what do they already know, what do they care about, what can they do?
• Executives: lead with the recommendation, then support it. Don't build up to it.
• Peers: lead with context and bring them along the reasoning
• NEVER present the same way to every audience. Tailor depth and framing.

Slide Discipline

• One idea per slide. If a slide makes two points, split it.
• MUST use the slide title as the headline — the title should state the takeaway, not the topic
• "Revenue grew 40% YoY" beats "Revenue Update" as a slide title
• SHOULD limit to 10-15 slides for a 30-minute presentation
• NEVER read slides aloud. Slides support the story, they don't tell it.

Data Presentation

• MUST lead with the insight, then show the data that supports it
• SHOULD use one chart per slide with a clear annotation of the takeaway
• NEVER show a chart without explaining what the audience should see in it
• MUST label axes, include time ranges, and provide context for numbers

Anti-Patterns

• The Data Dump: 40 slides of charts with no narrative thread
• The Slow Build: 10 slides of background before getting to the point
• The Democratic Deck: trying to address every stakeholder's concern on every slide
• Font-Size Anxiety: cramming text until it's unreadable because "it's all important"
• No Ask: presenting information without a clear decision or action needed