Pitch Deck Generator

Generate premium, dark-themed pitch decks using python-pptx. Follows research-backed design principles from Sequoia, Guy Kawasaki, and top VC deck analysis.

When to Use

When the user asks to "make a deck", "create a pitch deck", "slide deck", "presentation", or needs investor/client presentation materials.

Design Principles (Research-Backed)

Text Density

• 25-40 words per slide for live presentations
• Max 100 words per slide for leave-behind/email decks
• Total deck: ~600 words — investors spend 3 minutes on average
• One core idea per slide. Two ideas = two slides.

Typography Hierarchy

• Slide title: 36-44pt, bold, white
• Hero stat numbers: 48-72pt, bold, accent color
• Body text: 14-18pt, gray
• Captions/labels: 10-12pt, dim
• Nothing below 12pt in any context
• Max 2 fonts: one for headings, one for body (same family OK)
• Sans-serif only for modern/fintech

Color Rules

• 2-3 brand colors + 1 neutral background only
• Dark background (0x08, 0x0C, 0x14) with light text for tech/fintech
• 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio for body text
• One accent color for emphasis — never more than 15% of any slide
• Gold (#F5A623) is the default accent for Chinchilla AI decks

Layout & Whitespace

• 40-50% empty space per slide — non-negotiable for premium feel
• 16:9 widescreen (Inches(16) x Inches(9))
• Content never touches edges — minimum 1" margins
• Asymmetric layouts preferred — hero element gets 60%, supporting gets 40%

Anti-AI Patterns (CRITICAL)

• Vary slide structure — no two slides should have the same layout
• No perfectly symmetrical grids — offset elements slightly
• No generic stock imagery — use generated graphics or abstract data viz
• No buzzword-dense text — every word should be specific to this company
• Use visual tension — accent bars, split layouts, big numbers vs small text

Narrative Arc (Sequoia-Inspired)

1. Title/Hook — Company name, tagline, background graphic, key stats
2. Vision/Quote — Founder's words, the WHY behind the product
3. Opportunity — Big numbers, market gap, why now
4. How It Works — Visual flow diagram (4 connected nodes, not bullet points)
5. Product/Engine — Grouped categories, not flat lists. Visual cards.
6. Pricing/Tiers — Dollar-based, clean comparison cards
7. Revenue Path — Growing bars, positive phase names (Launch/Traction/Scale)
8. What's Built — Proof grid, status bar showing momentum
9. The Deal — Left: invest. Right: gets. Bottom: retains.
10. Team/Founder — What they bring + what we need from them
11. Next Steps — Timeline with connected dots + strong close CTA

Visual Components

Helper Functions

# Standard color palette
BG = RGBColor(0x08, 0x0C, 0x14)      # near-black navy
GOLD = RGBColor(0xF5, 0xA6, 0x23)    # primary accent
WHITE = RGBColor(0xF1, 0xF5, 0xF9)   # headline text
GRAY = RGBColor(0x8B, 0x95, 0xA5)    # body text
DIM = RGBColor(0x3A, 0x42, 0x55)     # borders, dividers
TEAL = RGBColor(0x00, 0xD4, 0xAA)    # success accent
PANEL = RGBColor(0x10, 0x18, 0x2A)   # card backgrounds

Visual Elements

• Accent bars: Vertical gold bars (0.05" wide) next to content blocks
• Numbered circles: Gold circles with dark number for steps/flow
• Panel cards: Rounded rectangles with subtle borders for grouping
• Revenue bars: Horizontal bars growing left-to-right showing growth
• Timeline dots: Connected circles with vertical lines for timelines
• Status bars: Full-width gold bars for key proof points

Background Graphics

Generate with PIL for slide 1:

• Stylized globe wireframe (latitude/longitude lines in gold, low alpha)
• Africa continent outline (simplified polygon, gold stroke, subtle fill)
• Forex candlestick chart (40 candles, moving average overlay, very faded)
• Scattered currency symbols ($, €, £, ¥) at 8-18 alpha
• Save as PNG, add as first shape on slide, overlay with solid panel for text area

Output

• Save to: /Users/tori/Documents/Repos/CHI/diagram_generator/output/
• Format: .pptx
• Always open in Finder after generation: open -R <path>

Revenue Phase Naming

NEVER use "Slow Start" — use positive, forward-looking names:

• Month 3: "Launch" or "Foundation"
• Month 6: "Traction" or "Growth"
• Month 12: "Scale" or "Expansion"

Reference Implementations

• /tmp/bankpro_deck_v3.py — BankPro forex platform deck (11 slides)
• /tmp/bankpro_bg.py — Hero background image generator