/yc-pitch-deck

name: yc-pitch-deck
description: "Create a compelling startup pitch deck that follows the structure proven to raise billions from top investors. Master the YC and Sequoia formats that get founders funded. Use when: **Fundraising** to create investor pitch decks; **YC application** to structure your narrative; **Demo Day prep** to craft your 2-minute pitch; **Angel investors** to communicate your opportunity; **Partnership pitches** to structure compelling asks"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"

YC Pitch Deck

> Create a compelling startup pitch deck that follows the structure proven to raise billions from top investors. Master the YC and Sequoia formats that get founders funded.

When to Use This Skill

• **Fundraising** to create investor pitch decks
• **YC application** to structure your narrative
• **Demo Day prep** to craft your 2-minute pitch
• **Angel investors** to communicate your opportunity
• **Partnership pitches** to structure compelling asks
• **Internal alignment** to articulate your strategy clearly

Methodology Foundation

| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | **Source** | YC (Y Combinator), Sequoia Capital pitch framework | | **Core Principle** | "The best pitch decks tell a story: Problem → Solution → Why Now → Why You. Every slide must earn its place." | | **Why This Matters** | Investors see thousands of decks. You have 3 minutes of attention. A great deck doesn't get you funded—a bad deck gets you rejected. |

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures video workflow | Final creative vision | | Suggests shot compositions | Equipment selection | | Creates storyboard templates | Brand aesthetics | | Generates script frameworks | Final approval | | Identifies technical requirements | Budget allocation |

What This Skill Does

1. **Structures your narrative** - Proven slide sequence that works 2. **Crafts compelling slides** - What goes on each slide 3. **Identifies what to include/exclude** - Signal vs. noise 4. **Tailors for stage** - Pre-seed vs. Seed vs. Series A 5. **Prepares you for Q&A** - What investors will ask 6. **Provides templates** - Starting points for each slide

How to Use

Create a Pitch Deck from Scratch

Help me create a pitch deck for my startup:
[Description of company]
Stage: [Pre-seed/Seed/Series A]
Raising: [$X]
Key metrics: [if any]

Review an Existing Pitch Deck

Review my pitch deck against YC/Sequoia best practices:
[Paste slide content or describe]
What's working? What needs improvement?

Prepare for Demo Day

I have 2 minutes for Demo Day.
Here's my company: [description]
Help me structure the 2-minute pitch.

Instructions

Step 1: Understand the Standard Structure

## Pitch Deck Structure (10-15 slides)

### Core Slides (Required)

| # | Slide | Purpose | Time |
|---|-------|---------|------|
| 1 | Title | Who are you, what do you do | 5 sec |
| 2 | Problem | What problem are you solving | 30 sec |
| 3 | Solution | How you solve it | 30 sec |
| 4 | Why Now | Market timing | 20 sec |
| 5 | Market Size | How big is the opportunity | 20 sec |
| 6 | Product | Demo/screenshots | 45 sec |
| 7 | Traction | Proof it's working | 30 sec |
| 8 | Business Model | How you make money | 20 sec |
| 9 | Competition | Why you win | 20 sec |
| 10 | Team | Why you're the ones | 20 sec |
| 11 | Ask | What you need | 20 sec |

### Optional Slides (Based on Stage/Story)

- **Go-to-Market:** How you acquire customers
- **Roadmap:** Where you're going
- **Unit Economics:** LTV/CAC, margins
- **Vision:** 10-year view
- **Financials:** Projections (Series A+)

### What NOT to Include
- Detailed financial projections (too early stage)
- Technical architecture (unless deep tech)
- Advisory board (unless remarkable)
- Patents pending (rarely impressive)
- Long text blocks (nobody reads)

---

Step 2: Craft Each Slide

## Slide-by-Slide Guide

### SLIDE 1: Title
**Purpose:** First impression. Who are you?

**Include:**
- Company name and logo
- One-line description (what you do)
- Your name and contact

**Format:**
[Logo]
"[One-line description]"
[Founder Name] | [email]

**Example:**
"Stripe for healthcare payments"
"AI that writes sales emails that actually get responses"

**Don't:** Start with "We are..." or use jargon.

---

### SLIDE 2: Problem
**Purpose:** Make investors feel the pain.

**Structure:**
1. Who has the problem? (specific customer)
2. What is the problem? (concrete, relatable)
3. Why is it painful? (stakes, cost)

**Do:**
- Use a specific customer story
- Quantify the pain ($, time, frequency)
- Make it visceral/emotional

**Don't:**
- List multiple unrelated problems
- Use abstract language
- Describe your solution yet

**Example Template:**
"[Customer type] struggle with [problem].
Currently they [painful workaround].
This costs them [quantified impact]."

**Strong Example:**
"Marketing teams spend 6+ hours/week manually pulling data from 5 different tools to answer one question: 'What's working?'"

---

### SLIDE 3: Solution
**Purpose:** Your answer to the problem.

**Structure:**
1. What is your solution? (one sentence)
2. How does it work? (simple explanation)
3. What's the key insight? (why this approach)

**Do:**
- Start with the customer benefit, not features
- Keep it simple (if you can't explain simply, you don't understand it)
- Show, don't tell (visual if possible)

**Don't:**
- List features
- Use technical jargon
- Describe every capability

**Example Template:**
"[Product] is [category] that [key benefit].
Unlike [alternative], we [unique approach].
The result: [outcome]."

**Strong Example:**
"Databox pulls all your marketing data into one dashboard, automatically. No spreadsheets, no manual work. See what's working in 30 seconds."

---

### SLIDE 4: Why Now
**Purpose:** Why is THIS the moment?

**Market timing matters more tha