Automatically populate investment banking pitch deck templates using data from your existing Excel files, reports, or documents. You receive a presentation filled with verified financial analysis, credentials, and strategic recommendations without copying numbers into slides. Use this when you have a ready-made PowerPoint template and need to transfer source data accurately for client reviews.
name: pitch-deck
description: “Populates investment banking pitch deck templates with data from source files. Use when: user provides a PowerPoint template to fill in, user has source data (Excel/CSV) to populate into slides, user mentions populating or filling a pitch deck template, or user needs to transfer data into existing slide layouts. Not for creating presentations from scratch.”
Read all reference files at task start before beginning any work. These contain critical patterns and anti-patterns that will affect your approach. Do not wait until you encounter issues.
Financial formulas for verification (CAGR, consensus)
Workflow Decision Tree
What type of task is this?
┌─ Populating empty template with source data?│ └─→ Follow "Template Population Workflow" below│├─ Editing existing populated slides?│ └─→ Extract current content, modify, revalidate│└─ Fixing formatting issues on existing slides? └─→ See "Common Failures" table, apply targeted fixes
⚠️ Critical Rendering Limitation
LibreOffice is used for validation but DOES NOT render PowerPoint files accurately. It will mangle fonts, gradients, shape positions, text wrapping, and some table formatting.
What this means: A slide that passes visual validation in LibreOffice may still have issues in Microsoft PowerPoint. The validation loop catches structural issues (missing content, broken tables, placeholder formatting retained) but cannot catch font substitution, subtle alignment shifts, or gradient problems.
Required action: Always include this statement when delivering output:
“This file was validated using LibreOffice. Please review in Microsoft PowerPoint before distribution, as rendering differences may exist.”
Template Population Workflow
Copy and track progress:
Pitch Deck Progress:- [ ] Phase 1: Extract and validate source data- [ ] Phase 2: Map content to template sections- [ ] Phase 3: Populate slides with proper formatting- [ ] Phase 4: Validate → Fix → Repeat until clean- [ ] Phase 5: Final verification
Phase 1: Data Extraction
Create backup of original template before any modifications — copy to [filename]_backup.pptx. Direct XML editing or unexpected errors can corrupt files.
Identify all source materials (Excel, CSV, PDF reports, Word documents, databases, web sources)
Extract relevant data points from each source
Validate all numbers against original sources
Standardize units and currency (convert all figures to the primary unit/currency used in the template)
Open and visually review the template — understand its structure, style, and existing content before modifying
Analyze template structure — identify all placeholder areas and content boxes
Map source data to corresponding template sections → see slide-templates.md for mapping guidance
Identify placeholder guidance boxes (colored instruction boxes from task creator)
Note any data gaps or mismatches → see slide-templates.md for resolution
Phase 3: Template Population
Remove or reformat placeholder boxes — colored instruction boxes show WHAT to create, not HOW to format. Delete them and create properly formatted content in their place. See Critical Anti-Patterns.
Populate each section with mapped content (focus on content first)
These are typical ranges—adjust based on template specifications:
Level
Examples
Typical Size
Style
Title
Slide title
40-48pt
Bold
Subtitle
Market definition, slide descriptor
18-22pt
Bold
Section Header
”Key Projections”, “Commentary”
14-16pt
Regular
Block Label
”Segments Included”, “Definition” sidebar
12-14pt
Regular
Block Content
Bullet points, body text
11-14pt
Regular
Table Header
Column headers
10-12pt
Bold
Table Body
Cell content
9-11pt
Regular
Footnotes
Sources, notes
8-9pt
Italic
Font Consistency Matching
Boxes at the same hierarchy level MUST use identical font sizes:
Same Level
Must Match With
”Segments Included"
"Segments Excluded"
"Definition"
"Scope Rationale”
Left column bullets
Right column bullets
All block labels
Each other
All section headers
Each other
Rounding for Presentation
These are typical conventions — adjust based on the magnitude of values and template style:
Value Type
Typical Rounding
Example
Large market sizes ($10bn+)
Nearest $1bn
18.5 → $19bn
Smaller market sizes (<$10bn)
Nearest $0.5bn or $0.1bn
2.3 → $2.5bn
Size ranges
Match precision of sources
14.9-22.1 → $15-22bn
CAGR
Whole % or 0.5%
16.4% → 16% or 16.5%
Market share
Nearest 5% or match source
21.4% → 20%
Multiples
1 decimal
9.69 → 9.7x
Principle: Rounding should not materially change the figure. For smaller values, use finer precision.
Text Density Rules
Max 6-7 bullets per content box
Max 2 lines per bullet point
Parenthetical examples: same line or indented below
No orphan words (single word on new line)
Alignment Principles
Vertically stacked boxes must have identical:
Left margin position, bullet indentation, text start position, box width
Horizontally adjacent boxes must have identical:
Top position, height (where possible), internal padding
Multi-Slide Consistency
When the same data appears on multiple slides:
Use identical figures, formatting, and terminology
If a metric is updated on one slide, update all occurrences
Cross-reference during validation to catch mismatches
MUST Requirements
These requirements are non-negotiable regardless of template:
Requirement
Details
Text Readability
All text MUST have sufficient contrast with background. Examples: white/light text on dark blue, dark green, black backgrounds; black/dark text on white, light gray, light yellow backgrounds.
Actual Table Objects
Tabular data MUST be table objects, not tab-separated text. See xml-reference.md.
Bullets within section MUST match (symbol, size, indent). Same-level boxes MUST use same font size.
Content Boundaries
All content MUST stay within slide edges. Footnote box width: ~32.5cm for 16:9, ~24cm for 4:3.
No Placeholder Formatting
Remove colored instruction boxes. Main body: dark text on light background per template.
Critical Anti-Patterns: NEVER DO THESE
These failures occur when placeholder formatting is mistaken for output formatting. Recognizing these patterns is essential.
Anti-Pattern 1: Populating Data INTO Placeholder Boxes
What happens: Template has colored instruction boxes (yellow, orange, etc.) with guidance text. Model replaces the guidance text with actual data BUT KEEPS THE COLORED BOX.
Why it’s wrong: The colored box IS the placeholder. It tells you what content goes there. The output should have different formatting — typically dark text on white/light background, or properly styled shapes.
Recognition test: If your populated slide has large colored rectangles filled with data text, you have copied the placeholder format instead of replacing it.
Critical distinction — two types of “placeholders”:
Type
How to identify
What to do
Instruction boxes
Bright colors (yellow, orange), contains guidance text like “Insert X here”, white/light text on colored background
DELETE the entire shape, then create new content with production formatting
Layout placeholders
Part of slide master/layout, neutral colors matching template theme, “Click to add text”
KEEP the shape, REPLACE the text content only
If uncertain: check if the shape exists on an empty slide from the same template. Layout placeholders persist; instruction boxes are regular shapes.
Anti-Pattern 2: Text-Based “Tables”
What happens: Model creates table-like content using separator characters (|, tabs, spaces) instead of actual table objects.
Why it’s wrong: This is NOT a table. Columns will never align properly, it cannot be formatted consistently, and it looks unprofessional.
Recognition test: If you’re typing | characters or relying on spaces/tabs to create columns, you’re creating text, not a table.
MUST verify: After creating any table, verify it is an actual table object. See xml-reference.md for verification methods.
Anti-Pattern 3: Inheriting Placeholder Contrast
What happens: Placeholder uses light text on colored background (e.g., white on yellow). Model populates data but keeps this color scheme, resulting in hard-to-read output.
Why it’s wrong: Placeholder colors are deliberately distinct to signal “replace me.” Production slides typically use dark text on light backgrounds for body content.
Recognition test: If your populated content has light/white text on bright colored backgrounds in body areas (not headers), you’ve inherited placeholder formatting.
Correct approach: Apply production formatting — typically dark text (#000000 or #333333) on white or light backgrounds for body content. Headers and accent areas may use brand colors.
Summary: Placeholder vs. Production
Element
Placeholder (Input)
Production (Output)
Instruction boxes
Colored background, guidance text
Removed or reformatted
Data areas
”[Insert data here]” text
Actual data with clean formatting
Tables
Description of what table should contain
Actual table object with rows/columns
Body text
Light text on colored background
Dark text on light background
The placeholder tells you WHAT to create, not HOW to format it.
Common Failures
For detailed explanations of the most critical failures, see Critical Anti-Patterns above.
Sources: Grand View Research (2024), Mordor Intelligence (2024), Markets and Markets (2023).Notes: (1) Excludes hardware revenue; (2) Includes both B2B and B2C segments.
All superscript numbers (¹, ², ³) in slide body MUST have corresponding Notes entries.
Logo Placement
Use logo file provided in task materials
If no logo provided, flag to user: “[LOGO NOT PROVIDED - please supply company logo]”
Position: typically top-right, consistent size across slides, must not overlap content
Data Requirements by Slide Type
For detailed data requirements, formatting principles, and example column headers for each slide type, see slide-templates.md.
Same figures are identical across all slides where they appear
Content Mapping
Every template section populated with appropriate data
No [bracket] placeholder text remaining
All source citations included in footnotes
Footnote numbers (¹²³) have corresponding Notes entries
Formatting
Text readable against all backgrounds (sufficient contrast)
Tables are actual table objects (NOT pipe/tab-separated text)
Charts/tables fill designated areas (no thumbnails)
Bullet formatting consistent within each section
Font sizes match across same-level boxes
No content extends beyond slide boundaries
No placeholder boxes retained with data dumped inside
No colored instruction boxes in final output
Template Compliance
Placeholder instruction boxes reformatted or removed
Formatting matches template style (colors, fonts)
Logo present and correctly positioned
Production formatting applied (dark text on light background for main content)
Final Step
Recommend user validate in Microsoft PowerPoint before distribution (LibreOffice may render differently)
Calculation Verification Reference
This file provides formulas and guidelines for verifying pre-calculated values in source data before populating templates. Source data should already contain calculated figures—use these formulas to verify accuracy.
Multiples calculated as EV ÷ Metric (not reversed)
Growth rates use correct base year in denominator
Percentage shares sum to ~100% where applicable
Input Verification
Base year figures match source documents
CAGR/growth rates match stated source methodology
Time periods (n) calculated correctly
Currency and units consistent ($bn vs $m)
Output Verification
Calculated result matches source's stated figure
If mismatch, investigate methodology difference
Rounding applied consistently
Results are plausible (no order-of-magnitude errors)
Consensus Verification
All sources included in range calculations
Outlier exclusion methodology documented
Midpoint calculations use correct averaging
Range bounds represent actual min/max or documented subset
Red Flags to Investigate
Projection mismatches:
Calculated projection differs from source by >5%
Likely cause: Different base year, different CAGR, or rounding
Multiple mismatches:
Calculated multiple differs from source
Likely cause: Different metric definition (LTM vs. NTM, Revenue vs. Net Revenue)
Consensus mismatches:
Your consensus differs from source's consensus
Likely cause: Source excluded certain data points, different outlier treatment
When in doubt: Note the discrepancy in a footnote and show your calculation methodology.
Formatting Standards Reference
This reference file contains general PowerPoint formatting guidance for pitch deck creation. These are best practices that should be adapted to the specific template being used.
TAM/sizing slides: Metrics callouts + data tables + key takeaways
Competitive analysis: Comparison tables or matrices
Financial summaries: Charts with supporting data tables
Alignment Principles
Vertical alignment of parallel sections:
Boxes that are vertically stacked should have consistent:
Left margin position
Bullet indentation
Text start position
Box width
Boxes that are horizontally adjacent should have consistent:
Top position
Height (where content allows)
Internal padding
Text Formatting
Bullet Point Structure
Avoid unstructured text dumps. Break content into scannable bullet points.
Illustrative Correct Structure:
✓ Consumer mobile and web language learning apps (Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise, Busuu)✓ B2B enterprise language training platforms (goFLUENT, Speexx, Learnship)✓ Online tutoring marketplaces (italki, Preply, Cambly)
All text boxes at the same hierarchy level should use identical font sizes.
Same-level boxes that should match:
Box Type
Should Match With
"Segments Included" content
"Segments Excluded" content
"Definition" content
"Scope Rationale" content
Left column bullets
Right column bullets
All label boxes
Each other
All section headers
Each other
Verification Process
Identify all text boxes at the same hierarchy level
Check font size of each box
If any box differs, adjust all to match
Default to the larger size if content fits; otherwise use the smaller size consistently
Exception: Sub-bullets or secondary text may use smaller font than primary bullets, but this must be consistent across ALL boxes.
Template Adaptation
These standards should be adapted to match the specific template being used:
Colors: Use the template's brand colors rather than prescribing specific colors
Fonts: Use the template's font family
Spacing: Match the template's existing spacing conventions
Layout: Follow the template's section structure
The key principles that remain constant regardless of template:
Text must be readable against its background
Tables must be actual table objects
Content should fill available space appropriately
Formatting should be consistent across parallel elements
Charts/images should be properly sized
Content Mapping Reference
This file provides guidance for mapping source data to pitch deck template sections. The process is template-agnostic—these principles apply regardless of the specific template design.
Before populating any template, analyze its structure:
Step 1: Identify All Content Areas
Scan each slide for:
Title/header placeholders — Where slide titles go
Subtitle/definition areas — Secondary headers or definitions
Content boxes — Main content areas (may have label sidebars)
Table placeholders — Areas designated for tabular data
Chart/visual areas — Spaces for charts, diagrams, or images
Metric callout boxes — Highlighted key figures
Footnote/source bars — Bottom areas for citations and notes
Logo placeholder — Usually top-right corner
Step 2: Note Template Conventions
Each template has its own style. Observe:
Color scheme — What colors are used for headers, backgrounds, accents?
Font choices — What fonts and sizes are already set?
Box styling — Do content boxes have sidebars, borders, or shading?
Bullet styles — What bullet symbols does the template use?
Alignment patterns — How are parallel sections aligned?
Step 3: Identify Instruction vs. Output Areas
Templates often include guidance:
Instruction boxes — Colored boxes with guidance text (often yellow background, white text)
Placeholder text — Text in [brackets] indicating what to replace
Example content — Sample content showing expected format
Key distinction: Instruction boxes tell you what to do; they should be reformatted or removed in final output. Output areas are where your content goes.
Content Mapping Workflow
Step 1: Inventory Source Data
Create a list of all available data:
Market size figures and ranges
Growth rates (CAGR, YoY)
Company names and descriptions
Segment definitions
Financial metrics
Source citations and dates
Footnote content
Step 2: Match Data to Template Sections
For each template section, identify:
Template Section
Required Data
Source Location
[Section name]
[Data needed]
[Where to find it]
Step 3: Identify Gaps
After mapping, note:
Missing data — Template requires data not in sources
Extra data — Sources contain data with no template home
Format mismatches — Data exists but in wrong format
Step 4: Resolve Gaps Before Populating
Missing data: Flag for user or search for additional sources
Extra data: Confirm if it should be excluded or if template needs adjustment
Format mismatches: Transform data to required format
Common Slide Types and Data Requirements
These are typical data requirements for common slide types. Your specific template may vary—always follow the template's actual structure.
Market Definition Slides
Typical content areas:
Segments included in scope (with examples/key players)
Segments excluded from scope (with examples)
Market definition text
Scope rationale/justification
Data mapping considerations:
Source data should clearly distinguish included vs. excluded segments
Key players should be mapped to their respective segments
Definition text should align with how sources define the market
Data typically needed:
List of market segments to include (with key player examples)
List of market segments to exclude (with examples)
Market definition text
Scope rationale or justification
Formatting principle: Parallel sections (included vs. excluded) should use matching formatting.
Verification questions:
Does every segment have the appropriate symbol (✓ for included, × for excluded)?
Financial metrics (revenue, growth, market share) if available
Time period for financial data
Formatting principle: Subject company should be visually distinguished from competitors (e.g., bold text, different background color, border, or positioned in rightmost column).
Data mapping considerations:
Ensure all competitors from source data are included
Feature comparisons should use consistent criteria
Financial figures should be from comparable periods
Verification questions:
Are all competitors from the source data represented?
After creating any table, you MUST verify it is an actual table object, not text with separators.
Programmatic verification (python-pptx):
for shape in slide.shapes: if shape.has_table: print(f"✓ Found table: {len(shape.table.rows)} rows, {len(shape.table.columns)} columns")
Visual verification (in exported image):
Columns align perfectly regardless of content length
Cell borders are consistent
Selecting the table selects all cells as a unit
Failure indicators — you have created TEXT, not a table:
| characters visible between values
Columns misalign when content length varies
Tab characters (\t) used for spacing
Multiple text boxes arranged to look like a table
Text-based "tables" cannot be edited by the recipient, will misalign when fonts change, and signal amateur work. There is no acceptable use case for pipe/tab-separated tabular data in a pitch deck.