Intent-to-Arc Quick Selector
| Intent | Best Arcs | When |
|---|---|---|
| Inform | Triple Take, Onion, Status Report, Explainer | Audience just needs to understand |
| Align | Consultant's Gambit, Comedy, Bridge, Map | Audience needs shared context |
| Recommend | Problem-Agitate-Solution, Monroe's Sequence, Option Framework | Audience must decide |
| Persuade | Sequoia Pitch, Transformation Tale, Overcoming the Monster | Audience has resistance |
| Inspire | Hero's Journey, Sparkline, Golden Circle, The Movement | Audience needs transformation |
Block-Level Story Arcs (20 Arcs)
Category: Strategy & Business
The Consultant's Gambit (McKinsey classic)
- Structure: Situation & Context → Problem & Complication → Solution & Approach → Evidence & Proof → Impact & Next Steps
- Best for: Business cases, project proposals, strategic recommendations
- Intent: Recommend / Align
The Sequoia Pitch (VC-proven)
- Structure: Problem → Solution → Why Now → Market Size → Competition → Product → Business Model → Team → Financials → The Ask
- Best for: Investor pitches, Series A/B, board presentations
- Intent: Persuade
Problem-Agitate-Solution (Copywriting classic)
- Structure: Problem (Identify pain) → Agitate (Make it worse) → Solution (Provide relief)
- Best for: Sales pitches, urgency-driven, competitive displacement
- Intent: Recommend / Persuade
Monroe's Motivated Sequence (Classic persuasion)
- Structure: Attention (Hook) → Need (Problem) → Satisfaction (Solution) → Visualization (Future) → Action (CTA)
- Best for: Persuasive speeches, call-to-action decks
- Intent: Persuade
AIDA (Marketing)
- Structure: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action
- Best for: Marketing presentations, product launches, sales enablement
- Intent: Persuade
Category: Narrative & Transformation
The Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell / Nancy Duarte)
- Structure: Ordinary World → Call to Adventure → Challenges & Allies → Transformation → Return with Elixir
- Best for: Inspiring change, transformation narratives, vision presentations
- Intent: Inspire
The Sparkline (Nancy Duarte)
- Structure: What Is → What Could Be → What Is → What Could Be → New Bliss
- Best for: Keynotes, TED-style talks, dreaming bigger
- Intent: Inspire
The Golden Circle (Simon Sinek)
- Structure: Why (Purpose) → How (Process) → What (Product)
- Best for: Brand storytelling, mission-driven pitches, leadership talks
- Intent: Inspire
The Transformation Tale
- Structure: Current Reality (Pain) → Future Vision (Gain) → The Bridge (Your Solution)
- Best for: Sales presentations, product launches, fundraising
- Intent: Persuade
The Pixar Pitch
- Structure: Once upon a time... → Every day... → One day... → Because of that... → Until finally...
- Best for: Startup pitches, origin stories, customer success
- Intent: Persuade / Inspire
Category: Analysis & Information
The Triple Take
- Structure: The Facts (What) → The Implications (So What) → The Action (Now What)
- Best for: Data-driven presentations, research findings, status updates
- Intent: Inform
The Onion
- Structure: Surface Observation → First Layer (Why?) → Deeper Layer (Why?) → Core Insight → Implications
- Best for: Root cause analysis, diagnostics, complex problem unpacking
- Intent: Inform / Align
The Mountain
- Structure: Setup & Stakes → Rising Action → Climax → Resolution
- Best for: Case studies, success stories, dramatic reveals
- Intent: Persuade
Category: Booker's 7 Basic Plots (adapted for business)
Overcoming the Monster: The Monster → The Call → The Struggle → The Victory → The New Order
- Best for: Competitive positioning, rallying teams
Rags to Riches: Humble Origins → Early Struggles → The Breakthrough → Rising Success → Ultimate Achievement
- Best for: Founder stories, IPO roadshows, brand origin
The Quest: The Goal → Assembling the Team → Obstacles → The Final Push → Goal Achieved
- Best for: Product launches, moon-shot initiatives, OKR presentations
Voyage and Return: The Familiar World → The Unknown → Discoveries → The Return → Lessons Applied
- Best for: Market pivots, experiment learnings, expansion stories
Comedy: Initial Order → Confusion → Escalating Chaos → Resolution → New Harmony
- Best for: Post-mortems, process improvement, retrospectives
Tragedy: Initial Success → Fatal Flaw → Downward Spiral → The Fall → Lessons for Us
- Best for: Competitive analysis, risk presentations, cautionary tales
Rebirth: The Crisis → The Dark Period → Catalyst for Change → Transformation → Renewed Success
- Best for: Turnaround stories, reinvention, post-crisis communications
Loop-Level Patterns (53 Types)
Loops are the page-to-page reasoning patterns inside a block. Pick the one whose shape matches the argument you're making — most decks use 3–6 distinct loops across the deck.
Logical Reasoning
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Logic Chain | Premise (accepted truth) → Premise (observed fact) → Therefore | Skeptical audiences, controversial recommendations |
| Pattern Hunter | Evidence A → Evidence B → Evidence C → Pattern | Time-pressed audiences, strong data |
| Paradox Resolver | Apparent contradiction → Why both seem true → Deeper truth that reconciles | Strategic pivots, challenging conventional wisdom |
Narrative
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Aha Moment | Problem/Question → What the data shows → The insight | Data-heavy sections, research findings |
| The Reveal | Setup the question → Build suspense → Big reveal | Product launches, unexpected findings |
| Day in the Life | User's struggle → The intervention → Resolved state | Product demos, UX reviews, investor pitches |
Comparison
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tale of Two Worlds | Current state → Desired state / benchmark → Gap & implication | Competitive analysis, benchmarking, case for change |
| Before/After Transformation | Old way (pain) → Moment of change → New way (glory) → Measurable delta | Product demos, process improvements, ROI |
| Benchmark Gap | Our performance → Industry average → Best-in-class → Gap = opportunity | Performance improvement, target setting |
Analysis
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom In | Big picture → Key area of focus → Specific detail → Implication | Technical deep-dives, case studies |
| Iceberg | Symptom (visible) → System (hidden) → Root cause | Complex problem solving, organizational change |
Decision Making
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | The options → Why not A → Why not B → Why C is the answer | Decision defense, skeptical stakeholders |
| Trade-Off Triangle | A vs B vs C → What we optimize for → What we sacrifice → Why this trade-off | Resource allocation, strategic choices |
| Risk-Reward Plot | Options → Risk assessment → Reward assessment → Optimal choice | Investment decisions, project prioritization |
Explanation
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Analogy | Familiar domain → Key parallel → Applied to our situation → Insight | Complex concepts, technical explanations for non-experts |
| Ladder of Abstraction | Concrete example → Pattern → Universal principle → Specific application | Training, thought leadership, accessible complexity |
Validation
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Precedent | Historical case → What happened → Parallel → Applied learning | Risk mitigation, strategy validation |
| Expert Witness | Authority's credentials → Their finding/opinion → Applied to our case | Technical validation, regulatory compliance |
| Voice of the Customer | Verbatim quotes → Pattern across voices → Insight → Response | Product strategy, customer experience |
Vision
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Circle | Why (belief) → How (process) → What (result) | Visionary leadership, brand positioning, mission |
| Time Machine | Fast-forward to success → What made it possible → Back to today's decision | Vision casting, long-term strategy, investment pitches |
Persuasion
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Myth Buster | Common belief → Friction/failure of belief → New truth | Rebranding, correcting false assumptions |
| Anchor | Extreme option (anchor) → Flaws of extreme → Balanced proposal | Pricing, negotiation, budget requests |
| Confession | Honest admission → What we learned → How we're different now | Crisis communication, rebuilding trust |
| Constraint Flip | Apparent constraint → Why it's an advantage → Opportunity it creates | Startup pitches, resource-limited teams |
| Trojan Horse | Obvious win → Hidden opportunity → Bigger vision | Upselling, expanding scope, new initiatives |
Causation
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Domino Effect | Trigger action → First reaction → Second reaction → Final impact | Strategy roadmaps, ROI of a feature |
| Ripple Effect | Individual impact → Team → Organization → Market/industry | Change management, scaling initiatives |
Urgency
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Why Now | Trends context → Trigger event → Window of opportunity | Sales pitches, fundraising, immediate budget |
| Cost of Inaction | Status quo → Hidden costs accumulating → Future state of inaction → Tipping point | Urgent budget, compliance, risk mitigation |
Competitive
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| David & Goliath | Giant's weakness → Our slingshot (unique edge) → The topple | Startups, disruptive innovation, displacement |
Change Management
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pivot | Original hypothesis → New discovery → Strategic shift | Project updates, board meetings, retrospectives |
| Stakeholder Map | The decision → Key stakeholders → Interests/concerns → Alignment strategy | Change management, political navigation |
Risk Management
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Mortem | Future disaster (hypothetical) → What went wrong → Prevention plan | Project kickoffs, building trust with skeptics |
| Sensitivity Test | Base case → Assumption A varies → Assumption B varies → Robustness of conclusion | Financial models, forecasting |
Consulting Framework
| Pattern | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 2x2 Matrix | Dimension X → Dimension Y → Four quadrants → Sweet spot | Portfolio analysis, prioritization, strategic positioning |
| Waterfall of Value | Total → Driver 1 impact → Driver 2 impact → Driver 3 impact → Remainder | Financial analysis, value bridges, variance |
| Funnel Analysis | Top of funnel → Stage 1 conversion → Stage 2 → Bottom → The leak | Sales optimization, customer journey, process efficiency |
| Build-Up | Base → Add component A → Add component B → Add component C → Total | Pricing justification, cost estimation, market sizing |
| Segmentation Split | Aggregate view → Segment A → Segment B → Insight in the difference | Customer analysis, market research, resource allocation |
| Scenario Fork | Decision point → Scenario A (if X) → Scenario B (if Y) → Recommendation | Strategic planning, risk analysis, board presentations |
| Maturity Curve | Current level → Gap to next → Required capabilities → Roadmap | Digital transformation, capability building |
| Root Cause Tree | Problem → Cause A → Cause B → Cause C → Primary root | Problem diagnosis, quality issues, operational failures |
| MECE Breakdown | The whole → Category A → Category B → Category C → Complete coverage | Problem structuring, ensuring completeness |
| So What Cascade | Data → So what? → So what? → So what? → The action | Data presentations, executive summaries |
| Hypothesis Test | Hypothesis → Test 1 (supports/refutes) → Test 2 → Conclusion (validated/pivoted) | Strategy validation, due diligence, research |
| Issue Tree | Key question → Sub-question A → Sub-question B → Sub-question C → Synthesized answer | Problem structuring, project scoping |
| Value Chain Walk | Input → Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3 → Output → Value assessment | Operations improvement, cost reduction |
| Quick Win / Big Bet Split | Full list → Quick wins (low effort, high impact) → Big bets (high effort, high impact) → Sequenced roadmap | Transformation planning, 100-day plans |
| Capability Gap | Required capabilities → Current state → Gap → Build vs buy vs partner | M&A strategy, digital transformation, org design |
| Three Horizons | H1 (core business) → H2 (emerging opportunities) → H3 (future bets) → Balanced portfolio | Innovation strategy, long-term planning |
| Pareto Focus | Full distribution → Vital few (20%) → Trivial many (80%) → Focus recommendation | Resource allocation, problem prioritization |
| Jobs to Be Done | Customer's job → Current solutions (hired/fired) → Unmet needs → Solution fit | Product innovation, market entry, positioning |
See loop-examples.md for 30 worked examples of the first 9 foundational loops.
Slide-Level Types (4 Types)
| Type | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| The Wordsmith | Action Title + 2-4 Bullets + Callout | Complex arguments, read-ahead docs |
| The Numbers Game | Insight Title + Chart + Source | Evidence, metrics, trends, comparisons |
| The Show Stopper | Minimal Text + Powerful Visual | Emotional beats, transitions, social proof |
| The Wayfinder | Cover/Header + Navigation | Section breaks, agendas, transitions |
Pillar Patterns (5 Templates)
| Pattern | Pillars | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| The Case | Why it's a problem → Why our solution → Why now | Sales, investment, change proposals |
| The Analysis | What's happening → Why → What to do | Status updates, post-mortems |
| The Proposal | The opportunity → Our approach → The ask | Budget requests, new initiatives |
| The Update | What we did → What we learned → What's next | Quarterly reviews, team meetings |
| The Vision | Where we are → Where we're going → How we get there | Strategy, kickoffs, all-hands |
Opening Hook Types
| Type | Example | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Startling Statistic | "Every 60 seconds, we lose 3 customers" | Use specific, surprising numbers |
| Provocative Question | "What if everything we know about retention is wrong?" | Challenge assumptions |
| Story / Anecdote | "Last Tuesday, a customer called me in tears..." | Personal, specific stories |
| Analogy | "Our market is like the taxi industry in 2009" | Connect unfamiliar to familiar |
| Contrast | "Five years ago we were #1. Today we're #5." | Highlight change |