Here’s a 7-slide board template designed for clarity and decision-making. Boards want brevity, data, and clear asks—this structure gets you there.

The 7-Slide Framework

Slide 1: Title & Agenda

Purpose: Context and time management

• Header: [Company Name] Board Update – [Date]
• Subheader: Q[X] [Year] Performance & Strategic Priorities
• Bullet: Meeting duration: [XX] minutes
• Bullet: Decisions needed: [List 1-3 specific items requiring vote/approval]
• Bullet: Supporting materials: [Link to appendix/financials]

Slide 2: Executive Summary (The "Board Cheat Sheet")

Rule: If they read nothing else, they know the story. Limit to 6 bullets.

• The Bottom Line: [One-sentence result—e.g., "Exceeded revenue targets by 8% while reducing burn by 12%"]
• Critical Win: [Biggest milestone achieved]
• Critical Risk: [Biggest threat and status]
• Cash Position: [Current runway/Bank balance]
• Strategic Shift: [Any pivot or major initiative launched]
• The Ask: [One-line summary of what you need from them today]

Slide 3: Financial Snapshot

Visual: Simple dashboard (3-4 metrics max). Avoid spreadsheets on slides.

Bottom of slide: One-sentence insight (e.g., "SaaS revenue growing 20% MoM; enterprise sales cycle lengthening to 90 days")

Slide 4: Key Achievements vs. Plan

Visual: Traffic light system (Green/Yellow/Red)

• Product: [Shipped Feature X – Green] | [Delayed Integration Y – Yellow]
• Sales: [Closed 3 enterprise deals – Green] | [Missed SMB target by 10% – Yellow]
• Operations: [Hired CTO – Green] | [Compliance audit pending – Red]

Rule: For every Yellow/Red, attach a 5-word mitigation plan.

Slide 5: Strategic Priorities (Next Quarter)

Visual: 3-column layout

1. Initiative | 2. Success Metric | 3. Resource Need

• Product Market Fit | 40% Week-4 retention | $X budget or 2 hires
• Enterprise Expansion | 5 $100k+ ACV deals | Intro to [Specific Target]

Focus: Link every priority to a board decision or resource ask.

Slide 6: The Ask (Decisions Required)

Make this explicit. Boards hate ambiguity.

1. Approval: [Specific item] – "Approve $X for cloud infrastructure scaling"
2. Advice: [Strategic dilemma] – "Enter adjacent market B or double down on Market A?"
3. Introduction: [Network request] – "Warm intro to CIOs at Fortune 500 retail"

Format: Context (2 bullets) → Recommendation (1 bullet) → Vote Needed (Yes/No/Defer)

Slide 7: Appendix (Backup)

Keep this hidden unless asked:

• Detailed P&L
• Customer cohort analysis
• Competitive landscape map
• Org chart changes

Design Rules for Board Decks

Typography:

• Font: System fonts (Arial/Calibri/SF Pro) – no custom fonts that break on their machines
• Size: Minimum 24pt for body, 32pt for headers
• Color: Max 3 colors (Black text, White background, One accent color for highlights)

Content Discipline:

• One idea per slide. If you have "and" in your slide title, make it two slides.
• 6x6 Rule: Max 6 bullet points, max 6 words per bullet.
• Data labels: Every chart needs a "So What?" subtitle (e.g., Instead of "Q3 Revenue," write "Q3 Revenue Shows Enterprise Pivot Working")

Pre-Meeting Checklist

48 Hours Before:

• Send deck as PDF (not editable link) to prevent live-editing disasters
• Call your Board Observer/Chair: "Any landmines I should know about?"
• Prepare 3-minute verbal version of Slide 2 (Executive Summary) for when they skip ahead

Day Of:

• Print 3 physical copies (some board members still mark up paper)
• Prepare "Deep Dive" verbal narrative for Appendix slides
• Set timer: 2 minutes per slide max for slides 1-6

To customize this for your specific situation:

1. What industry/stage are you? (Seed/Series A vs. Public company changes the financial depth significantly)
2. **Is this a routine update or a pivot/crisis meeting? (Crisis decks need the Problem on Slide 2, not Slide 4)
3. What's your biggest fear about this presentation? (We can strengthen that specific section)

Would you like me to draft the actual content for any specific slide based on your current quarter's data?

To deliver a successful board presentation, you must shift from "reporting" to "strategic discussion." Board members are there to provide oversight and guidance, not to listen to a 50-slide data dump.

Here is a simple, actionable 8-slide template designed to get you in and out with high impact.

Phase 1: The 8-Slide Outline

Slide 1: Executive Summary (The "State of the Union")

• Purpose: Give the board the "bottom line" immediately.
• Action: List the 3 most important developments since the last meeting (e.g., "Hit revenue targets," "Launched Product X," "Hired New CFO").
• Key Phrase: "The business is currently [on track/ahead/behind] because..."

Slide 2: Financial Performance vs. Plan

• Purpose: Show fiscal responsibility.
• Action: Use a simple table or chart showing Actual vs. Budget.
• Key Metrics: Revenue, Burn Rate (if applicable), Cash on Hand, and Gross Margin.
• Note: Highlight any significant variances (over 10%) and briefly explain why.

Slide 3: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Purpose: Show the health of operations.
• Action: Choose 3–5 metrics that matter most to your industry (e.g., Customer Acquisition Cost, Churn Rate, Pipeline Value).
• Visual: Use a "Trend Line" to show progress over the last 3–6 months.

Slide 4: What’s Working (Successes)

• Purpose: Build confidence and momentum.
• Action: Highlight 2–3 big wins. Use qualitative data here—a key partnership signed or a significant improvement in team culture.

Slide 5: What’s Not Working (Challenges)

• Purpose: Establish trust and transparency.
• Action: Be honest. Identify the biggest bottleneck or missed target.
• Crucial Addition: Do not just list the problem; list your plan to fix it.

Slide 6: Strategic Roadmap

• Purpose: Align on the future.
• Action: Use a horizontal timeline showing the next 3–6 months. Focus on major milestones, not daily tasks.

Slide 7: The "Ask" / Formal Approvals

• Purpose: To get what you need to move forward.
• Action: List any items that require a formal board vote (e.g., new option grants, budget approvals, or pivots).
• Tip: Frame these as: "We are seeking approval for X to achieve Y."

Slide 8: Appendix (Optional)

• Action: Move all detailed spreadsheets, technical charts, or secondary data here. If a board member asks a "deep dive" question, you can jump to these slides, but they shouldn't be part of the main presentation.

Phase 2: Design & Delivery Principles

1. The 10/20/30 Rule (Modified): Aim for 10 slides, 20 minutes of presentation (leaving 40 minutes for discussion), and at least 30pt font.
2. One Idea Per Slide: If a slide has more than two charts, it is too busy.
3. The "Pre-Read": Send this deck out 48–72 hours in advance. Assume the board has read it. Spend your time in the meeting discussing the implications of the data, not reading the slides to them.
4. The "So What?" Test: Before adding any data point, ask yourself, "So what?" If the answer doesn't affect a business decision or oversight, delete it.

How to get started today:

1. Draft your "Ask": What is the one thing you need the board to agree on by the end of this meeting? Write that down first.
2. Gather your KPIs: Pull your actuals vs. budget for the last quarter.
3. Identify the "Elephant": What is the one thing you are most worried about? Make sure that is clear on Slide 5.

To help me tailor this further for you:

• What is the specific goal of your next meeting (e.g., fundraising, annual planning, or a quarterly check-in)?
• Are there any specific industry metrics (SaaS, Retail, Non-profit) you need help visualizing?