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Tight Five Matrix

What is most important? How do you know?

1Principles

Most ideas die in your head.

What would you build if you could only hold five things?

Where ideas dieWhy
In your headNo compression — too complex to share
In a documentNo structure — prose hides weak thinking
In a meetingNo order — everyone talks past each other
After the consultant leavesNo return — the analysis expires on delivery
Picture
A person staring at a blank page. Behind them, a wall covered in notes, half-finished plans, bookmarks. None connected. The gap between knowing and doing, visible.
1 / 5

80 cents of your dollar is spent on the headline. The PromptDeck IS the headline.

Pitch to Prompt

Each slide has two layers. The pitch (headline + table) sells. The prompt (open-loop question) hooks. The Zeigarnik effect is the engine — the question stays active in working memory until the reader resolves it by clicking the depth link.

LayerWhat it doesBias engine
Pitch (headline + table)Confirms what they already feelConfirmation, loss aversion
Prompt (question)Opens a loop they can't closeZeigarnik, hyperbolic discounting
Depth (SlideDepth link)Offers resolution through co-creationIKEA effect, reciprocity

The prompt prop on Slide renders the open-loop question beneath the headline. Use it:

<Slide
number={1}
headline="Strong claim that compels belief."
prompt="The open-loop question they can't ignore?"
>

We all need a prompt in the right direction — human and phygital agent alike. A mantra prompts you. A system prompt prompts the machine. The PromptDeck prompts the room. Same mechanism. Different scale.

How to Use

Data-Driven

All slide data lives in one file: src/data/prompt-decks.json. Every deck on the site reads from it. Add your deck, import, render.

import { PromptDeck } from "@site/src/components/prompt-deck";
import promptDecks from "@site/src/data/prompt-decks.json";

<PromptDeck slides={promptDecks["your-slug"].journeys.customer} />;

For dual perspective (customer + feature dev):

<PromptDeck slides={promptDecks["your-slug"].journeys.customer} />;
{
/* perspective flip */
}
<PromptDeck slides={promptDecks["your-slug"].journeys.featureDev} />;

Data Contract

Each slide in prompt-decks.json follows this type:

FieldTypePurpose
number1-5Position in the Tight Five
headlinestring≤7 words. Rhetoric, not labels
labelstringOptional nav pill override
promptstringQuestion that opens a loop
picturestringVision description or image URL
imagePromptstringHidden AI generation prompt
pointsstring[]Max 5. Last often a question
depth{href, label}Intelligent hyperlink to full depth
biases{name, href}[]Behavioural biases loaded

Each entry in the file has a journeys object:

JourneySlidesArc
customer5Pain → trust → method → proof → renewal
featureDev5Job → stories → build → sprints → validation

Single-deck entries omit featureDev. The flip between journeys is the pikorua — same person, different moment.

The depth.href is an intelligent hyperlink. Here it points to a static page. In the app it points to live data. Same contract, different pipe.

Slide Shape

Every slide follows this exact shape:

<Slide
number={1} // 1-5, maps to 5P position
headline="Strong rhetoric that compels belief." // The argument in one sentence
picture="Positive vision of the greater good" // Vision description until image exists
>
| Column A | Column B | Column C | | -------- | -------- | -------- | | Row 1 | | | | Row 2 | | |
<SlideDepth href="#depth">Depth: Position</SlideDepth>
</Slide>

For new decks, prefer the data-driven approach — it means one source of truth, and when the component improves, every deck upgrades.

Headlines

The headline is the most important element. 80 cents in the dollar. It must be strong rhetoric that people (and agents) feel compelled to believe in.

GoodBadWhy
"Fonterra owns the data, farmers don't.""Player Analysis"Strong claim earns attention
"Zero friction tracing scales judgment.""Performance Metrics"Vision of the greater good
"Discipline earns the compounding edge.""Platform Overview"Positive rhetoric that inspires action

Pictures

The picture is not a placeholder illustration. You must paint positive pictures backed by strong rhetoric that people (and agents) feel compelled to believe in. Sell reasons to believe that good things can be earned through disciplined dedication to a greater good. Go positive, go first, be constant in doing it.

  • Visual Art Prompts Starter

Tables

The table IS the argument. If it doesn't fit a table, rethink the argument.

RuleWhy
Max 5 rowsForces compression — cut until only the essential remains
2-4 columnsMore than 4 = too much for a slide
No prose in slidesProse hides weak thinking — tables expose it
No bullet listsBullets are unstructured — tables force dimensions
One sentence per cellIf it takes more, you don't understand it yet

Mistakes

MistakeFix
Headline is a label ("Principles")Make it a claim ("No shared nomenclature exists")
Table has 8+ rowsCut to 5. Can't cut? Split into two slides
Prose between table and SlideDepthDelete it. The table said everything
Bullet list instead of tableFind the dimensions, make columns
title/mantra/questions props on PromptDeckRemove — the page H1, opening line, and Questions section handle these
Missing SlideDepthEvery slide links to its depth page

Context

Questions

If the table IS the argument, what arguments are you still making with prose?

  • When you write a headline as a label instead of a claim, what are you afraid to commit to?
  • Which implementation in the list above best demonstrates the instrument — and what makes it work where others don't?
  • If the headline is 80 cents in the dollar, how much time do you spend on headlines vs table content?
  • What's the difference between a slide that informs and one that creates urgency to click the depth link?