Create presentations following Patrick Winston's how-to-speak methodology. Folder-as-presentation model with stage tracking via project-overview.md. Triggers: "/hts", "hts brain-dump", "hts shape".
From htsnpx claudepluginhub jrhicks/agent-hicks-marketplace --plugin htsThis skill is limited to using the following tools:
assets/backgrounds/dark.pngassets/backgrounds/light.pngguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/01-how-to-start.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/02-four-heuristics.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/03-time-and-place.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/04-tools.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/05-inspiring.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/06-job-talks.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/07-getting-famous.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/08-how-to-stop.mdguides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak.mdguides/outline-guide/expose-persuade-guide.mdguides/outline-guide/guide.mdguides/outline-guide/inform-guide.mdguides/produce-guide.mdguides/prop-sequences.mdguides/shape-guide.mdguides/specify-guide.mdguides/story-sequences.mdguides/style-guide.mdGuides Next.js Cache Components and Partial Prerendering (PPR) with cacheComponents enabled. Implements 'use cache', cacheLife(), cacheTag(), revalidateTag(), static/dynamic optimization, and cache debugging.
Migrates code, prompts, and API calls from Claude Sonnet 4.0/4.5 or Opus 4.1 to Opus 4.5, updating model strings on Anthropic, AWS, GCP, Azure platforms.
Generates FastAPI project templates with async routes, dependency injection, Pydantic schemas, repository patterns, middleware, and config for PostgreSQL/MongoDB backends.
A presentation is a folder. The user creates a folder, cd's into it, and runs commands. project-overview.md in the current working directory tracks metadata and stage. No external board, no folder moves.
Create presentations using Patrick Winston's how-to-speak methodology. Presentations progress through stages from new through done.
Methodology: This process is grounded in Winston's MIT "How to Speak" lecture -- a practical framework for communication built on Knowledge + Practice + talent (talent smallest). The full reference lives in ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/how-to-speak/. Each stage integrates specific Winston techniques: empowerment promise and Star elements in shaping, cycling and verbal punctuation in outlining, slide crime avoidance and chalkboard sequences in authoring.
/hts:start [--label inform|expose|persuade]
/hts:brain-dump
/hts:shape
/hts:outline
/hts:author
/hts:chalkboard <sequence-name>
All commands operate on the current working directory. The user should cd into their presentation folder before running commands.
---
title: "All-Hands Q1 Update"
label: inform
stage: new
---
**Topic:** What the presentation is about
**Audience:** Who this is for
**Type note:** Why this type was chosen
Stage values: new, brain-dumping, shaping, outlining, authoring, done
| # | Stage | Verb | What Happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | Start | start | Setup -- create project-overview.md, introduce workflow |
| 02 | Brain-dumping | brain-dump | Raw content dump -- everything you know |
| 03 | Shaping | shape | Audience, core extraction, Star elements, fencing |
| 04 | Outlining | outline | Talk architecture, media plan (label-branched) |
| 05 | Authoring | author | Build slides in JS, iterate on PPTX directly |
| 06 | Done | -- | Presentation complete and delivered |
Capture aha moments. When a design conversation produces an insight -- about the topic, the audience, the medium -- append it to discussion.md in the presentation folder. Format:
## YYYY-MM-DD -- <aha moment title>
<What changed in our thinking and why.>
Each dated entry is a snapshot. Don't rewrite old entries -- append new ones.
Compilation files guide next steps. Each stage produces brainstorm files (supplemental, exploratory) and a compilation file that locks in decisions (03-shape.md, 04-outline.md). The next stage reads the compilation, not the brainstorms. Brainstorms stay as reference but don't drive downstream work.
Every stage command follows this pattern:
project-overview.md in cwdstage field:
project-overview.md: error -- "run /hts:start first"stage in project-overview.md frontmatterPersona: Listener -- Draw out raw content without organizing. Catch and record verbatim. Ask follow-up questions to draw out more, never to structure. If the dump is thin, initiate a guided brainstorm.
Do NOT: Over-structure too early. Edit while dumping. Reorganize content. Suggest structure.
How it works:
02-brain-dump/If the dump is thin, switch to guided brainstorm:
Deliverables:
02-brain-dump.md -- TLDR summarizing what was dumped (brief overview, not the content itself)02-brain-dump/ -- folder with attachments or notes.md with raw dump contentPersona: Shaper -- Work through 3 brainstorm sessions then lock in. Lead with proposals drawn from the brain-dump. Present drafts for the user to react to -- don't ask open questions that leave them alone with the work.
Do NOT: Answer for the user. Skip brainstorms. Start from blank instead of proposing from brain-dump.
Guide: Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/shape-guide.md for detailed session instructions.
Brainstorm sessions (in order):
03-shape/01-grounding.md03-shape/02-core.md03-shape/03-packaging.mdAfter each session, write the brainstorm file. Re-anchor context before starting the next.
Lock-in: Synthesize all 3 brainstorms into 03-shape.md -- the compilation downstream stages read. Present for user approval. Should include: audience, situating, fencing, salient idea, story, surprise, symbol, slogan, empowerment promise.
Persona: Architect -- Draft the outline from the locked-in shape. Lead with drafts, not questions.
Do NOT: Start from blank. Skip reading the shape compilation. Re-open shape decisions.
Guides:
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/outline-guide/guide.md${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/outline-guide/inform-guide.md${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/outline-guide/expose-persuade-guide.mdBrainstorm topics (in order). Skip or keep light any that don't apply:
04-outline/01-sections.md) -- section-by-section structure, medium per section (board vs slides), rough duration04-outline/02-delivery.md) -- cycling plan, verbal punctuation, hooks, props, how to start, how to stop04-outline/03-vision-contributions.md) -- vision, what you've done, contributions the audience should remember. Central for expose/persuade. Can be light for inform.Label hints (flavor emphasis, not structure):
Lock-in: Synthesize into 04-outline.md. Present for user approval.
Persona: Author -- Build the presentation from the outline. The JS file is both the spec and the production artifact. Iterate with the user by regenerating the PPTX and letting them review it directly.
Do NOT: Create a separate markdown spec. Re-open shape/outline decisions.
Style guide: Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/style-guide.md for slide types, backgrounds, color palette, typography, and layout rules.
Image creation steps: Shift to Illustrator persona. Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/produce-guide.md for image production (props, chalkboard sequences, story sequences, symbols). Delegate all image generation to sub-agents.
Process:
04-outline.md (the compilation)05-author/presentation.js with slide structure from the outlineDEV-LOOP: Edit presentation.js, run node presentation.js, user reviews PPTX. Batch edits before regenerating.
Deliverables:
05-author/presentation.js -- single source of truth05-author/assets/ -- images, sequences05-author/presentation.pptx -- generated output (.gitignore)05-author/presentation.pdf -- PDF export (.gitignore)Every slide has a slug-ID used to reference it in conversation and in the JS file. The slug is an acronym of the slide title plus a two-digit suffix.
Rules:
OSL-01-01. If the same acronym appears again (rare), increment: -02, -03.The authoring stage merges what was previously "specify" and "produce" into a single step. The JavaScript file that generates the PPTX is the single source of truth -- it contains slide content, speaker notes, asset references, and layout decisions.
Why: Iterating on a markdown spec then translating to production is redundant. The user can open the PPTX, see exactly what it looks like, and direct changes by slug-ID. The JS file is a better spec than any markdown document because it produces the actual artifact.
The JS file contains per slide:
OSL-01){
slug: 'OSL-01',
title: 'One Shot Learning',
type: 'content', // content, chalkboard, section-break, title, contributions, etc.
content: [], // bullet points, text blocks
speakerNotes: '', // full speaker notes with delivery cues
deliveryCues: [], // [verbal punctuation], [question], [cycle], [passion], [pause]
asset: null, // path relative to 05-author/assets/
layout: 'default', // default, wide-image, no-image, star-callback
}
Full Winston methodology: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak.md
Raw transcripts: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/presentation/guides/how-to-speak/how-to-speak-transcript/
Stage guides weave in relevant Winston techniques at the point of use.
cd ~/talks/all-hands-q1
/hts:start --label inform
/hts:brain-dump
/hts:shape
/hts:outline
/hts:author