Storymakers playbook

How real consulting decks align with the playbook.

Every analysed deck is matched against three layers of the Storymakers taxonomy: one of 20 narrative arcs at the deck level, multiple 53 loops as contiguous slide segments, and 226 tools at slide / loop / block layer. We also record any named consulting framework visible on each slide.

114
decks matched
836
loops detected
9227
tool tags
455
framework tags
274
unique frameworks

20 narrative arcs · ranked

primary arc per deck · click for decks using it
Strategy & Business
The Consultant's Gambit
85
Situation & Context → Problem & Complication → Solution & Approach → Evidence & Proof → Impact & Next Steps
Analysis & Information
The Triple Take
23
The Facts (What) → The Implications (So What) → The Action (Now What)
Analysis & Information
The Onion
5
Surface Observation → First Layer → Deeper Layer → Core Insight → Implications
Analysis & Information
The Mountain
1
Setup & Stakes → Rising Action → Climax → Resolution
Strategy & Business
The Sequoia Pitch
0
Problem → Solution → Why Now → Market Size → Competition → Product → Business Model → Team → Financials → The Ask
Strategy & Business
Problem-Agitate-Solution
0
Problem (Identify pain) → Agitate (Make it worse) → Solution (Provide relief)
Strategy & Business
Monroe's Motivated Sequence
0
Attention → Need → Satisfaction → Visualization → Action
Strategy & Business
AIDA
0
Attention → Interest → Desire → Action
Narrative & Transformation
The Hero's Journey
0
Ordinary World → Call to Adventure → Challenges & Allies → Transformation → Return with Elixir
Narrative & Transformation
The Sparkline
0
What Is → What Could Be → What Is → What Could Be → New Bliss
Narrative & Transformation
The Golden Circle
0
Why → How → What
Narrative & Transformation
The Transformation Tale
0
Current Reality (Pain) → Future Vision (Gain) → The Bridge
Narrative & Transformation
The Pixar Pitch
0
Once upon a time → Every day → One day → Because of that → Until finally
Booker's 7 Plots
Overcoming the Monster
0
The Monster → The Call → The Struggle → The Victory → The New Order
Booker's 7 Plots
Rags to Riches
0
Humble Origins → Early Struggles → The Breakthrough → Rising Success → Ultimate Achievement
Booker's 7 Plots
The Quest
0
The Goal → Assembling the Team → Obstacles → The Final Push → Goal Achieved
Booker's 7 Plots
Voyage and Return
0
The Familiar World → The Unknown → Discoveries → The Return → Lessons Applied
Booker's 7 Plots
Comedy
0
Initial Order → Confusion → Escalating Chaos → Resolution → New Harmony
Booker's 7 Plots
Tragedy
0
Initial Success → Fatal Flaw → Downward Spiral → The Fall → Lessons for Us
Booker's 7 Plots
Rebirth
0
The Crisis → The Dark Period → Catalyst for Change → Transformation → Renewed Success
85 in Strategy & Business
29 in Analysis & Information

53 loops · how segments are built

each deck contains multiple loops
Consulting Framework
225 in 105 decks
Logical Reasoning
170 in 55 decks
Comparison
129 in 78 decks
Analysis
82 in 52 decks
Narrative
66 in 53 decks
Urgency
64 in 55 decks
Validation
36 in 25 decks
Vision
25 in 21 decks
Causation
15 in 12 decks
Persuasion
7 in 7 decks
Change Management
6 in 5 decks
Competitive
5 in 5 decks
Risk Management
3 in 3 decks
Explanation
2 in 2 decks
Decision Making
1 in 1 decks
#1
Logical Reasoning
02_pattern_hunter
Group multiple pieces of evidence that together point to a pattern or conclusion
16552 decks
Best examples ↓
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#2
Comparison
04_tale_two_worlds
Show the gap between two states to drive urgency or highlight opportunity
6751 decks
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#3
Analysis
06_zoom_in
Start broad, then progressively focus on specific details that prove your point
6034 decks
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#4
Narrative
03_aha_moment
Establish a tension, present data, then deliver the insight that changes everything
5650 decks
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#5
Consulting Framework
41_so_what_cascade
Chain insights together, each answering 'so what?' until you reach the actionable conclusion
5633 decks
Best examples ↓
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#6
Consulting Framework
40_mece_breakdown
Divide a complex topic into mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive categories
4643 decks
Best examples ↓
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#7
Comparison
39_benchmark_gap
Compare performance against best-in-class to quantify the opportunity
3735 decks
Best examples ↓
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#8
Urgency
15_why_now
Create temporal urgency by proving that the window of opportunity is opening or closing
3232 decks
Best examples ↓
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#9
Urgency
27_cost_of_inaction
Quantify what happens if the audience does nothing
3228 decks
Best examples ↓
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#10
Consulting Framework
34_segmentation_split
Divide a whole into meaningful segments to reveal hidden patterns
3130 decks
Best examples ↓
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#11
Validation
09_precedent
Use historical or external examples to validate your approach
2918 decks
Best examples ↓
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#12
Comparison
21_before_after
Show the dramatic contrast between the old way and the new way through side-by-side comparison
2522 decks
Best examples ↓
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#13
Analysis
10_iceberg
Reveal that the visible problem is merely a symptom of a deeper root cause
2220 decks
Best examples ↓
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#14
Consulting Framework
36_maturity_curve
Show where you are on a progression and what it takes to reach the next level
2121 decks
Best examples ↓
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#15
Consulting Framework
47_quick_win_big_bet
Separate initiatives into immediate wins and longer-term strategic bets
1616 decks
Best examples ↓
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#16
Vision
11_golden_circle
Invert the typical pitch by starting with why you exist, rather than what you do
1313 decks
Best examples ↓
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#17
Vision
24_time_machine
Transport the audience to a future state where your solution has already succeeded
1212 decks
Best examples ↓
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#18
Consulting Framework
30_2x2_matrix
Plot options on two critical dimensions to reveal the optimal quadrant
1010 decks
Best examples ↓
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#19
Causation
13_domino_effect
Demonstrate how a single small strategic move triggers a cascade of positive outcomes
98 decks
Best examples ↓
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#20
Narrative
05_the_reveal
Build mystery and anticipation, then deliver a surprising or powerful conclusion
88 decks
Best examples ↓
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#21
Consulting Framework
33_build_up
Start from zero and add components to arrive at a total
88 decks
Best examples ↓
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#22
Consulting Framework
35_scenario_fork
Present multiple futures based on different assumptions or decisions
88 decks
Best examples ↓
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#23
Persuasion
12_myth_buster
Address a common misconception head-on to clear the room for a new truth
77 decks
Best examples ↓
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#24
Change Management
17_pivot
Validate a change in direction by showing it is a reaction to new intelligence, not failure
65 decks
Best examples ↓
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#25
Causation
26_ripple_effect
Show how impact spreads from individual to team to organization to market
66 decks
Best examples ↓
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#26
Competitive
16_david_goliath
Frame your initiative as the nimble underdog taking on a slow, bloated incumbent
55 decks
Best examples ↓
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#27
Consulting Framework
37_root_cause_tree
Branch out from a problem to its multiple contributing causes
55 decks
Best examples ↓
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#28
Consulting Framework
44_value_chain_walk
Walk through each step of the value chain to identify where value is created or destroyed
51 decks
Best examples ↓
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#29
Consulting Framework
49_three_horizons
Structure initiatives across time horizons: protect core, grow adjacencies, create futures
55 decks
Best examples ↓
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#30
Logical Reasoning
20_paradox_resolver
Introduce a seeming contradiction that captures attention, then resolve it with a deeper truth
43 decks
Best examples ↓
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226 tools · 3 levels of abstraction

7599 Slide tags (68 unique) · 926 Loop tags (66 unique) · 702 Block tags (38 unique)
Slide tools
109 in taxonomy
Action Titles core
2488 · 112d
Concrete Language
778 · 100d
Annotation
553 · 111d
Color Strategy
316 · 87d
Chart Selection Guide
308 · 77d
Visual Hierarchy
295 · 96d
Von Restorff Effect
287 · 84d
Small Multiples
272 · 95d
Credibility Transfer
232 · 84d
Metaphor & Analogy core
225 · 74d
Contrast Principle
180 · 68d
Core Message Extraction
153 · 72d
Emotional Appeal
153 · 77d
Authority Bias
148 · 71d
Picture Superiority Effect
145 · 61d
Closing Techniques
117 · 87d
Gestalt Principles
105 · 61d
Opening Hooks
97 · 74d
So What? Test core
73 · 29d
Sinatra Test
67 · 31d
Loop tools
45 in taxonomy
Contrast Pairs core
166 · 96d
Chunking
130 · 76d
Parallel Structure
81 · 42d
Data Story Arc core
70 · 53d
Inductive Reasoning core
63 · 42d
Tricolon
43 · 30d
Callback
33 · 25d
Aha! Moment
30 · 29d
Information Gap Theory
30 · 30d
The Turn
19 · 13d
Antithesis
17 · 16d
Causal Chain
15 · 14d
Anaphora
13 · 12d
Foreshadowing
13 · 10d
Progressive Disclosure
12 · 10d
Build-Up (Gradatio)
11 · 11d
Payoff
11 · 11d
Deductive Reasoning core
9 · 7d
Vertical Logic
9 · 9d
Argument from Analogy
9 · 5d
Block tools
72 in taxonomy
MECE Principle core
79 · 54d
The Rule of Three
79 · 60d
Three Pillars core
72 · 51d
Curiosity Gap
71 · 44d
SCQA Framework core
62 · 62d
Pyramid Principle core
47 · 47d
Loss Aversion
41 · 34d
Storytelling Effect
40 · 20d
Big Idea Formula core
37 · 35d
Governing Thought
26 · 25d
Before-After-Bridge
20 · 17d
Social Proof
16 · 13d
Negativity Bias
15 · 14d
Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS)
13 · 13d
Anchoring Bias
12 · 12d
Scarcity
9 · 8d
Audience Definition core
6 · 6d
Hypothesis-Driven Structure
6 · 5d
Audience Segmentation
5 · 5d
Priming
5 · 3d

Frameworks in the wild

open vocabulary · top 40 of 274 unique
232x2 Matrix · 19 decks 20Value Chain · 9 decks 15Maturity Model · 15 decks 11The A List Framework · 1 decks 11HFS Horizons · 2 decks 7Total Enterprise Reinvention · 7 decks 7Accenture Resilience Index · 2 decks 6Five Imperatives for Gen AI Reinvention · 1 decks 5Everest Group PEAK Matrix · 1 decks 4Wise Pivot · 3 decks 4Waterfall Chart · 4 decks 4Sustainability DNA · 1 decks 4Six Sigma · 1 decks 4Scenario Planning Matrix · 1 decks 4Scenario Matrix · 2 decks 4Compute Index · 1 decks 4Capability Impact Heatmap · 1 decks 42x2 Matrix (Bubble) · 2 decks 3Waterfall / Value Bridge · 2 decks 3Three Pillars · 2 decks 3Three Horizons · 2 decks 3Talent Reinvention (3 Levers) · 1 decks 3Rule of 40 · 3 decks 3Reinventor / Transformer / Optimizer Maturity Segmentation · 1 decks 3Operations Maturity Model · 2 decks 3Four Dimensions of Enterprise Resilience · 1 decks 3Combo Bar-Line Chart · 1 decks 3Buy / Build / Partner · 1 decks 2US AI Diffusion Framework (Tier 1/2/3) · 1 decks 2Total Enterprise Reinvention Wheel · 1 decks 2TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) · 1 decks 2Resiliency 2.0 (Accenture) · 1 decks 2Replatform-Reframe-Reach · 1 decks 2Recent Datapoints / Base Case / What to Watch · 1 decks 2Prediction Scorecard · 2 decks 2Platform Agent Hierarchy · 1 decks 2Path to Reinventor (Ambition / Digital Core / Talent / Initiatives) · 1 decks 2Net Better Off · 1 decks 2Market Landscape Map · 2 decks 2KPI Dashboard · 1 decks

Deep dives · pick a deck

AirStreetCapital
2024 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2024
A long-form analytical state-of-the-field report — strong action-titled slides and consistent evidence stacking align loosely with the Triple Take arc (Facts → Implications → Predictions), but the deck functions as a curated scan rather than a single Storymakers narrative; recurring Pattern Hunter loops and a chiasmic NVIDIA segment are the clearest taxonomy hits.
The Triple Take · 213p 78%
AirStreetCapital
2023 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2023
A breadth-first VC-published industry report that aligns loosely with Storymakers Triple Take (Facts -> Implications -> Predictions), but leans heavily on action-titled data slides and pattern-hunter accumulation rather than tight loops; almost no SCQA, no real recommendation arc, and little use of contrast or transformation devices.
The Triple Take · 163p 78%
AirStreetCapital
2022 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2022
This is an analyst/research report (not a recommendation deck): it tracks the Storymakers Triple Take loosely — Facts (Research+Industry) → Implications (Politics+Safety) → Action (9 Predictions) — and leans on action titles, parallel-structure timelines, and tale-of-two-worlds contrasts (closed vs open, China vs US, industry vs academia) rather than on classic consulting frameworks like SCQA or pyramid principle.
The Triple Take · 114p 78%
AirStreetCapital
2021 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2021
Annual state-of-industry report that loosely follows a Triple Take macro arc (Facts->Implications->Action); tactically it leans on Pattern Hunter loops, callback/payoff to last year's predictions, and concrete-language action titles, but is not a tight Storymakers deck — it reads as a curated evidence anthology more than a single argument.
The Triple Take · 188p 78%
AirStreetCapital
2020 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2020
A 177-page research compilation that loosely follows a Triple Take macro arc (Facts in Research/Talent/Industry -> Implications in Politics -> Action in Predictions) but the dominant pattern is repeated Pattern Hunter loops where each slide stands alone with an action-title insight + concrete stat + so-what callout. Storymakers slide-level discipline is rigorous; Block-level frameworks (SCQA, MECE, hero arc) are absent.
The Triple Take · 177p 60%
AirStreetCapital
2019 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2019
Encyclopaedic state-of-AI almanac that loosely tracks a Triple Take (facts -> implications -> predictions) but spends most of its 136 pages stacking case studies via inductive 'pattern hunter' loops; Storymakers alignment is partial — strong action titles and disciplined data viz, weak overall narrative arc.
The Triple Take · 136p 70%
AirStreetCapital
2018 Air Street Capital The State of AI Report 2018
Air Street Capital's State of AI 2018 is a 156-page evidence-stacking report that loosely follows a Triple Take (Facts -> Implications -> Predictions) with strong Storymakers alignment on action titles and pattern-hunter loops, but is structured by topic rather than narrative arc — no single hero, no resolution, and limited use of contrast/before-after framing typical of consulting decks.
The Triple Take · 156p 78%
Accenture · 2023
Year-end Macro Brief Into the Fog of Winter
Highly disciplined data-pyramid macro brief: every slide owns an action title and a so-what, and the deck onions cleanly from exec summary → regional spotlight → thematic indicator deep-dive → financial-market implications. Lighter on Storymakers narrative arcs (no clear hero/transformation/Pixar shape) and on a 'now what' for executives — only p5 explicitly invites action.
The Onion · 55p 78%
Accenture · 2024
Work, workforce, workers Reinvented in the age of generative AI
Strong Storymakers alignment: a textbook Consultant's Gambit anchored by action titles, branded frameworks (Net Better Off, Gen AI GPS) and parallel accelerators with case-study proof. Loops and contrast-pair patterns are consistently visible, though some chapters lean on quote-and-stat decoration rather than tighter logic chains.
The Consultant's Gambit · 48p 90%
Accenture · 2016
World Economic Forum Digital Transformation Initiative: In collaboration with Accenture
A textbook Accenture/WEF Consultant's Gambit: opens with a $1.3T value reveal, frames decarbonization/decentralization as the complication, lays out a four-theme MECE framework on a value-at-stake matrix, proves each with a real utility case, and closes with a tactical/bold-plays roadmap. Strong Storymakers alignment on structure and action-titled subtitles; weaker on emotional arc.
The Consultant's Gambit · 10p 90%
Accenture · 2023
Value untangled Amplify speed to value through interoperability
A textbook Consultant's Gambit: numbered Situation->Problem->Solution->Proof->Impact sections with strong action titles, benchmark charts, named cases (Liberty, HSBC, Accenture) and a custom three-pillar prescription. Light on canonical named frameworks but methodologically tight.
The Consultant's Gambit · 39p 88%
Accenture · 2022
Value untangled Accelerating radical growth through interoperability
Strong Storymakers alignment: clean Consultant's Gambit arc with explicit action titles, named figures, a value-bridge waterfall, small-multiples benchmarking, and a 3-lever MECE recommendation framework. Weakest where it leans on long body copy and quote slides instead of progressive visual reveals.
The Consultant's Gambit · 47p 88%
Accenture · 2025
Unlocking alpha in deals
Strong Storymakers alignment — clean Consultant's Gambit arc with a Rule-of-Three solution (p14), benchmark-gap evidence (figures 3-4) and a callback-driven 'engineer alpha' close. Weak spots are the long stretch of section dividers and CTAs that thin per-slide tool density.
The Consultant's Gambit · 30p 92%
Accenture · 2021
Transforming the Industry that transformed the World: 01 Shift to as-a-serice
Strong Storymakers alignment: a clean Consultant's Gambit at the macro level with five Precedent loops (Apple, NVIDIA, JCI, Lenovo, Samsung) following an identical mini-pattern of trailblazer to survey-data proof to five-action framework, every slide anchored by an action-titled headline.
The Consultant's Gambit · 32p 85%
Accenture · 2023
Total Enterprise Reinvention
Textbook Consultant's Gambit thought-leadership white paper: it sells a proprietary maturity model (TER) by stacking disruption evidence, contrasting Reinventors against peers, and closing with reflective diagnostic questions — strong on action titles, von-Restorff stat callouts and a recurring framework wheel, but light on classic Storymakers loops like before/after demos or true scenario forks.
The Consultant's Gambit · 62p 88%
Accenture · 2023
Thought you knew the Scope 3 issues in your supply chain? Think again.
Strong Storymakers alignment: explicit myth-buster hook, action-titles throughout, three numbered insights anchored in figures, 2x2 segmentation framework, and a five-action ripple-effect close — though the Solution-vs-Evidence beats blur because the analytical lens IS the evidence.
The Consultant's Gambit · 28p 78%
Accenture · 2021
The “new” rules of engagement
A textbook Accenture survey-POV deck that hits Consultant's Gambit beats cleanly via action-titled, two-column stat slides; storytelling and persuasion craft are present but lean — most loops are pattern-hunter / contrast-pair plays without any named consulting framework.
The Consultant's Gambit · 20p 85%
Accenture · 2022
The ultimate healthcare experience: what people want
Accenture follows the Consultant's Gambit competently with a strong action-title spine, MECE four-facet structure, and chart-driven evidence per theme, but the loops are mostly single-insight data reveals (aha moment, benchmark gap, contrast pairs) rather than richer rhetorical patterns, and the deck never names a recognised consulting framework.
The Consultant's Gambit · 21p 85%
Accenture · 2022
The productivity push Powering the UK’s performance with five digital capabilities
Tight Consultant's Gambit white-paper that nails SCQA at the macro level: opens with the productivity gap, sizes a £33B prize, then runs a parallel 3-slide proof loop (definition -> industry view -> case) for each of five digital capabilities before diagnosing three barriers and a soft CTA. Strong alignment with Storymakers' headline-first / pyramid logic; weaker on emotional story beats and explicit hero/audience framing.
The Consultant's Gambit · 37p 88%
Accenture · 2023
The next billion consumers
A textbook Consultant's Gambit: Accenture sets up a $211B / 1.4B-consumer opportunity, sharpens the pain via risk indices and buyer-journey dissatisfaction, then resolves with a four-driver MECE framework backed by Nike/DBS proof and a clear 'next move' CTA — high alignment with Storymakers, with named segmentation, funnel and precedent loops doing the heavy lifting.
The Consultant's Gambit · 46p 88%
Accenture · 2025
The future of demand
Strong textbook Consultant's Gambit - Accenture executes Situation->Complication->Evidence->three-action Solution->Impact with action titles, concrete numbers, named-source authority and a clear contrast (sustainable vs conventional) running through Figures 2-5. The recommendation block (pp14-16) is enumerated rather than tightly looped, but overall alignment with Storymakers conventions is high.
The Consultant's Gambit · 21p 88%
Accenture · 2025
The front-runners’ guide to scaling AI Lessons from industry leaders
Strong alignment with Storymakers' Consultant's Gambit: clear S-C-Q-A framing, segmentation-driven proof, named cases (QBE, BMW, Allianz), and a MECE five-imperative recommendation block closing on a metaphor-driven CTA. Weakest area is action titles on early pages (several remain topic labels rather than insights).
The Consultant's Gambit · 39p 90%
Accenture · 2023
The evolving private equity playbook
Textbook Consultant's Gambit: situation, problem, framework, proof, and a rule-of-three recommendation with strong action titles and stat anchoring throughout. Where it diverges from Storymakers is the use of decorative section dividers and a 25-point matrix that strains the one-idea rule.
The Consultant's Gambit · 23p 88%
Accenture · 2023
The disability inclusion imperative
Strong alignment with Storymakers Consultant's Gambit: clear action titles, MECE 5-pillar named framework (A List), case-study evidence per pillar, and a vision-led closing CTA. Weakest spot is the secondary arc — the 'Transformation Tale' bridge is implied more than dramatized.
The Consultant's Gambit · 46p 88%