pitch unfairly

Cheat Codes · Proposals and business cases

Romeo and Juliet, 1597. Pitched unfairly, 2026.

One secret wedding ends the feud. Every risk is low. Same story, same numbers. Rebuilt the way we'd pitch it today.

Template: Proposal deck

  • 2 households
  • 1 friar
  • 4 days
Play the 2026 deck Read the real story Steal the structure
1597 Proposal deck

Romeo and Juliet

One secret wedding ends the feud. Every risk is low.

Legend
Original craft
Unfair

The story→10 slides

It's a live deck. Press start, then scroll or use the arrow keys, or play it full screen.

Play the 2026 deck

Romeo and Juliet's proposal deck, slide by slide

Every slide opens the live deck right where it is.

  1. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 1: Marry us in secret. End the feud by Thursday. 01Marry us in secret. End the feud by Thursday.
  2. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 2: Two households, both alike in dignity, cannot share a street. 02Two households, both alike in dignity, cannot share a street.
  3. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 3: One secret wedding, and the feud resets to zero. 03One secret wedding, and the feud resets to zero.
  4. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 4: We met yesterday. It is obviously love. 04We met yesterday. It is obviously love.
  5. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 5: Our market is fair Verona. We need two people. 05Our market is fair Verona. We need two people.
  6. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 6: One balcony conversation. Very promising. 06One balcony conversation. Very promising.
  7. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 7: Four days from first look to lasting peace. 07Four days from first look to lasting peace.
  8. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 8: Every risk is assessed. Every risk is low. 08Every risk is assessed. Every risk is low.
  9. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 9: Two founders, one Nurse, and the wisest friar in Verona. 09Two founders, one Nurse, and the wisest friar in Verona.
  10. Romeo and Juliet deck, slide 10: One wedding. This afternoon. Discreetly. 10One wedding. This afternoon. Discreetly.

Then · 1597

How it really went

Read the real storyWilliam Shakespeare, via Project Gutenberg
  1. Sunday morning: the third street brawl; the Prince threatens death for the next
  2. Romeo pines for Rosaline
  3. Sunday night: Romeo sees Juliet at the Capulet feast
  4. The balcony: names renounced, vows exchanged, follow-up at nine
  5. Monday dawn: Romeo asks Friar Laurence to marry them today
  6. The Friar agrees, hoping it turns the feud to love
  7. Monday afternoon: the secret wedding
  8. Tybalt kills Mercutio; Romeo kills Tybalt; banished to Mantua
  9. Capulet sets Juliet to marry Paris, then moves it up
  10. The potion, the missed letter, the tomb
  11. Thursday dawn: the families reconcile and promise gold statues

Now · 2026 · 10 slides

What we changed

  • The feud has a meterA gauge swings from "ancient grudge" to "pure love" the moment the wedding happens. Projected, obviously.
  • The week plays itselfSunday to Thursday, scene by scene, each one lighting up in order. Every card is true. None of them are reassuring.
  • A risk register you can checkSix risks, all rated Low. Click one to flip it and see the act and scene where it happens.
  • The advisor gets his own thesis backThe Friar's real motive, "turn your households' rancour to pure love", is the solution slide.

Steal the structure

Build your proposal deck like Romeo and Juliet did.

  1. 01 One-line promise Say the ask and the outcome in one sentence.
  2. 02 Problem Make the stakes concrete: a count, a decree, a deadline.
  3. 03 Solution Show the one move that changes the number, in the investor's own words.
  4. 04 Why now Prove the moment: what changed in the last 24 hours.
  5. 05 Market Size it honestly, even when the answer is two people.
  6. 06 Traction Count the signals you already have, however early.
  7. 07 Plan Lay the milestones on a timeline the room can watch.
  8. 08 Risks Name every risk before they do, with a mitigation each.
  9. 09 Team One line per person, and give the advisor a seat.
  10. 10 The ask A term sheet: what, where, when, and the cover story.

Make yours in ChatGPT

Type your site. We'll write the prompt with Romeo and Juliet's structure and your brand.

Back to the cheat codes