# One-Pager Skill

A one-pager is a forcing function: if it doesn't fit on one page, the thinking isn't sharp enough. It's
the leave-behind after a pitch, the brief that aligns a team, the thing a busy exec actually reads. This
skill distils a startup / product / project / idea into one skimmable, persuasive page with a clear ask —
pair it with the **Paper** or **Modern** PDF theme for a polished one-sheet.

## Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

- **What it's for & the audience** — investor one-pager, product one-sheet, project brief, partnership leave-behind? (sets emphasis and the ask).
- **The core** — what it is, the problem it solves, and who for.
- **Proof / why now** — traction, data, market timing, or differentiation.
- **The ask** — what you want the reader to do next (invest, approve, pilot, partner).

## Output Format

A single page, skimmable, in this order:

### [Name / Title]
*[One-line tagline — what it is, in plain words a stranger gets instantly]*

**The problem** — 2–3 sentences: the pain, who feels it, why it matters now. Concrete, not abstract.

**The solution** — what you've built/propose and how it solves the problem. Lead with the outcome for the user.

**Why now / why us** — the proof: traction or metrics, market timing, and your unfair advantage or differentiation.

**[Audience-specific block]** — e.g. *Traction* (investor), *How it works* (product), *Plan & timeline* (project), *The offer* (partnership). Use a small table or 3–4 tight bullets.

**The ask** — exactly what you want next, and how to take it (contact / link / next step). End on the action.

**Note** (for the user): ruthless editing is the skill — every line must earn its place. If it spills past a page, cut, don't shrink the font.

## Deeper Materials

- [`templates/one-pager.md`](templates/one-pager.md) — the fill-in template with the section budgets and quality gates inline

## Quality Checks

- [ ] It genuinely fits one page — tight, skimmable, not dense
- [ ] The tagline makes a stranger understand it in one read
- [ ] Problem is concrete and the solution leads with the user outcome
- [ ] There's real proof (metrics / timing / differentiation), not just claims
- [ ] It ends with one clear, specific ask / CTA
- [ ] Emphasis matches the audience (investor vs. product vs. project vs. partner)

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not overflow the page — a "one-pager" that's two pages has failed its only constraint; cut content, not font size
- [ ] Do not bury the ask — the reader must finish knowing exactly what to do next
- [ ] Do not write an abstract problem ("inefficiencies in the market") — name the concrete pain and who feels it
- [ ] Do not list features instead of the outcome — lead with what it does for the user
- [ ] Do not make claims without proof — one real metric beats three adjectives

## Based On

One-pager / one-sheet practice (problem · solution · why-now · ask) used for startups, products, and project briefs.
