Skill: mariaponomarenko38/data-storytelling-best (version 1.0.0)

--- name: data-storytelling description: "Transform data into compelling narratives using visualization, context, and persuasive structure. Use when presenting analytics to stakeholders, creating data reports, or building executive presentations." --- # Data Storytelling Transform raw data into compelling narratives that drive decisions and inspire action. ## When to Use This Skill - Presenting analytics to executives - Creating quarterly business reviews - Building investor presentations - Writing data-driven reports - Communicating insights to non-technical audiences - Making recommendations based on data ## Core Concepts ### 1. Story Structure ``` Setup → Conflict → Resolution Setup: Context and baseline Conflict: The problem or opportunity Resolution: Insights and recommendations ``` ### 2. Narrative Arc ``` 1. Hook: Grab attention with surprising insight 2. Context: Establish the baseline 3. Rising Action: Build through data points 4. Climax: The key insight 5. Resolution: Recommendations 6. Call to Action: Next steps ``` ​‍​⁢‌‍‌‌⁢‌‍⁠​⁢‌‍⁠​⁢‌‍⁠⁠⁢‍​​⁢‌​‍‌⁢‍​​⁢‌‍​‌⁢‌‍⁠‌⁢‍​​⁢‌​⁠‌⁢‌‍​‌⁢‌⁠​‍⁢‌‍‍‌⁢‌‍‍‌⁢‌‍​‌ ### 3. Three Pillars | Pillar | Purpose | Components | | ------------- | -------- | -------------------------------- | | **Data** | Evidence | Numbers, trends, comparisons | | **Narrative** | Meaning | Context, causation, implications | | **Visuals** | Clarity | Charts, diagrams, highlights | ## Story Frameworks ### Framework 1: The Problem-Solution Story ```markdown # Customer Churn Analysis ## The Hook "We're losing $2.4M annually to preventable churn." ## The Context - Current churn rate: 8.5% (industry average: 5%) - Average customer lifetime value: $4,800 - 500 customers churned last quarter ## The Problem Analysis of churned customers reveals a pattern: - 73% churned within first 90 days - Common factor: < 3 support interactions - Low feature adoption in first month ## The Insight [Show engagement curve visualization] Customers who don't engage in the first 14 days are 4x more likely to churn. ## The Solution 1. Implement 14-day onboarding sequence 2. Proactive outreach at day 7 3. Feature adoption tracking ## Expected Impact - Reduce early churn by 40% - Save $960K annually - Payback period: 3 months ## Call to Action Approve $50K budget for onboarding automation. ``` ### Framework 2: The Trend Story ```markdown # Q4 Performance Analysis ## Where We Started Q3 ended with $1.2M MRR, 15% below target. Team morale was low after missed goals. ## What Changed [Timeline visualization] - Oct: Launched self-serve pricing - Nov: Reduced friction in signup - Dec: Added customer success calls ## The Transformation [Before/after comparison chart] | Metric | Q3 | Q4 | Change | |----------------|--------|--------|--------| | Trial → Paid | 8% | 15% | +87% | | Time to Value | 14 days| 5 days | -64% | | Expansion Rate | 2% | 8% | +300% | ## Key Insight Self-serve + high-touch creates compound growth. Customers who self-serve AND get a success call have 3x higher expansion rate. ## Going Forward Double down on hybrid model. Target: $1.8M MRR by Q2. ``` ### Framework 3: The Comparison Story ```markdown # Market Opportunity Analysis ## The Question Should we expand into EMEA or APAC first? ## The Comparison [Side-by-side market analysis] ### EMEA - Market size: $4.2B - Growth rate: 8% - Competition: High - Regulatory: Complex (GDPR) - Language: Multiple ### APAC - Market size: $3.8B - Growth rate: 15% - Competition: Moderate - Regulatory: Varied - Language: Multiple ## The Analysis [Weighted scoring matrix visualization] | Factor | Weight | EMEA Score | APAC Score | | ----------- | ------ | ---------- | ---------- | | Market Size | 25% | 5 | 4 | | Growth | 30% | 3 | 5 | | Competition | 20% | 2 | 4 | | Ease | 25% | 2 | 3 | | **Total** | | **2.9** | **4.1** | ## The Recommendation APAC first. Higher growth, less competition. Start with Singapore hub (English, business-friendly). Enter EMEA in Year 2 with localization ready. ## Risk Mitigation - Timezone coverage: Hire 24/7 support - Cultural fit: Local partnerships - Payment: Multi-currency from day 1 ``` ## Visualization Techniques ### Technique 1: Progressive Reveal ```markdown Start simple, add layers: Slide 1: "Revenue is growing" [single line chart] Slide 2: "But growth is slowing" [add growth rate overlay] Slide 3: "Driven by one segment" [add segment breakdown] Slide 4: "Which is saturating" [add market share] Slide 5: "We need new segments" [add opportunity zones] ``` ### Technique 2: Contrast and Compare ```markdown Before/After: ┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐ │ BEFORE │ AFTER │ │ │ │ │ Process: 5 days│ Process: 1 day │ │ Errors: 15% │ Errors: 2% │ │ Cost: $50/unit │ Cost: $20/unit │ └─────────────────┴─────────────────┘ This/That (emphasize difference): ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CUSTOMER A vs B │ │ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │ │ │ ████████ │ │ ██ │ │ │ │ $45,000 │ │ $8,000 │ │ │ │ LTV │ │ LTV │ │ │ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │ │ Onboarded No onboarding │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ### Technique 3: Annotation and Highlight ```python import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import pandas as pd fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(12, 6)) # Plot the main data ax.plot(dates, revenue, linewidth=2, color='#2E86AB') # Add annotation for key events ax.annotate( 'Product Launch\n+32% spike', xy=(launch_date, launch_revenue), xytext=(launch_date, launch_revenue * 1.2), fontsize=10, arrowprops=dict(arrowstyle='->', color='#E63946'), color='#E63946' ) # Highlight a region ax.axvspan(growth_start, growth_end, alpha=0.2, color='green', label='Growth Period') # Add threshold line ax.axhline(y=target, color='gray', linestyle='--', label=f'Target: ${target:,.0f}') ax.set_title('Revenue Growth Story', fontsize=14, fontweight='bold') ax.legend() ``` ## Presentation Templates ### Template 1: Executive Summary Slide ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ KEY INSIGHT │ │ ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════│ │ │ │ "Customers who complete onboarding in week 1 │ │ have 3x higher lifetime value" │ │ │ ├──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ │ THE DATA │ THE IMPLICATION │ │ │ │ │ Week 1 completers: │ ✓ Prioritize onboarding UX │ │ • LTV: $4,500 │ ✓ Add day-1 success milestones │ │ • Retention: 85% │ ✓ Proactive week-1 outreach │ │ • NPS: 72 │ │ │ │ Investment: $75K │ │ Others: │ Expected ROI: 8x │ │ • LTV: $1,500 │ │ │ • Retention: 45% │ │ │ • NPS: 34 │ │ │ │ │ └──────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ### Template 2: Data Story Flow ``` Slide 1: THE HEADLINE "We can grow 40% faster by fixing onboarding" Slide 2: THE CONTEXT Current state metrics Industry benchmarks Gap analysis Slide 3: THE DISCOVERY What the data revealed Surprising finding Pattern identification Slide 4: THE DEEP DIVE Root cause analysis Segment breakdowns Statistical significance Slide 5: THE RECOMMENDATION Proposed actions Resource requirements Timeline Slide 6: THE IMPACT Expected outcomes ROI calculation Risk assessment Slide 7: THE ASK Specific request Decision needed Next steps ``` ### Template 3: One-Page Dashboard Story ```markdown # Monthly Business Review: January 2024 ## THE HEADLINE Revenue up 15% but CAC increasing faster than LTV ## KEY METRICS AT A GLANCE ┌────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐ │ MRR │ NRR │ CAC │ LTV │ │ $125K │ 108% │ $450 │ $2,200 │ │ ▲15% │ ▲3% │ ▲22% │ ▲8% │ └────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘ ## WHAT'S WORKING ✓ Enterprise segment growing 25% MoM ✓ Referral program driving 30% of new logos ✓ Support satisfaction at all-time high (94%) ## WHAT NEEDS ATTENTION ✗ SMB acquisition cost up 40% ✗ Trial conversion down 5 points ✗ Time-to-value increased by 3 days ## ROOT CAUSE [Mini chart showing SMB vs Enterprise CAC trend] SMB paid ads becoming less efficient. CPC up 35% while conversion flat. ## RECOMMENDATION 1. Shift $20K/mo from paid to content 2. Launch SMB self-serve trial 3. A/B test shorter onboarding ## NEXT MONTH'S FOCUS - Launch content marketing pilot - Complete self-serve MVP - Reduce time-to-value to < 7 days ``` ## Writing Techniques ### Headlines That Work ```markdown BAD: "Q4 Sales Analysis" GOOD: "Q4 Sales Beat Target by 23% - Here's Why" BAD: "Customer Churn Report" GOOD: "We're Losing $2.4M to Preventable Churn" BAD: "Marketing Performance" GOOD: "Content Marketing Delivers 4x ROI vs. Paid" Formula: [Specific Number] + [Business Impact] + [Actionable Context] ``` ### Transition Phrases ```markdown Building the narrative: • "This leads us to ask..." • "When we dig deeper..." • "The pattern becomes clear when..." • "Contrast this with..." Introducing insights: • "The data reveals..." • "What surprised us was..." • "The inflection point came when..." • "The key finding is..." Moving to action: • "This insight suggests..." • "Based on this analysis..." • "The implication is clear..." • "Our recommendation is..." ``` ### Handling Uncertainty ```markdown Acknowledge limitations: • "With 95% confidence, we can say..." • "The sample size of 500 shows..." • "While correlation is strong, causation requires..." • "This trend holds for [segment], though [caveat]..." Present ranges: • "Impact estimate: $400K-$600K" • "Confidence interval: 15-20% improvement" • "Best case: X, Conservative: Y" ``` ## Best Practices ### Do's - **Start with the "so what"** - Lead with insight - **Use the rule of three** - Three points, three comparisons - **Show, don't tell** - Let data speak - **Make it personal** - Connect to audience goals - **End with action** - Clear next steps ### Don'ts - **Don't data dump** - Curate ruthlessly - **Don't bury the insight** - Front-load key findings - **Don't use jargon** - Match audience vocabulary - **Don't show methodology first** - Context, then method - **Don't forget the narrative** - Numbers need meaning ## Resources - [Storytelling with Data (Cole Nussbaumer)](https://www.storytellingwithdata.com/) - [The Pyramid Principle (Barbara Minto)](https://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Principle-Logic-Writing-Thinking/dp/0273710516) - [Resonate (Nancy Duarte)](https://www.duarte.com/resonate/)


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