MEMO: Presentation Graphics for Overhead Projection

Tl;dr: The initial pitch the founder Robert Gaskins made to make PowerPoint which was then acquired by MicroSoft. 

PowerPoint was created by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin at a software startup in Silicon Valley named Forethought, Inc. Forethought had been founded in 1983 to create an integrated environment and applications for future personal computers that would provide a graphical user interface, but it had run into difficulties requiring a “restart” and new plan.

On July 5, 1984, Forethought hired Robert Gaskins as its vice president of product development  to create a new application that would be especially suited to the new graphical personal computers, such as Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh. Gaskins produced his initial description of PowerPoint about a month later (August 14, 1984) in the form of a 2-page document titled “Presentation Graphics for Overhead Projection.”

This is that presentation. It’s really concise and to the point. Something most people are not capable of doing!

Pitch to make PowerPoint

Text version

14 August 1984
R. Gaskins

SAMPLE PRODUCT PROPOSAL: PRESENTATION GRAPHICS FOR OVERHEAD PROJECTION

I. Target Market: People who make presentations to others: managers, professionals, knowledge workers, salespeople -·

• people likely to justify PCs for multiple purposes
• this purpose not served by word processors or spreadsheets

A. In small companies, sales presentations to customers

B. In large companies, project presentations to peers/superiors

• both cases put a dollar value on effective communication
• individuals· business success hinge5 on presentation

II. Market Size

In 1982: Business presentations was $3.5 billion industry

• 520 million original 35mm slides
• 380 million overhead transparencies

Computers could generate 60% (Hope Reports, courtesy DRI)

(Percentage rises over time, as graphics devices get better, and percentage of overheads is likely close to 100%)

Market may be concentrated in 11ome Fortune 500 companies, e.g.:

• Intel for sales pre!5entations
• Northern Telecom for internal presentations

-can sell directly/refer dealers to local offices of such targets.

III. Product Concept: Personal Presentation Management

• Create slide presentations
• Create talking papers
• Create handouts

— all from one master data file

• Outline aids for structuring/writing/reviewing presentations
• Slides with border, logo, identification, sequence
• Slides with high-quality typeset text, multi styles andsizes
• Slides with diagrams, drawings, sketches, maps, erg charts.
• Slides with tables entered a5 spreadsheets
• Slides with business chart graphics (from table entry)

 

• display on PC screen, print on different-quality devices
• produce printing-industry quality as one option

 

• communicate high-quality slides via electronic mail can be used at far end with any output device (video to typeset)

 

• (for high-volume users:)
• Files of presentation/talking paper/handout for retrieval
• Re-use parts of previous presentations
• Create new sequences of old slides <new date, label, sequence>
• Standard templates for corporate grade standards
• Standard templates for presentation structure standards
• Convert from/to IBN SNA document formats (DIA/DCA)
• Special facilities such as coordination of two projectors

IV. User Benefits

• Improves effectiveness of presentation content
• Improves clarity of complex material
• Reduces time to prepare presentations (dramatically)
• Facilitates corr•ct last-minute changes and revisions
• Allows compliance with company presentation standards
• Provides communication cf high-quality presentations
• Reduces cost of presentations (dramatically>
• Allows the content-ori9inator to control th• presentation

V. Technology Trends

• WYSIWYG required for sensible layout <better th’ln PC graphics>
• Low cost printers <thermal transfer $500, laser $3000=>originals
• Thermal transfer and ink-Jet make slides (as do copiers)
• Color graphics plus color ink-jet for color

VI. Match to Forethought Foundation Technology:

• Content-originator can improve result by controlling presentation, no services, no clarical intervention, time is of the essence)
• Requires typeset text, paragraphs, lists
• Requires graphics fer diagrams and drawings
• Requires business charts from tables (scaling to multiple sizes required)
• Requires simple spreadsheets <calculation in tables>
• Requires file cabinet of presentation,s and elements-Would like link to mainframe databases for corporate data
• Would like simple link to 1-2-:S
• (Ditto for project planners, word processors…)

VII. Joint Ventures with Large Nanuf•cturers:

• 3M very large player, in hardware (esp. compact models fer portable sales presentations) and in media
• Others include Bell & Howell, Charles Besseler, Elmo, Telex,…

PDF Version

 

You can read the rest of the memo collection here.