Storyboard
Turn a product idea into a six-frame user narrative so you, stakeholders, and agents share one concrete before/after story before you build or ship messaging.
Overview
Storyboard is an agent skill most often used in Validate (also Idea, Launch) that turns a product concept into a six-frame user journey narrative for scoping and messaging.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/deanpeters/product-manager-skills --skill storyboardWhat is this skill?
- Six-frame arc: meet user, problem, oh-crap moment, solution discovery, aha moment, life after
- Persona-grounded copy (role, context, stakes) suitable for specs and pitch decks
- Example narrative (SmartInvoice) shows tone and density for B2B/freelancer SaaS
- Optional visual-style note (e.g. fat-marker sharpie) for design handoff
- Markdown template you can paste into PRDs, landing drafts, or investor one-pagers
- 6-frame storyboard structure
- 1 worked example (SmartInvoice)
Adoption & trust: 1.3k installs on skills.sh; 5k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You can describe features but stakeholders and users cannot feel the problem, crisis, or payoff in one coherent story.
Who is it for?
Solo founders validating B2B or prosumer SaaS who need a fast, shareable user journey before writing code or ads.
Skip if: Teams that already have approved UX storyboards in Figma with signed-off frames, or pure API/CLI tools with no end-user narrative.
When should I use this skill?
You need a structured user narrative before scoping features, landing copy, or stakeholder alignment.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a paste-ready six-frame markdown storyboard with persona, stakes, and measurable after-state to feed specs, landing pages, and creative briefs.
- Markdown six-frame storyboard
- Visual-style note for design optional
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Storyboards crystallize who the user is, the crisis moment, and life after the solution—the core validate work of scoping whether the problem and payoff are legible. Scope subphase is where solo builders define the user journey and success criteria; a fixed frame sequence prevents vague feature lists without emotional proof.
Where it fits
Frame a freelance designer’s admin pain so competitor research targets the right wedge.
Lock the crisis-and-payoff arc before narrowing MVP features.
Derive hero, problem, and proof sections from frames 2–6 for a waitlist page.
Turn frame 3–5 into short social hooks without rewriting the whole pitch.
Reuse life-after metrics from frame 6 in case studies and lifecycle email.
How it compares
Use instead of bullet-only personas when you need sequential drama and outcomes agents can quote in copy.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is storyboard for?
Indie builders, solo PMs, and agent-assisted founders who want a lightweight narrative format before committing to build or marketing spend.
When should I use storyboard?
During Validate to scope the user journey; in Idea when researching audience pain; at Launch when drafting distribution and landing story; anytime you need agents aligned on the same before/after arc.
Is storyboard safe to install?
It is procedural markdown guidance with no built-in network or secret access; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page before installing from any source.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Storyboard
# Storyboard Examples ## Example 1: Good Storyboard (Invoice Automation Product) ```markdown ## 6-Frame Storyboard: SmartInvoice **Frame 1: Meet Sarah** Sarah, 35, is a freelance graphic designer managing 10 clients from her home office. She loves the creative work but dreads the admin—especially invoice tracking. **Frame 2: The Problem** Sarah spends 8 hours every month manually tracking overdue invoices in a spreadsheet, sending follow-up emails, and worrying about cash flow. It's repetitive, draining, and pulls her away from design work. **Frame 3: The 'Oh Crap' Moment** A major client's $5,000 payment is now 2 weeks overdue. Sarah realizes she forgot to follow up because she was buried in a design sprint. The client has gone silent, and she's panicking about rent due next week. **Frame 4: The Solution** Sarah discovers SmartInvoice through a designer forum. It promises to automatically send payment reminders at optimal times using AI. Skeptical but desperate, she signs up for the trial. **Frame 5: The 'Aha' Moment** Two days later, Sarah gets a notification: "Client XYZ just paid! $5,000 received." The AI-timed reminder worked—no awkward phone call needed. She's stunned and relieved. **Frame 6: Life After** Three months later, Sarah spends 30 minutes per month on invoicing instead of 8 hours. Her on-time payment rate jumped from 50% to 80%. She leaves work at 6pm now, spending evenings with her kids instead of chasing clients. **Visual Style:** Fat-marker sharpie sketches, minimal and monochrome ``` **Why this works:** - Persona is specific and relatable - Problem is measurable (8 hours/month) and emotional (anxiety) - "Oh Crap" moment is urgent and real - Solution introduction is natural (forum recommendation) - "Aha" moment is concrete ($5,000 received) - "After" state is aspirational (time with kids) --- ## Example 2: Bad Storyboard (Too Generic) ```markdown ## 6-Frame Storyboard: ProductX **Frame 1: Meet User** User is a person who uses software. **Frame 2: The Problem** User has a problem. **Frame 3: The 'Oh Crap' Moment** The problem gets worse. **Frame 4: The Solution** User discovers ProductX with amazing features. **Frame 5: The 'Aha' Moment** User uses ProductX and it works. **Frame 6: Life After** User is happy. ``` **Why this fails:** - "User" is not a person (no name, age, context) - "A problem" is too vague (what problem?) - No emotional weight or specificity - Solution is feature-centric ("amazing features") not outcome-centric - "Aha" moment is abstract ("it works" = meaningless) - "Happy" is not a concrete outcome **How to fix it:** Answer the 7 questions with specifics. Name the character. Describe the problem in detail. Make the "Oh Crap" moment urgent. --- name: storyboard description: Create a six-frame storyboard that shows a user's journey from problem to solution. Use when you need a fast narrative for alignment, concept reviews, or demos. intent: >- Create a 6-frame visual narrative that tells the story of a user's journey from problem to solution, using the classic storytelling arc to build empathy, illustrate value, and make abstract product concepts concrete. Use this to align stakeholders, pitch features, communicate vision, or test if your solution resonates emotionally before building it. type: component --- ## Purpose Create a 6-frame visual narrative that tells the story of a user's journey from problem to solution, using the classic storytelling arc to build empathy, illustrate value, and make abstract product concepts concrete. Use this to align stakeholders, pitch features, communicate vision, or test if your solution resonates emotionally before building it. This is not a UI mockup—it's a storytelling tool that brings the human side of your product to life. ## Key Concepts ### The 6-Frame Storyboard Structure Based on classic narrative arcs, the 6-frame format follows this pattern: 1. **Frame 1: Main Character** — Introduce the persona and their context 2.