Chart junk, PowerPoint, and Rocketships

It is not impossible to make something good with PowerPoint. You just have to do the opposite of what every standard PowerPoint template ever made would have you do.

Seth is right on all points here:

No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken. 

No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images. 

No dissolves, spins or other transitions.

The legendary PowerPoint of the Gettysburg Address critiques the medium by example:

Remember:

• Good, clear charts and infographics are awesome.  
• Chart junk is bad. 
• PowerPoint chart junk is particularly bad.
• Really bad PowerPoint can kill astronauts and blow up rocketships.