pyramid-storylinelisted

# Pyramid Storyline ## When to use Use this when you have the analysis but not the story: the findings are solid yet the message rambles, buries the answer, or reads as a list of everything you did. It is the right skill before writing a memo, building a deck, or briefing a leader, whenever the argument must be understood fast by a busy, senior audience that will not wait for a slow build to a conclusion. ## What it does It imposes the Pyramid Principle on your material: a single governing thought at the top, supported by a small set of MECE key lines, each in turn supported by evidence, so the whole argument is answer-first and logically airtight. It frames the setup with SCQA (situation, complication, question, answer) so the audience feels the question before they hear the answer. The output is a story spine you can pour into any format. ## Method 1. Pin down the audience and the one decision. Name who this is for and the single decision or action you want from them. The governing thought is always in service of that decision; without it you cannot tell which of your findings matter. 2. Draft the governing thought first. Write the single sentence that is your answer: the one thing the audience must take away if they remember nothing else. It must be a complete, decisive statement (an assertion that recommends), not a topic ("our pricing strategy") and not a hedge. Everything else in the pyramid exists to support this one line. 3. Build the SCQA setup. Frame the openin