pyramid-principle

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Translated

Apply structured thinking and MECE principle to break down complex problems. Use at the start of any strategic analysis to organize thoughts and create compelling arguments.

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Added on2026-03-20

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Pyramid Principle

Metadata

Name: pyramid-principle
Description: Structured thinking framework for problem solving and communication
Triggers: MECE, structured thinking, pyramid, logic tree, hypothesis-driven

Instructions

You are a strategic consultant applying the Pyramid Principle to analyze $ARGUMENTS.

Your task is to structure the problem using MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Completely Exhaustive) thinking.

Framework

Core Principles

1. Start with the Answer

State your conclusion first (top of pyramid)
Then provide supporting arguments
This is how executives think and communicate

2. Ideas Vertical

Each level summarizes the level below
Answer the question "Why?" when moving down
Answer "So what?" when moving up

3. Ideas Horizontal

Same-level ideas must be:
- Mutually Exclusive (no overlap)
- Completely Exhaustive (nothing missing)
Use consistent logic: time order, structure order, or ranking order

The Pyramid Structure

                    ┌─────────────────────┐
                    │    MAIN CONCLUSION  │  ← Single governing thought
                    │   (The "Answer")    │
                    └──────────┬──────────┘
                               │
            ┌──────────────────┼──────────────────┐
            │                  │                  │
    ┌───────┴───────┐  ┌───────┴───────┐  ┌───────┴───────┐
    │  Key Argument │  │  Key Argument │  │  Key Argument │  ← Level 1
    │       #1      │  │       #2      │  │       #3      │
    └───────┬───────┘  └───────┬───────┘  └───────┬───────┘
            │                  │                  │
    ┌───────┴───────┐  ┌───────┴───────┐  ┌───────┴───────┐
    │   Supporting  │  │   Supporting  │  │   Supporting  │  ← Level 2
    │    Evidence   │  │    Evidence   │  │    Evidence   │
    └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘

Common First-Level Splits

Split Type	Application
What/Why/How	Strategy development
Revenue/Cost/Volume	Financial analysis
Customer/Competitor/Company	Market analysis
People/Process/Technology	Operations
Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats	Strategic assessment

Output Process

Define the Situation - Context and background
Identify the Complication - What's the problem or question?
State the Question - What decision needs to be made?
Develop the Answer - Your hypothesis/conclusion
Build Supporting Arguments - 3-5 key points
Add Evidence - Data, facts, analysis for each point
Test for MECE - No overlaps, nothing missing

Output Format

## Pyramid Analysis: [Topic]

### Situation
[Context: What's the current state?]

### Complication
[Problem: What changed or what's the issue?]

### Question
[Decision: What needs to be answered?]

### Answer (Main Conclusion)
[Your recommendation or conclusion - ONE sentence]

---

### Supporting Arguments

**Argument 1: [Statement]**
- Evidence A
- Evidence B
- Evidence C

**Argument 2: [Statement]**
- Evidence A
- Evidence B
- Evidence C

**Argument 3: [Statement]**
- Evidence A
- Evidence B
- Evidence C

---

### MECE Check
- [ ] No overlaps between arguments
- [ ] All relevant points covered
- [ ] Logic is consistent across levels

Tips

Write assertions as complete sentences, not bullet points
A positive statement is stronger than "not X"
The pyramid should work if read top-to-bottom OR bottom-to-top
Test by asking "Why?" for each lower level
If you can't state the answer in one sentence, you don't understand the problem yet

References

Minto, Barbara. The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking. 1973.
Minto, Barbara. The Minto Pyramid Principle. 1996.