pyramid-principle

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Pyramid Principle

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

Name: pyramid-principle
Description: 用于问题解决与沟通的结构化思维框架
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.

你是一名战略顾问，运用Pyramid Principle分析$ARGUMENTS。

你的任务是运用MECE（相互独立、完全穷尽）思维来构建问题的结构。

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

1. 先给出答案

先陈述你的结论（金字塔顶端）
然后提供支撑论点
这是高管们思考和沟通的方式

2. 纵向逻辑

每个层级概括其下一层级的内容
向下延伸时回答“为什么？”
向上归纳时回答“那又如何？”

3. 横向逻辑

同一层级的观点必须满足：
- 相互独立（无重叠）
- 完全穷尽（无遗漏）
采用一致的逻辑：时间顺序、结构顺序或重要性顺序

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   │
    └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘

                    ┌─────────────────────┐
                    │    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

拆分类型	适用场景
What/Why/How	战略制定
Revenue/Cost/Volume	财务分析
Customer/Competitor/Company	市场分析
People/Process/Technology	运营管理
Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats	战略评估

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

定义情境 - 背景与现状
识别冲突 - 发生了什么变化或存在什么问题？
明确问题 - 需要做出什么决策？
给出答案 - 你的假设或结论
构建支撑论点 - 3-5个核心要点
补充证据 - 每个要点对应的数据、事实与分析
MECE检验 - 无重叠、无遗漏

Output Format

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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?]

[Decision: What needs to be made?]

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

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

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No overlaps between arguments
All relevant points covered
Logic is consistent across levels

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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

断言要用完整句子，而非项目符号
肯定式表述比“不是X”更有力量
无论是自上而下还是自下而上阅读，金字塔结构都应成立
通过对每个下层内容提问“为什么？”来检验
如果你无法用一句话表述答案，说明你还没真正理解问题

References

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

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