The Pyramid Principle, Explained (With Examples)
The Pyramid Principle is one idea with outsized payoff: state your answer first, then group the reasons beneath it.
7 min read
What the Pyramid Principle is
The Pyramid Principle, developed by Barbara Minto at McKinsey, is a way of structuring any argument so it's easy to follow. The shape is a pyramid: your main conclusion sits at the top, the few reasons that support it sit below, and the evidence for each reason sits below that. You present it top-down — answer first.
It's the default structure across consulting, and it works anywhere you need to make a case: emails, memos, decks, and spoken updates. The core move is counterintuitive but powerful — give the answer before the analysis, not after it.
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