joellewis/memo-stress-tester

Overview

Memo stress-testing is the rigorous evaluation of a business document's "readiness" for executive decision-making. It identifies logical gaps, unproven assertions, and "half-baked" ideas. By applying the Amazon narrative standard, Minto's pyramid logic, and the doctrine of Completed Staff Work, it ensures that a document is a self-contained tool for strategic action rather than a draft for the boss to finish.

Guiding Principles

Principle 1: Completed Staff Work (Source: Web, Completed Staff Work Doctrine)

Study, write, restudy, and rewrite until you have evolved a single proposed action. The "Chief" should only need to approve or disapprove. If the superior has to do more research or thinking, the staff work is incomplete.

Principle 2: The Self-Contained Narrative (Source: Bryar, Working Backwards)

A memo must stand on its own without a supporting presentation. It should be a narrative that forces better thinking and allows for deep, silent reading. If the document relies on "hallway context" or a presenter's explanation, it fails the stress test.

Principle 3: MECE Validation (Source: Minto, The Pyramid Principle)

Every group of supporting points must be Mutually Exclusive (no overlaps) and Collectively Exhaustive (no gaps). If points in a list overlap, the logic is "fuzzy." If a key driver is missing, the document is fragile.

Principle 4: Contribution over Effort (Source: Drucker, The Effective Executive)

The memo must focus on the results and contribution to the organization, not the effort centers (costs/internal processes). An effective memo identifies what needs to be done to move the needle on the outside environment.

Principle 5: The "Answer First" Order (Source: Minto, The Pyramid Principle)

Never build a "logical crescendo" where the recommendation is at the end. State the conclusion first, then support it. Executives are paid to make decisions; don't make them wait for page 6 to see what they are deciding.

When to Use This Skill

• Before submitting a proposal to senior leadership.
• Reviewing a peer's PRD or strategic brief.
• Auditing a document after a meeting resulted in "no decision" or "more research needed."
• Compressing a long report into a "one-pager."

When NOT to Use This Skill

• Brainstorming/Ideation phases where logic is still fluid.
• Informal updates or status reports that don't require a decision.

Core Process

Step 1: The "Completed Staff Work" Audit (Source: Web)

Ask: "If I presented this to the CEO today, could they say 'Yes' or 'No' and be done with it?"

• If the answer is "We need to look into X," the memo fails.
• Identify every "To-Do" that the memo implicitly leaves for the reader.

Step 2: The SCQ Logic Check (Source: Minto, The Pyramid Principle)

Validate the structural arc:

1. Situation: Is the context universally agreed upon?
2. Complication: Is the "trigger" for the document clear?
3. Question: Does the document answer the actual question raised by the complication?

Step 3: The MECE Stress Test (Source: Minto, The Pyramid Principle)

Look at every bulleted list or set of supporting points:

• Overlap check: Is Point A actually a subset of Point B?
• Gap check: Is there a "missing middle" that invalidates the conclusion?
• Consistency check: Are all points in the group of the same "kind"?

Step 4: The Amazon "Narrative" Pass (Source: Bryar, Working Backwards)

Replace "PowerPoint logic" (fragments/lists) with narrative prose.

• Does the document follow a causal sequence?
• Are the metrics "input-based" (controllable) rather than just "output-based" (revenue/growth)?
• Does it anticipate and answer the 5-10 most likely "Frequently Asked Questions"?

Step 5: The Drucker "Contribution" Filter (Source: Drucker, The Effective Executive)

Review the "Ask":

• Does it focus on the organization's performance in the outside environment?
• Does it explicitly state the trade-offs (what we will not do)?

Frameworks & Models

Amazon 6-Pager Structure (Source: Bryar, Working Backwards)

1. Introduction: Purpose and scope.
2. Goals/Inputs: What we are trying to achieve and the controllable inputs.
3. Tenets: The guiding principles for the decision.
4. State of the Business: Data and current context.
5. Lessons Learned: What we've discovered so far.
6. Strategic Recommendation: The "Completed Staff Work" action.

The "Dissent" Rule (Source: Drucker, The Effective Executive)

A memo is stress-tested when it includes the strongest possible counter-argument. If the document shows "total consensus" without acknowledging the risks or alternatives, the decision is likely to be a "resulting" error.

Cross-Skill Invocations

REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: non-fiction-precision — to ensure the prose is clear enough to be tested. RECOMMENDED SUB-SKILL: assumption-audit — to validate the data behind the logic.

Common Mistakes

1. The "Wait for It" Recommendation: Burying the lead at the end of the document. (Source: Minto)
2. The "Check-In" Memo: Asking the boss "What do you think?" instead of "I recommend X because Y." (Source: Web, Completed Staff Work)
3. Indiscriminate Detail: Including a thousand details that don't add up to one impression. (Source: McPhee/Drucker)

Diagnostic Checklist

• [ ] Is there a specific, actionable recommendation?
• [ ] Does the memo answer "Why now?" and "Why us?"
• [ ] Are all supporting points MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)?
• [ ] Is the document self-contained (no presentation required)?
• [ ] Has the strongest counter-argument been addressed?

Sources

• Minto, Barbara. The Pyramid Principle. Ch. 1-3 (Logic and Structure).
• Drucker, Peter. The Effective Executive. Ch. 3 (Contribution), Ch. 7 (Effective Decisions).
• Bryar, Colin. Working Backwards. Ch. 5 (Narratives/6-Pagers).
• Wikipedia. "Completed Staff Work".