| name | communication |
| description | Communication standards for explaining technical concepts to different audiences. Use when presenting results, writing explanations, or preparing presentations. |
| chains_with | ["automated-learning"] |
Communication Skill — Explain Anything to Anyone
Audience Levels
Executive / Non-Technical
- Start with the conclusion (one sentence)
- Use analogies, not jargon
- Lead with business impact
- One number per slide
- Say "what it means," not "how it works"
Example: "Our risk model shows a 1-in-20 chance of losing more than 1.36% in a day. That's within acceptable bounds."
Technical Peer
- State the problem and approach concisely
- Share key numbers and methodology
- Mention caveats and trade-offs
- Offer to go deeper if interested
- Reference code/files for details
Example: "VaR 95% is -1.36% from historical simulation, $10,716 from hybrid MC. The difference is methodology: one uses past returns, the other simulates forward."
Expert / Researcher
- Lead with nuance
- Discuss methodology choices and alternatives
- Reference literature and theory
- Share raw data and benchmarks
- Invite scrutiny of assumptions
Example: "We chose GARCH(1,1) over EGARCH for simplicity — the asymmetry didn't justify the complexity for our 14-asset universe at p<0.05."
Explanation Framework
The 3-Sentence Rule
- What (one sentence): The core idea
- How (one sentence): The mechanism
- Why (one sentence): The significance
Example — Hybrid MC
- "Hybrid Monte Carlo simulates thousands of possible portfolio outcomes."
- "It combines GARCH volatility with Vine Copula dependencies to generate realistic joint scenarios."
- "This gives us more accurate tail-risk estimates than standard parametric methods."
Presentation Tips
Slide Structure
- One idea per slide
- Title is the conclusion
- Visuals > text
- Data labels on charts
- Source annotations at bottom
Talking Points
- Practice the transition between slides
- Prepare 3 levels of detail for each topic
- Anticipate likely questions
- Have a "one-minute version" ready
Writing Voice
- Active voice: "The model computes VaR" NOT "VaR is computed by the model"
- Short sentences: < 25 words
- One idea per paragraph
- Bullet lists for parallel concepts
- Numbers at the start: "3 key findings..."
