memo-stress-tester

name	memo-stress-tester
description	Stress-tests business documents for logical gaps, unproven assertions, and structural weakness using the Amazon narrative standard, Minto's pyramid logic, and the Completed Staff Work doctrine. Use when evaluating memos, proposals, strategy docs, or any document headed to executive review.
license	MIT
compatibility	Claude Code and compatible agent products
metadata	{"type":"domain","family":"rhetorician","rigor":"standard","keywords":"business-writing, memos, stress-testing, clarity, structure, briefing","requires":"","enhances":"non-fiction-precision, prd-writing, executive-briefing","sources_pdf":"The Pyramid Principle (Minto), The Effective Executive (Drucker), Working Backwards (Bryar)","sources_web":"Amazon 6-pager methodology, Completed Staff Work doctrine"}

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".