Pyramid Principle

Home Page

This article is an overview of the Part 1 – Logic in writing – of the book – The Pyramid Principle – from Barbara Minto.

Understanding the way the reader processes and retains information is critical to make our written communication more understandable, more digestible and consequently more impactful. In her book, Barbara Minto described the principles for an efficient communication:

• Conclusion at the top.
• Summary under a pyramid structure.
• Group of same types of ideas.
• Logical order.

Overall structure

A pyramid structure is efficient because there is a limit to the number of ideas we can comprehend at any one time. Above this number (around seven), the mind starts to group ideas in categories to retain them.

The pyramid has one “main point” at the top. The next layer is composed by “key lines”. Then each “key line” can have its own points (the following layer), etc.

The pyramid follows three rules:

1. Ideas at any level in the pyramid must be summaries of ideas grouped below them.
2. Ideas in each grouping must be the same “kind” of ideas.
3. Ideas in each grouping must follow a logical order.

Vertical vs Horizontal relationship

Vertical relationship

This is the relationship between a given point and the points in the layer below. Ideas grouped below answer the questions “Why?”, “How?” or “In what way?”.

Horizontal relationship

This is the relationship between points belonging to the same group (and same layer). These ideas correspond to a deductive or an inductive grouping.

Introduction paragraph

The introduction paragraph states the situation which is or could be “disturbing” by the complication. The complication raised a question to which our document gives an answer. The answer is explained by key line points which also indicate the plan of the document.

If the reader does not have time, the introduction is sufficient to get the point.

Deductive vs Inductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning

A deductive grouping is a conclusion based on a major and a minor premise.

For example:

1. All establishment open to the public suffer from the pandemic.
2. Restaurants are opened to the public.
3. Therefore, restaurants suffer from the pandemic.

Inductive reasoning

An inductive grouping is a conclusion based on the generalization of the meaning of “similar” ideas brought together.

For example:

• Italy suffers from the pandemic.
• Spain suffers from the pandemic.
• Germany suffers from the pandemic.
• Therefore, France will probably suffer from the pandemic.

How to choose the one to use

A deductive reasoning is preferable at the “bottom” of the pyramid. Such reasoning used at the “top” of the pyramid would force the reader to keep in memory several elements (for example: effects, causes and actions). That is why an inductive reasoning is preferable at the “top” of the pyramid.

Types of order

The order of the ideas inside a grouping should follow one of the following categories:

• Deductive: major premise, minor premise, conclusion.
• Order of importance: most important idea, second most important idea, etc.
• Chronological: first, second, third, etc.
• Organizational or structural: for example, the company is divided in different units (Sales, Marketing, Production, etc.). In this case, the ideas should be MECE (mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive).