Executive Distiller

Executive Distiller — The Full Pyramid Principle

The full implementation of Minto's Pyramid Principle: SCQA introduction at the top, a single governing thought, recursive 2–5-way decomposition under it, MECE-validated at every level. The output is a structured document that the reader can skim top-down or read in full and get the same answer.

For the canonical specification, see [[minto-scqa]]. For the introduction-only variant, see scqa-formatter. For short-form output, see bluf-shaper.

When to Use This Skill

Process

Step 1 — Build the SCQA introduction

Call scqa-formatter for the introduction. Receive: the four-component intro (S/C/Q/A). The Answer becomes the top of your pyramid.

Step 2 — Generate level-1 subthoughts under the Answer

Decompose the Answer into 2–5 supporting thoughts. Each subthought must:

1. Summarize what's grouped under it (Minto Rule 1: ideas at any level summarize the ideas grouped below them)
2. Be the same kind of idea as its siblings (Minto Rule 2: sibling consistency)
3. Be in logical order with siblings (Minto Rule 3: time, structure, or importance)

Apply the MECE check (see Step 4).

Step 3 — Recurse for each subthought

For each level-1 subthought, decide: does this need its own subthoughts, or is it atomic enough? If it needs subthoughts, repeat Step 2 at level 2. Continue until atomic.

Practical depth limit: ≤4 levels. If you find yourself going deeper, the structure has the wrong granularity; reconsider the level-1 decomposition.

Step 4 — MECE check at every grouping

For each grouping (the Answer's children, then each subthought's children, etc.), apply:

If MECE fails at any level, the pyramid will leak. Fix before continuing recursion.

Step 5 — Sentence-level scaffolding

For each leaf node (atomic subthought), call argument-structure (cross-domain — writing/rhetoric) with the audience tag. Receive: appropriate sentence-level structure (Toulmin claim+warrant+grounds, Rogerian common-ground, classical introduction-body-conclusion, or volta-shaped).

This is what makes the leaves land — without sentence-level scaffolding, even a perfect pyramid reads as bullet-point soup.

Step 6 — Assemble the document

Standard executive memo template:

[TITLE — captures the Answer in 8–12 words]

[OPTIONAL: BLUF block at top, for time-pressured readers who skim only this]

INTRODUCTION (SCQA):
  Situation:    ...
  Complication: ...
  Question:     ...
  Answer:       [governing thought, becomes the body's structure]

BODY:
  1. [Level-1 subthought A]
     1.1 [Level-2 sub-A]
         [paragraph using argument-structure scaffolding]
     1.2 [Level-2 sub-B]
         [...]
  2. [Level-1 subthought B]
     2.1 ...
     2.2 ...
  3. [Level-1 subthought C]
     ...

[OPTIONAL] APPENDICES:
  - Methodology / data sources / dissenting views

Output Format

Executive readers value clarity and brevity.

Output discipline (mandatory — exact labels)

Your output MUST use these EXACT uppercase section labels, in this order: INTRODUCTION (SCQA): (with Situation:, Complication:, Question:, Answer: inside), then BODY: containing 2-5 NUMBERED level-1 points (1., 2., 3.), then a DISTILLATION METADATA block (with Pyramid depth, MECE, Length). Do not rename, merge, or omit these headers.

The output is the assembled memo (above). Plus a metadata block for downstream skills:

DISTILLATION METADATA
─────────────────────
Pyramid depth:        [N levels]
MECE checks passed:   [list of groupings checked]
MECE issues flagged:  [list, if any]
Argument-structure calls: [N calls, audience: exec]
Length:               [word count]

Common Failure Modes

Output Contract for six-eyes

Called from Phase 5 with audience tag exec and length budget medium-to-long:

• Returns the full assembled memo
• Plus the metadata block (depth, MECE results, length)
• If MECE issues flagged, route back to statement-grader for re-scoring on the specificity and root-vs-symptom axes — MECE failures often indicate upstream framing failures

Scope Boundaries

• executive-distiller handles: building the recursive pyramid, applying MECE at each level, calling argument-structure for sentence-level scaffolding, assembling the memo template.
• executive-distiller does NOT: judge whether the executive should approve the recommendation (that's the reader's job). Does not write the appendices in detail (they're scoped placeholders).

Connections

• minto-scqa (binding-vow) — canonical reference for the Pyramid Principle and MECE
• scqa-formatter (binding-vow) — provides the SCQA introduction (Step 1)
• bluf-shaper (binding-vow) — sibling for short-form variant
• argument-structure (writing/rhetoric) — sentence-level scaffolding (Step 5; cross-domain call)
• clarity-engine (neocortex) — escalation path for bloated leaves
• claim-decomposer (research) — useful for the level-1 decomposition step on complex topics

Sources

• Minto, B. (1987, 2003). The Pyramid Principle. (Full canonical specification of the Pyramid + MECE rules.)
• See [[minto-scqa]] for the BLUF/SCQA/Pyramid comparator and the MECE failure-mode catalog.