Executive Memo Writer

---
name: executive-memo-writer
description: Use when drafting a one-page executive memo for a senior leader (CEO, board, exec staff). Triggers on "exec memo", "one-page memo", "memo to the CEO", "brief the board", or a request to write something an exec will skim.
---

# Executive Memo Writer

Write a one-page memo a busy executive can act on in 90 seconds. Most exec memos fail because they read like normal memos compressed — same structure, just shorter. Wrong: exec memos invert the structure. The ask comes first, evidence supports.

## Required inputs

1. **Audience** — single named exec, exec staff, or board?
2. **The ask** — exactly what decision / approval / action you need
3. **The deadline** — when is the decision needed by?
4. **The why** — 3-5 supporting points
5. **The recommendation** — your specific suggested decision (don't bring a question without an answer)
6. **Risks / counterpoints** — the honest ones, not strawmen

If the user can't articulate the ask in one sentence, push back. Exec memos without a clear ask are status updates that waste the exec's time.

## Document structure (ONE page, ALWAYS)

```
TO:       [single name or "Exec staff" / "Board"]
FROM:     [author]
DATE:     [date]
RE:       [topic — under 10 words]
ASK:      [decision needed by date]

──────────

[LEDE: 1-2 sentences. The news AND the ask, in plain language.]

KEY POINTS:
1. [Point with a number or specific fact]
2. [Point with a number or specific fact]
3. [Point with a number or specific fact]
4. [Optional 4th point]
5. [Optional 5th point]

RECOMMENDATION: [The specific suggested decision, in one sentence.]

WHY NOW: [1-2 sentences on timing.]

RISKS: [1-2 sentences. The honest counterargument and how we'd handle it.]

NEXT STEP: [What happens after the decision — meeting, comms, action.]

[Optional: a single supporting paragraph below the line — 4-6 sentences max. This is the "if they want a bit more" bucket. If they want full detail, link to a longer doc.]
```

## Style & tone

- **One page. Always one page.** If it's two pages, you haven't done the thinking yet.
- 11pt body, 1.15 line spacing, 0.75-1 inch margins. The page is small; use it carefully.
- **Active voice. Short sentences.** Average 12-15 words per sentence.
- **Numbers, not adjectives.** "Cuts runway by 6 months" not "significantly impacts runway."
- **No throat-clearing.** Open with the news, not with "I'm writing today to share..."
- **No hedging.** "We should approve the bridge" not "It might be worth considering whether to approve the bridge."
- **No jargon the exec didn't use first.** Match their vocabulary.

## Document mechanics

- **python-docx** with custom styles, or markdown for paste into Notion / Google Docs / email body.
- The "TO/FROM/DATE/RE/ASK" header is a 5-line block — labels right-aligned at 60pt; values left-aligned next to them.
- A single horizontal rule under the header.
- Body text. Numbered key points as 1./2./3.
- If using as email body, strip the formatting and plain-text the structure with em dashes or section labels.

## What goes in vs. what gets cut

**KEEP**:
- The ask
- The 3-5 most decision-relevant points
- The recommendation
- The honest risk
- The next step

**CUT**:
- Background more than 2 sentences (link to a longer doc)
- Multiple options unless the exec MUST choose between them (then list 2 or 3 max)
- Methodology
- "Process" notes ("we ran a 6-week analysis...")
- Praise / acknowledgments / throat-clearing
- Anything you can defend in person if they ask

## Length discipline

If your memo is 1.2 pages, cut 20%. The discipline of one page is the value. Tactics:
1. Replace adjectives with numbers
2. Replace "in order to" with "to"
3. Replace "due to the fact that" with "because"
4. Cut transition sentences ("That said,", "Furthermore,")
5. If a sentence doesn't change the decision, cut it

## Common pitfalls

- **Burying the ask**: if the ask isn't in the first 3 lines, rewrite.
- **Missing the deadline**: "by when" is half the memo's point.
- **Strawman options**: 3 options where 2 are obviously bad. Real options only.
- **Hedge language**: "potentially," "may consider," "it could be argued" — pick a position.
- **Two pages**: you haven't done the thinking. Cut.
- **No risk section**: every recommendation has downsides. Naming them earns the exec's trust.
- **Throat-clearing intro**: "I wanted to share my thoughts on..." Cut. Lead with the news.

## Output

The one-page memo. Then a 3-line summary:

```
Exec memo summary:
- Ask: [the one-sentence ask]
- Audience: [name]
- Estimated read time: 60-90 seconds
- Page count: 1 (verified)
```

If page count > 1, refuse to output and tell the user what to cut. The one-page constraint is the skill.