Claude Skill

Internal Memo Writer

Drafts internal memos — decision, recommendation, or informational. TL;DR, context, options, recommendation, next steps.

Download skill (.zip)Or download whole pack

What it does

Produces a structured internal memo: TL;DR, background, options/analysis, recommendation, next steps, and an appendix for supporting data. Optimized for the way executives and cross-functional readers actually read — TL;DR first, deep-dive only if needed. Outputs .docx or markdown for Notion/Google Docs.

When to use

✓You're proposing a decision and need to write it up for a decision-maker
✓You're briefing a cross-functional audience on a complex topic
✓You've been asked for "your thinking in writing" before a meeting

When not to use

✗A 3-line Slack message would do — don't memo-fy a quick update
✗External audience — that's a brief or report, not an internal memo
✗You don't actually have a recommendation — go think first, then write

Install

Download the .zip, then unzip into your Claude skills folder.

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
unzip ~/Downloads/memo-writer.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

# Restart Claude Code session.
# Skill is now available — Claude will use it when relevant.

SKILL.md

---
name: memo-writer
description: Use when drafting an internal memo — decision, recommendation, or informational. Triggers on "draft a memo", "decision memo", "recommendation memo", "internal brief", or "write this up for [exec]".
---

# Internal Memo Writer

Write memos that respect the reader's time. Most internal memos fail because they bury the recommendation in paragraph 6, or they recommend without showing the alternatives that were considered. Lead with the answer, then defend it.

## Required inputs

1. **Memo type** — decision (asking for a call), recommendation (proposing one), or informational (FYI)
2. **Audience** — single reader (CEO) or group (leadership team, board, function heads)?
3. **The question or topic** — phrased as a question if possible
4. **Your recommendation** — even for informational, what's your POV?
5. **Options considered** — at least 2-3 alternatives, with pros/cons
6. **Supporting data** — numbers, references, prior decisions
7. **Deadline** — by when does the decision need to be made?

If the user can't articulate a recommendation, push back: "What's your gut answer?" Memos without a thesis are status updates.

## Document structure

```
TO:       [audience]
FROM:     [author]
DATE:     [date]
RE:       [one-line topic]
DECISION NEEDED BY: [date, if applicable]

## TL;DR

[2-4 sentences. The recommendation, the why, the ask.]

## Context

[2-4 paragraphs. What's the situation? What changed? What's the question?]

## Options considered

### Option A: [name]
- What it is (1-2 sentences)
- Pros
- Cons
- Cost / effort / risk

### Option B: [name]
[same]

### Option C: [name]
[same]

## Recommendation

[Which option, why, what's the case. 2-3 paragraphs.]

## Risks & mitigations

[3-5 bullets. The honest downsides and how we'd handle them.]

## Next steps

- [Specific action] — [owner] — [date]
- [Specific action] — [owner] — [date]

## Appendix

[Supporting data, calculations, links, references]
```

## Style & tone

- **TL;DR is non-negotiable.** If a CEO only reads the first 4 sentences, they should have the recommendation, the why, and the ask.
- **Active voice.** "We should kill the self-serve product" not "It is recommended that the self-serve product be discontinued."
- **Numbers over adjectives.** "Revenue declined 23% in 3 quarters" beats "revenue has been challenging."
- **Acknowledge tradeoffs.** A memo with no honest cons is propaganda; readers stop trusting.
- **Length: 1-3 pages.** If it's longer, you haven't done the thinking yet.

## Document mechanics

- **python-docx** with Heading 1 for "TL;DR / Context / Options / Recommendation / Risks / Next steps". Or write markdown for Pandoc or Google Docs paste.
- Body 11pt, 1.15 line height. Margins 1 inch.
- Numbered bullets in Next Steps with dates and owners — track-changes friendly.
- For multi-reader memos, add a "Comments / Track Changes welcome" line at top so readers know to redline.

## Memo type variations

### Decision memo
- TL;DR explicitly states "I'm asking for a decision: [A] or [B] by [date]"
- Recommendation section is the longest
- Include "If we decide nothing, here's what happens by default"

### Recommendation memo
- TL;DR is "I recommend X. Here's why."
- Recommendation is direct; options are background
- Often fits in 1 page

### Informational memo
- TL;DR is the headline news, not a recommendation
- "What this means for us" section instead of recommendation
- Anticipated questions section often useful

## Common pitfalls

- **Buried lede**: TL;DR doesn't actually summarize. Lint: can a reader stop after TL;DR and act?
- **Strawman options**: 3 options where 2 are obviously bad. Real options have real tradeoffs.
- **No risks section**: every recommendation has downsides. Naming them earns trust.
- **Vague next steps**: "We will follow up" — owner? date? Replace with specifics.
- **Context dump**: 4 pages of background before the question. Cut ruthlessly.
- **Hedge language**: "potentially," "may consider," "could possibly" — pick a position.

## Output

The memo as .docx or markdown. If multiple readers will redline, recommend the user share via Google Docs or a Word file with track-changes ON — the memo is meant to be edited.

End with a 2-line summary: word count, estimated read time at 250 wpm. If estimated read time > 8 minutes, suggest the user cut.

Example prompts

Once installed, try these prompts in Claude:

Decision memo: should we kill our self-serve product line? Context: 3 quarters of declining revenue, team of 8, alternatives are reinvest or pivot to enterprise. Recommend a path.
Informational memo for the leadership team on the new EU AI Act and what it means for our product roadmap.