Minto Pyramid

Lead with the answer, then explain it

Published Sat May 16 2026

The Minto Pyramid is a structure for communicating clearly. You start with your conclusion, then give the reasons that support it, then the evidence that supports each reason. The shape is top-down: the most important thing comes first, and everything below it exists to justify it.

Most people write in the opposite order. They build up context, walk through their reasoning, and arrive at the conclusion at the end. That makes the reader wait. The pyramid flips it — the reader knows where you’re going before they read the details, which makes the details easier to follow.

The pattern works at any scale. A one-paragraph email, a slide deck, a long report. At each level the same rule applies: state the point, then support it.

The name comes from Barbara Minto, who developed the idea while working at McKinsey in the 1970s.

        ┌─────────────────────┐
        │       Answer        │
        └─────────────────────┘
    ┌─────────────────────────────┐
    │    Reason    │    Reason    │
    └─────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Detail   │  Detail   │   Detail   │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

A friend asks if they should see a movie you just watched. The bottom-up version: “The story takes a while to get going, and the ending felt rushed. A few of the characters don’t really go anywhere. The lead performance is fine but the role doesn’t give them much to work with.” The pyramid version: “I’d skip it — slow start, weak ending, and the cast is wasted on a thin script.” Same information. The pyramid version tells your friend what they need to know in the first sentence, and everything after it is just explanation.