From deal-output
Write a publication-ready executive summary that compresses completed analytical work into a tight, answer-first synthesis for a senior audience. Use this skill whenever Ian asks to "write the exec summary," "summarize this for IC," "draft the one-pager," "write the opening," "summarize the findings," or "what's the so what on this." Also triggers for: "board summary," "executive briefing," "key takeaways for leadership," "compress this into one page," "write the lede." Works on any completed analytical deliverable: market research reports, IC memos, strategy memos, diligence findings, competitive analyses, investment theses. This skill governs compression discipline — how to reduce 20–40 pages of analysis to 400–600 words without losing the argument or softening the conclusions. It does not govern prose standards (writing-style), claim discipline (writing-style / claim-scrutinizer), or brand formatting (pattern-docx / pattern-investment-pptx). Defer to those skills for their respective responsibilities.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/deal-output:executive-summary-writerThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
You are writing an executive summary for a senior audience — an IC member, a board,
You are writing an executive summary for a senior audience — an IC member, a board, a managing partner, or a CEO. They will read this before reading anything else, and many will read only this. Your job is to make the governing argument so clear and complete that a decision-maker can act on it without reading the underlying document.
Read this entire file before writing a single word.
An executive summary is not a table of contents. It is not a list of topics covered. It is not a softened version of the findings. It is a compressed argument — the same logical structure as the full document, reduced to its essential load-bearing elements.
What gets compressed: Supporting evidence, methodology detail, caveats that don'''t change the conclusion, secondary findings.
What never gets compressed: The governing thesis, the three strongest lines of support, the most important risk, the recommended action.
The test: A reader who reads only the executive summary must understand:
If any of these four are missing or unclear, the executive summary is incomplete.
Before writing a single sentence, extract the following from the source document. Do not write until all four are in hand.
1. The governing thesis The single most important conclusion in one sentence. Not a topic. Not a question. A conclusion.
2. The three load-bearing pillars The three strongest arguments that, together, make the governing thesis inescapable. Each pillar must independently support the thesis — not just add color. If removing a pillar changes the conclusion, it is load-bearing. If removing it doesn'''t, it belongs in the appendix, not the executive summary.
For each pillar extract:
3. The primary risk or uncertainty The one thing that, if it materialized or proved false, would most change the conclusion. Not a list of risks — the single most consequential one. State it directly. Do not bury it or soften it.
4. The recommended action What the reader should do as a result of this analysis. Specific, owned, time-bound. Not "consider further diligence" — that is not an action. Not "monitor developments" — that is not a recommendation.
Select the format based on the deliverable type and audience. Apply the corresponding template from Step 3.
| Format | Use when | Length |
|---|---|---|
| A — One-page memo | IC package, board memo, standalone briefing | 400–600 words |
| B — Deck opening slide | Investment deck, market research deck, strategy deck | 5–7 bullets, no prose |
| C — Briefing paragraph | Email, Slack update, verbal briefing prep | 150–200 words |
| D — Multi-section summary | Long-form report (10+ sections), annual review | 800–1,000 words, sectioned |
When in doubt, default to Format A. A one-page memo is the most versatile format and the hardest to write well — it is the calibration standard for all others.
Structure — five blocks, in this order, no exceptions:
Block 1: Governing thesis (1–2 sentences) State the conclusion. Answer first. The reader must know what you believe before they read a single supporting argument. This is not an introduction — it is the answer.
Do not write:
Write:
Block 2: Three supporting arguments (1 paragraph each, ~60–80 words per paragraph)
Each paragraph follows this internal structure:
No paragraph should be longer than 5 sentences. If it is, a supporting argument has been confused with a section summary — compress it.
Label each paragraph only if the format warrants it (board memo: no labels; IC memo: optional labels aligned to thesis pillars).
Block 3: Primary risk (2–3 sentences) Name it directly. State what would have to be true for it to materialize. State what the impact on the conclusion would be if it did. Do not list multiple risks in the executive summary — that belongs in the risk section of the full document.
Block 4: Recommended action (2–4 bullets) Specific actions, each with an owner and a timeline. Sequenced: immediate → near-term → contingent. Maximum 4 bullets. If you need more than 4 bullets to state the recommendation, the recommendation has not been synthesized.
Block 5: Key assumption to monitor (1 sentence) The single assumption the entire recommendation rests on. State it explicitly. Name the signal that would indicate it is holding or breaking.
Used as the executive summary slide in a Pattern investment or market research deck. Defers to pattern-investment-pptx for formatting. This skill governs content only.
Slide title: The governing thesis as an insight statement. Not "Executive Summary." Not "Key Findings." The conclusion itself — in 10–15 words.
Bullet structure — 5–7 bullets, each a complete assertion:
Bullet discipline:
Used for email, Slack, verbal prep, or when a senior audience needs the answer in under 60 seconds.
Structure:
This format has no room for hedging, caveats, or methodology. If the audience needs those, send the full document. The briefing paragraph stands alone.
Used when the source document has 10+ sections and a single governing argument would miss material secondary findings that affect the decision.
Structure:
Section summary discipline: Each section summary paragraph must open with the section'''s conclusion — what the section proved, not what it covered. A section summary that begins with "This section examines..." has failed. It must begin with the finding.
Before delivering, run every sentence through these four tests. Any sentence that fails must be rewritten or cut.
Test 1 — The so-what test Read the sentence. Ask: so what? If the answer is obvious and significant, the sentence earns its place. If the answer requires another sentence to explain, the first sentence is doing insufficient work — it is setup, not argument.
Test 2 — The specificity test Every claim in the executive summary must be more specific than it would be in a body section. If the body section says "growing at 18% CAGR," the executive summary cannot say "growing rapidly." If you cannot be more specific, use the body'''s figure. Vagueness in an executive summary signals the writer does not understand the material well enough to compress it.
Test 3 — The removal test Remove each sentence one at a time. If the argument still holds without it, the sentence is not load-bearing and should be cut. Executive summaries are not improved by addition — they are improved by removal.
Test 4 — The cold read test Read the executive summary as if you have not read the underlying document. Can you answer all four questions from Step 1? If not, something essential has been lost in compression and must be restored.
These phrases and patterns are banned from executive summaries. They appear frequently in first drafts and must be eliminated before delivery.
Lede-burying openers — delete and rewrite answer-first:
False balance — executive summaries do not present both sides:
Hollow intensifiers — replace with the actual figure:
Weasel qualifications that undermine the conclusion:
Action-free recommendations:
An executive summary is ready to deliver when every item below passes.
Argument integrity
Compression discipline
Prose standards (governed by writing-style — run self-review pass)
Format compliance
Feeds from:
market-research — executive summary is the first section of every research reportmckinsey-consultant — SCR structure and pyramid principle govern the argument architecturediligence-ddr — diligence findings compress into executive summary for IC packageDefers to:
writing-style — prose standards, claim tagging, inductive chain discipline,
absolute assertion test. Run the writing-style self-review pass on every
executive summary before delivery.claim-scrutinizer — if the source document has been redlined, apply the same
verdict standards to the executive summary. A claim that was NEEDS EVIDENCE in
the full document is still NEEDS EVIDENCE in the summary.pattern-docx — formatting for Format A (one-page memo)pattern-investment-pptx — formatting for Format B (deck opening slide)npx claudepluginhub ian-lawrence423/claude-skills --plugin deal-outputProvides a checklist for code reviews covering functionality, security, performance, maintainability, tests, and quality. Use for pull requests, audits, team standards, and developer training.