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The pyramid principle
This lesson explains what a prompt framework is and introduces the pyramid principle behind SCQA, where you lead with the answer and then support it.
- A prompt is the request you type into an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. A prompt framework is a reusable structure for that request, a short checklist of the parts a good prompt contains, usually named with an acronym so it is easy to remember.
- Frameworks matter because the AI fills in whatever you leave out with generic guesses. Including the parts that change the answer, such as who it is for, what you want to achieve and the format you need, keeps the output close to what you actually need.
- Frameworks make prompts repeatable. You fill the same parts each time, save the prompt as a template and share it with colleagues, so the whole team gets consistent drafts.
- They are not magic words. The value comes from the detail you put in each part. They help most when a request is complex or open to interpretation, while a quick, simple question can stay short.
- There are well over sixty named frameworks, and most of them remix the same ingredients: role, task, context, audience, format, constraints and examples. Learning one makes the others easier to read.
- SCQA comes from Barbara Minto's pyramid principle, developed at McKinsey: lead with the answer, then support it. Situation, Complication, Question, Answer is the classic opening of a brief that a busy reader actually finishes.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Prompt | The request you type into an AI tool |
| Prompt framework | A reusable checklist of the parts a good prompt contains |
| Pyramid principle | Lead with the answer, then support it |
| SCQA | Situation, Complication, Question, Answer |
Do this in your own tools, step by step. Ticks are saved on this device.
What is a prompt framework?
A reusable structure or checklist for the request you type into an AI tool.
Where does SCQA come from?
Barbara Minto's pyramid principle, developed at McKinsey.
What is the core rule of the pyramid principle?
Lead with the answer, then support it.
Wes Welcome to SCQA Prompt Framework: Briefs and Memos the Boss Reads. This course is part of Complete AI Training; you'll find the full library at complete A I training dot com. It takes six short chapters.
Laura This part covers the pyramid principle, the idea behind SCQA. We start with what a prompt framework is, then why leading with your answer gets a busy reader to the end.
Wes A prompt is the request you type into an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. A prompt framework is a reusable structure for that request, a short checklist of the parts a good prompt contains, usually named with an acronym so it is easy to remember.
Laura Why it helps. The AI fills in whatever you leave out with generic guesses. A framework makes sure you include the parts that change the answer, such as who it is for, what you want to achieve and the format you need.
Wes Frameworks also make prompts repeatable. You fill the same parts each time, save the prompt as a template and share it with colleagues. They are not magic words. The value comes from the detail you put in each part.
Laura They help most when a request is complex or open to interpretation. A quick, simple question can stay short. There are well over sixty named frameworks, and most of them remix the same ingredients: role, task, context, audience, format, constraints and examples.
Wes SCQA is a fill-in-the-slots framework, an acronym where each letter stands for one part of your prompt. It comes from Barbara Minto's pyramid principle, developed at McKinsey. The rule is simple: lead with the answer, then support it.
Laura Here is the shape of the whole prompt. Situation sets the scene. Complication says what changed or what is in the way. Question is the decision the reader now faces. Answer is your recommendation, stated first, with support underneath.
Wes Situation, Complication, Question, Answer is the classic opening of a brief that a busy reader actually finishes. As a prompt framework it gives the AI a proven shape for any decision memo, so the draft comes back in the order your boss reads.
Laura A strategy analyst is asked for a memo on entering a new market. Notice the prompt states the answer first and asks for support underneath, exactly as the pyramid principle teaches.
Wes The main takeaway. Lead with the answer, then support it. That one habit, built into your prompt, is what makes a memo the boss reads to the end.
Laura Your turn. Take a decision memo you have written recently. Rewrite the prompt so the answer comes first and the support sits underneath, then run it and compare the two drafts.
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