I learned to write executive summaries a couple of years ago. I used to write the whole slide deck and then write the exec summary as the first slide. I don’t do that anymore. I first write the exec summary and then expand each bullet point into a slide.
The summary must tell a story. The story should connect to the core need or goal of the reader. If they are interested they will dig into your slides.
This post is a mini masterclass on producing stellar work items that change the game @Torsten Walbaum
Writing the storyline before creating the content is a game changer. It doesn't just make the deck / document more coherent, it also reduces the possibility that you create content you later need to cut because it doesn't fit the flow.
This is an incredible post with so many great insights and so much wisdom! I can’t do it the justice it deserves down here in the comments but I do see a powerful bigger theme here - the joy has to be in the journey. I was once young and naive, craving the status of a blackberry and a company car as I slogged to get up the chain of command at my first employer fresh out of college! There is more wisdom from my years of zigging and zagging since then.
Loving the posts here and this is definitely up there with post on dealing with meetings!
Thanks for the kind words :) I hope it's also helpful for people who are considering skipping the IB / consulting tour of duty and want to go straight to tech. The core skills you learn at those places would benefit anybody.
I learned to write executive summaries a couple of years ago. I used to write the whole slide deck and then write the exec summary as the first slide. I don’t do that anymore. I first write the exec summary and then expand each bullet point into a slide.
The summary must tell a story. The story should connect to the core need or goal of the reader. If they are interested they will dig into your slides.
This post is a mini masterclass on producing stellar work items that change the game @Torsten Walbaum
Writing the storyline before creating the content is a game changer. It doesn't just make the deck / document more coherent, it also reduces the possibility that you create content you later need to cut because it doesn't fit the flow.
This is an incredible post with so many great insights and so much wisdom! I can’t do it the justice it deserves down here in the comments but I do see a powerful bigger theme here - the joy has to be in the journey. I was once young and naive, craving the status of a blackberry and a company car as I slogged to get up the chain of command at my first employer fresh out of college! There is more wisdom from my years of zigging and zagging since then.
Loving the posts here and this is definitely up there with post on dealing with meetings!
Very true; if you don't enjoy the core of the job (i.e. the journey), then you're wasting an incredible amount of time at work.
"I like my job except for meetings, making slides, debugging my code, writing documentation... wait, that's basically all of my job."
One of the more useful articles on the internet.
Should be must read read for most people starting as an intern at an investment bank, consulting firm etc.
Thanks for the kind words :) I hope it's also helpful for people who are considering skipping the IB / consulting tour of duty and want to go straight to tech. The core skills you learn at those places would benefit anybody.
The per diem and Uber rides home benefits aren’t quite as good at tech firms unfortunately.