Amazon Six Pager Template
An example template with tips on how to write a Six-Pager Memo.
Scroll to bottom of page to access a free template
The Six Pager Template on this site provides tips and recommendations on what to include in a memo. These suggestions derive from working with various senior executives, including many Ex Amazonians. A narrative that targets strategic planning consists of six distinct sections: introduction, goals, tenets, state of the business, lessons learned, and strategic priorities. The reader should understand the topic without needing more supporting documents. Links to other documents should be sparse. The length of the document is six pages. There is no limit of pages for the appendix, which is the best place for more supporting graphs, images and tables. The best Six Pagers undergo an iterative preparation process, gathering vital feedback early (see process).
Introduction
Length: ½ - 1 page max
Content: Six Pager narratives should be self-sufficient. Someone less familiar to grasp the intricacies of your domain or topic. Simplicity and ease of understanding are of key importance in the introduction.
Tip: I personally find it often easier to write the introduction at the very end after the completion of the remaining sections.
Goals
Length: ½ page
Content: In the goal section of the Six Pager, you are outlining what the metrics for success look like.
Tip: A goal section longer than ½ page might be too verbose and not metric focused enough or you are covering too many topics in the same six pager.
Tip: It’s okay to define goals in bullet points.
Tip: If it’s challenging for you to define measurable goals, I recommend defining a baseline first.
Tip: The key ingredients of your goal definitions are <metric today> <metric in the future> and <by what date>
Tenets
Length: ½ page
Content: The tenet section can be confusing for anyone getting started with Six Pager writing. Tenets are guiding principles that inform the decision making of a company. They are often inspirational and define north stars.
State of the Business
Recommended length: 1 page
Content: The state of the business sections provides the reader a detailed snapshot on the current situation. This section can outline how you are structured, how you are executing and how well you are doing against your goals.
Lessons Learned
Recommended length: ½ page - 1 page
Content: The Lessons Learned section provides the reader context on what went well and didn’t go so well in the prior year. It’s important that you backup your analysis with relevant data and metrics which you can refer to in the appendix section. This section can and should refer to the goals.
Tip: I recommend not to polish failures or sweet talk any issues and rather lead with brutal honesty as a guiding principle of this section.
Strategic Priorities
Length: 2-3 pages
Content: The Strategic Priorities section is the core part of the six pager document. This section should highlight your previous mentioned goal and provide info on your execution plan to achieve such a goal.
Feel free to access and download a google doc template below that has all the formatting in place. Enjoy!
