Developers work faster when they have more time to focus, but the average individual contributor spends 10.9 hours per week in meetings. As a result, teams spend less time coding and struggle to achieve flow state of productive work.
To reduce the time spent in meetings, companies like Amazon avoid powerpoints and frontload meetings with a "One-Pager" or "Six-Pager." These documents distill complex information in easily digestible formats, helping teams build context quickly for more productive discussions. You can review the document at the start of a meeting or share it in advance to save time.
So, what is a one-pager or six-pager, and how do you craft them effectively? In this step-by-step guide, we'll discuss the purpose of these documents and provide different templates to help you master them.
The One-Pager: Elevator Pitch in Document Form
What Is a One-Pager?
You may have heard of a business one-pager or company one-pager, but this format can be used to convey information about a wide range of initiatives.
At its core, a one-pager is a concise document summarizing the critical details of a concept, project, product launch, or business plan on a single page.
Why Use a One-Pager?
Clarity: Forces the writer to distill the most important information.
Speed: Enables readers to understand a concept quickly.
Focus: Keeps discussions and meetings centered on the primary issues.
Crafting an Effective One-Pager
Most one-pager examples follow a similar structure to the one below:
1. Tailor to the Target Audience: Match the content to your reader's knowledge level and concerns.
2. Start with a Compelling Header: Think of this as the title of your story. It should grab attention and convey the central theme.
3. Include the Why: Start with a brief context or problem statement. Why should the reader care?
4. Outline the What: What's your proposal, product, or idea? Be succinct but thorough.
5. Benefits and Impacts: Highlight the positive outcomes for potential customers and stakeholders and any anticipated challenges.
6. Use Visuals: If relevant, incorporate charts, graphs, or images to convey data or concepts visually.
7. Clean & Concise: Opt for bullet points, short paragraphs, and plenty of white space. Avoid jargon and verbose explanations.
8. End with a Call to Action: Based on the key takeaways, what do you want the reader to do next?
One-Pager Template
TLDR; |
Why: |
What: (scope of project) |
How: Solution #1
Solution #2
|
Next Steps: (action items to be completed within the next week) Ex.
|
The Six-Pager: Diving Deeper
What Is a Six-Pager?
A six-pager is a more detailed narrative that offers a thorough exploration of a topic. It's used when complexity demands more than a single page but still requires brevity.
Why Use a Six-Pager Instead of a One-Pager?
1. Comprehensive Understanding: Provides a deeper dive than the one-pager.
2. Allows for Storytelling: Helps build a logical flow for your idea or project.
3. Supports Data: With more space, you can include relevant data, research, or case studies.
Crafting an Effective Six-Pager
1. Begin with a Structured Outline: Plan your sections and flow beforehand.
2. Introduction: Clearly state the purpose, context, and objective of the document.
3. Problem Statement: Spend a little time delving into the problem you're addressing.
4. Present a Solution: Describe your proposal in detail. Use subheadings to break up sections.
5. Data and Research: Support your claims. Use graphs, charts, and statistics where necessary.
6. Anticipate Questions: Think about potential queries your readers might have and address them.
7. Discuss Risks and Mitigations: Every plan or project has risks. Highlight them and provide potential solutions or mitigations.
8. Conclude with Next Steps: What are the actionable steps moving forward?
9. Review and Refine: Six pages still demand brevity. Proofread, eliminate fluff, and ensure every word counts.
Tips for Both Formats
Revisions are Your Friend: Your first draft is seldom your best. Revisit, refine, and restructure.
Feedback Loop: Before finalizing, get feedback. Fresh eyes catch inconsistencies or areas of confusion.
Stay Objective: While you're passionate about your topic, ensure your document is based on facts and logical reasoning.
Choosing Between a One-Pager and Six-Pager
So you've been tasked with presenting an idea or plan. You know that a one-pager or six-pager will help you communicate key details efficiently—but how do you determine which format to use?
There are two main factors to consider:
Complexity: If the topic is relatively straightforward, with only a few key points that need to be understood for decision-making, a one-pager should suffice. For more complex issues requiring detailed analysis, context, and multiple data points, a six-pager would be more appropriate.
Audience: Consider who will be reading the document. Executive leadership may prefer a one-pager for a quick overview, while a technical team might appreciate the detail in a six-pager.
Final word
The goal of one-pagers and six-pagers is to provide teams with the exact level of detail they need to move forward. By choosing the right format for your context and crafting it effectively, you can help teams have more focused discussions and make data-driven decisions quickly.
The result? Meetings are shorter, less frequent, and more productive—and developers have the time to deliver quality work faster.
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