SCQA Framework — Max Antonov

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Communication Framework

SCQA

Situation · Complication · Question · Answer

Most business communication buries the conclusion. SCQA fixes that — by forcing you to lead with the answer, not build up to it.

Derived from Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle. The core rule: start with the answer, then support it. Every strategy memo, exec email, and product brief should follow this structure.

Situation

Shared context — what everyone already knows

Establish the stable backdrop. This is common ground your audience would readily accept. Set it once, briefly — then move on.

Do 1–3 sentences. Factual, not opinionated.

Don't Repeat what the audience already knows.

"Our watches category is 15% of total revenue and the primary gateway to jewellery and footwear."

Complication

The tension — what changed or went wrong

This is the pivot. Something has changed, a gap has appeared, or a risk has surfaced. The complication is what makes the situation unstable.

Do Be sharp and specific. Quantify where possible.

Don't Say "there are challenges." Name the challenge.

"Repeat purchase rates are down 10% versus last month — the steepest single-month decline in two years."

Question

The implicit question the complication creates

Surface the question your complication implicitly raises. Stating it explicitly aligns the audience on what you're solving before you give the answer.

Do One sentence. Makes the answer feel inevitable.

Don't Ask multiple questions — pick the most important one.

"What should we do to recover repeat purchase rates in the watches category?"

Answer

Recommendation first, evidence second

Lead with the recommendation. Then support it. This is the inversion most people get wrong — they present evidence first and conclusion last. Do the opposite.

Do One-sentence recommendation + 2–4 supporting points.

Don't Hedge. "We recommend X" not "we could consider X".

"Add cross-category promos to post-purchase emails, launch two new sub-categories, and run a re-engagement test on lapsed buyers."

When to change the order

Standard

S› C› Q› A

Default. Most memos, strategy docs, and product briefs.

Direct

A› S› C

Audience already knows the problem. Lead with the recommendation.

Concerned

S› C› A› Q

Propose before surfacing objections. Useful with resistant audiences.

Drama

S› Q› A› C

Narrative storytelling and pitches. Suspense before resolution.

Common mistakes

Wrong

Fix

✗Answer buried at the end of the document

✦Move the recommendation to the first sentence of the Answer section

✗Complication is vague — "there are some challenges"

✦Add a specific metric, date, or named risk. Numbers land harder than adjectives

✗Situation is three paragraphs long

✦Cut anything the audience already knows. 1–3 sentences is almost always enough

✗Multiple questions raised in the Q section

✦Pick the one question that makes the Answer feel inevitable. One only

✗Answer hedges — "we could consider exploring..."

✦Be decisive. "We recommend X" not "it might be worth looking at X"