HOW TO WRITE A 2-MINUTE MEMO
- Jeremy Connell-Waite
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Bill Gates just launched a trailer for his new memo “The Turbulent AI Era.” It’s a great example of how a leader communicates. He uses a simple 3-act structure which says in 2-minutes what others might take 20.
Here's a quick masterclass...
I call it "Mission Critical Storytelling": Excite // Disturb // Assure
Act I: EXCITE
“AI could stunt our kids development and replace human relationships. At the same time, the positive things about AI will be amazing. AI will accelerate innovation in the world's toughest technical challenges, providing reliable clean energy for everyone, avoiding climate change, growing enough food, stopping diseases, improving education, and a lot more. If we manage the transition well, the good will vastly outweigh the bad.”
Act II: DISTURB
“But I worry that we aren't preparing. There's no plan to ease the entry into the AI era and not even a plan to have a plan. How do we ensure that the benefits of AI reach everyone, particularly those without wealth, influence, and access?”
Act III: ASSURE
"I released a memo that challenges the world to put this very high on the agenda. The world has a chance to act now before unemployment rises sharply."
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In this short 243-word script, Bill uses what speechwriters call rhetorical appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos. When you want an audience to FEEL something so that they DO something, it's a simple but powerful framework to use.
- ETHOS: Can I trust this person?
- LOGOS: Do I believe this argument?
- PATHOS: Do I care enough to do something about it?
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👨🏫 ETHOS (to establish credibility)
In his intro he makes a balanced argument. He doesn’t sound like an AI evangelist or an AI doomer. He acknowledges both sides. That makes him appear measured rather than ideological.
📈 LOGOS (presenting logic + data)
When Bill writes he likes to use “intellectual architecture” to structure his argument: PREMISE > CONSEQUENCE > CONSEQUENCE > PROBLEM > QUESTION > CONCLUSION. (I heard that Bill learned this from how The Economist write their articles).
💙 PATHOS (the emotional argument)
Here Bill makes the language much more human: “AI could stunt our kids’ development and replace human relationships.” Suddenly this isn’t about models, compute or productivity. It’s about our kids.
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Here’s a link to the full memo. It’s a hefty read (24 minutes) but it’s worth it if you have the time.
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MASTERCLASS
Another 2-minute speech - If you want to analyse one of the greatest speeches of all time?
