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| schema: foundry-doc-v1 | schema: foundry-doc-v1 |
| title: "Style guide — memo" | title: "Style guide — memo" |
| slug: style-guide-memo | slug: style-guide-memo |
| category: reference | category: reference |
| type: topic | type: topic |
| quality: complete | quality: complete |
| short_description: "Editorial standards for internal memoranda (PROSE-MEMO genre) in the platform: header discipline, section order, the recommendation-first convention, and when a memo is the right artifact." | short_description: "Editorial standards for internal memoranda (PROSE-MEMO genre) in the platform: header discipline, section order, the recommendation-first convention, and when a memo is the right artifact." |
| status: active | status: active |
| bcsc_class: public-disclosure-safe | bcsc_class: public-disclosure-safe |
| last_edited: 2026-05-24 | last_edited: 2026-05-24 |
| editor: pointsav-engineering | editor: pointsav-engineering |
| cites: [] | cites: [] |
| paired_with: style-guide-memo.es.md | paired_with: style-guide-memo.es.md |
| --- | --- |
| > A memo records a decision, analysis, or recommendation addressed to a named audience. It is complete when the reader knows what was decided and what happens next — without reading anything else. | > A memo records a decision, analysis, or recommendation addressed to a named audience. It is complete when the reader knows what was decided and what happens next — without reading anything else. |
| A **memo** (PROSE-MEMO genre) is an internal document addressed to a specific recipient for a specific decision or recommendation. It is not a status update, not a design document, and not a policy. A memo closes open questions; it does not catalogue them. For register and tone discipline applied to all prose artifacts, see [[editorial-language-registers]]. This article describes the human-facing standard; the machine-readable counterpart lives in `service-disclosure/templates/memo.toml`. | A **memo** (PROSE-MEMO genre) is an internal document addressed to a specific recipient for a specific decision or recommendation. It is not a status update, not a design document, and not a policy. A memo closes open questions; it does not catalogue them. For register and tone discipline applied to all prose artifacts, see [[editorial-language-registers]]. This article describes the human-facing standard; the machine-readable counterpart lives in `service-disclosure/templates/memo.toml`. |
| ## When to use this template | ## When to use this template |
| Use a memo when: | Use a memo when: |
| - A decision has been reached and needs to be communicated with the analysis that led to it. | - A decision has been reached and needs to be communicated with the analysis that led to it. |
| - A recommendation is ready for a named decision-maker and the recommendation cannot be delivered in a single paragraph. | - A recommendation is ready for a named decision-maker and the recommendation cannot be delivered in a single paragraph. |
| - A complex cross-functional question is settled and the settlement needs to be on record. | - A complex cross-functional question is settled and the settlement needs to be on record. |
| Do not use a memo for ongoing discussion, for project status, or for questions that remain open. An open question belongs in an inbox message, a NEXT.md item, or a brief. | Do not use a memo for ongoing discussion, for project status, or for questions that remain open. An open question belongs in an inbox message, a NEXT.md item, or a brief. |
| ## Structure | ## Structure |
| The template requires a header block and five sections: | The template requires a header block and five sections: |
| **Header block** (before any heading): | **Header block** (before any heading): |
| ``` | ``` |
| To: <recipient name or role> | To: <recipient name or role> |
| From: <author name or role> | From: <author name or role> |
| Date: <YYYY-MM-DD> | Date: <YYYY-MM-DD> |
| Re: <one-line subject — specific, actionable> | Re: <one-line subject — specific, actionable> |
| ``` | ``` |
| | Section | Purpose | | | Section | Purpose | |
| |---|---| | |---|---| |
| | **Summary** | The conclusion, stated first. One to three sentences: what was decided or recommended and the key constraint. The reader who reads only this section must be able to act on it. | | | **Summary** | The conclusion, stated first. One to three sentences: what was decided or recommended and the key constraint. The reader who reads only this section must be able to act on it. | |
| | **Context** | What precipitated the memo. The facts a recipient needs to evaluate the recommendation. Not the full history — only what is load-bearing. | | | **Context** | What precipitated the memo. The facts a recipient needs to evaluate the recommendation. Not the full history — only what is load-bearing. | |
| | **Analysis** | The reasoning. Structured as numbered points or short paragraphs. Acknowledges the strongest counterargument and explains why it was not decisive. | | | **Analysis** | The reasoning. Structured as numbered points or short paragraphs. Acknowledges the strongest counterargument and explains why it was not decisive. | |
| | **Recommendation** | The specific action requested, with owner and timeline. A memo with no recommendation is a brief; restructure it accordingly. | | | **Recommendation** | The specific action requested, with owner and timeline. A memo with no recommendation is a brief; restructure it accordingly. | |
| | **Next steps** | Concrete follow-on actions, owners, and dates. This is the section that gets executed. | | | **Next steps** | Concrete follow-on actions, owners, and dates. This is the section that gets executed. | |
| ## Register and tone | ## Register and tone |
| Formal but plain. The register is professional prose, not legalese. State the recommendation before the analysis — readers at the recipient level do not need to reconstruct the conclusion from the evidence. The Subject (`Re:`) line must be specific: "Approve Q3 content freeze — 2026-08-15" rather than "Content freeze update." | Formal but plain. The register is professional prose, not legalese. State the recommendation before the analysis — readers at the recipient level do not need to reconstruct the conclusion from the evidence. The Subject (`Re:`) line must be specific: "Approve Q3 content freeze — 2026-08-15" rather than "Content freeze update." |
| Sentence-length budget: mean around twenty-two words, maximum forty. Active voice throughout the body. The Analysis section may use numbered points; the Recommendation and Next steps use imperative sentences. | Sentence-length budget: mean around twenty-two words, maximum forty. Active voice throughout the body. The Analysis section may use numbered points; the Recommendation and Next steps use imperative sentences. |
| The banned-vocabulary list applies. No `"leverage"`, `"facilitate"`, or `"synergize"` in professional correspondence — state the specific action directly. | The banned-vocabulary list applies. No `"leverage"`, `"facilitate"`, or `"synergize"` in professional correspondence — state the specific action directly. |
| ## See also | ## See also |
| - [[style-guide-topic|Style Guide — TOPIC]] | - [[style-guide-topic|Style Guide — TOPIC]] |
| - [[style-guide-guide|Style Guide — GUIDE]] | - [[style-guide-guide|Style Guide — GUIDE]] |
| - [[language-protocol-substrate|Language Protocol Substrate]] | - [[language-protocol-substrate|Language Protocol Substrate]] |