Pyramid · Diagram Design

Content pyramid · what compounds

Four layers of output, ordered by how rarely they ship and how far they travel. The base keeps you present. The apex defines the body of work — and it's the only layer anyone quotes back a decade later.

RARER · FEWER · COMPOUNDS ↑ Short posts daily · ~200 words ~240/yr Essays weekly · 800–1,500 words ~48/yr Long-form guides quarterly · 4,000+ words ~4/yr Flagship book every 3–5 years the apex The base funds the apex. The apex defines the base. LEGEND Apex — rarest, highest leverage Supporting layer — the volume work Layer width is honest: narrower = rarer shipping cadence.

THE HEADLINE

One coral layer, on purpose

A five-colour pyramid is a children's diagram. Reserving coral for the apex makes the whole structure actually say something: this is the rarest thing you'll make, and it's the one the rest of the pyramid is feeding.

Width tells the truth

  • ~240 short posts a year
  • ~48 essays
  • ~4 long-form guides
  • 1 flagship every 3–5 years

Pyramids only work for hierarchy

If your four categories don't have a rarity order — if a bullet list would communicate it — use bullets. Pyramids promise you're trading volume for value as you climb.