What / So What / Now What
A three-part structure that turns any on-the-spot update or answer into a memorable, digestible message
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 90%
A simple speaking structure for spontaneous communication. Because brains are wired for connected story rather than lists, you package information into three linked parts: what it is, why it matters, and what comes next. It reduces the burden of on-the-spot speaking by telling you how to say something so you only have to decide what to put in each slot.
Origin
Abrahams teaches this in his book Think Faster, Talk Smarter as one of several named structures. He frames all structures as recipes that let you cook a good meal from good ingredients.
Core principles
- 01Our brains are not wired for lists of information; they are wired for connected ideas and story
- 02A structure is just a beginning, middle and end that gives a logical connection between pieces
- 03Having a reliable structure halves the burden: it answers how to say it, so you only decide what to say
- 04Packaging as what/so what/now what makes a message more digestible and memorable
How to run it
- 1
What
State the thing itself: your product, feature, update, or the substance of your feedback. This is the subject you are speaking about.
- 2
So what
Explain why it is important and relevant to the specific people you are talking to, your company, or your clients.
Pro tip Explicitly connect the dots to the audience; do not assume they will infer relevance on their own.
- 3
Now what
Say what comes next: the next action, the plan, or what you are doing about it.
Pro tip Practice it in 30 seconds after any podcast or article: what was it about, why does it matter to me, what can I do with it. This cements the structure and improves your recall of the material.
In the wild
On a product team, Abrahams maps it directly: here is what the feature is, here is why it is important, and here is what we are doing about it. For a standup update: here is what I'm working on, here is why it's important, here is what I'm doing next.
→ The update becomes more digestible and memorable than a raw list.
Common mistakes
Spewing an unstructured list
Under pressure people itemize information and take the audience on their own journey of discovery, but brains cannot hold or follow lists, so the message fails to land.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone giving a broader update, status report, or feedback in a meeting who needs to sound organized without prep time
Not ideal for
A single sharp point where a tighter make-the-point structure fits better than a three-part frame
From the transcript
“the what so what now what and people on product teams I think can benefit so much for this what is your product your service…”
“by packaging the information up and what so what now what it becomes much more digestible much more memorable”
From the episode
How to speak more confidently and persuasively
Matt Abrahams (professor, podcast host, author, speaker)