[Title]: [subtitle]
[Company or author] · [Month YYYY]
How to use this template
Decide the reader first: their role, industry and company size, and the one question this paper answers for them. Name their problem in the title and promise the answer in the subtitle.
Write a guide, not a brochure. The method should be useful to a reader who never buys; your product appears once, after it.
Back every figure with a note number in superscript that points to the Sources list, and say how it was measured.
Write the executive summary last. Aim for 2,500–5,000 words, about 6–12 pages.
Before publishing, have an expert check the method and get written approval for every quote. Then delete the grey hints, this box and the example.
Executive summary
The whole argument in half a page: problem, approach, proof, next step.
The problem
The problem in your reader's words, and how it shows up in their week.
Who has it:
What it costs:
Why now:
Why the usual fixes fall short
Common approach | What it gets right | Where it breaks |
A better approach
The method, before any product: what to do differently and why it works.
Where [your product] fits
Evidence
Data, results or research, and how each was measured.
Claim | Evidence | Source |
— [Name], [role], [organization]
See an example
Title: The hidden cost of manual invoices: how mid-size finance teams can close the books in half the time
A principle, written as a method: Capture each invoice once, where it arrives. Every time it is typed again adds a chance of error and a day of delay.
The same point as a pitch, which doesn't belong here: Our platform eliminates manual data entry.
Claim: Invoices typed in by hand fail more often
Evidence: In 12,400 invoices reviewed at six companies in 2025, 3.1% of those typed in by hand had an error, against 0.4% captured once
Source: note 3
How to get started
Steps a reader can take this week, without buying anything.
Conclusion
The problem and the approach in two sentences, then one call to action.
About [company]
Sources
Author or organization. Title. Publisher, year. Link.