Point of View (POV)
A POV is more than a hot take. It turns analysis into a clear, committed recommendation. Rather than laying out options neutrally, it takes a position and defends it. The strongest POVs follow a narrative spine, Barbara Minto’s SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer) or a simple Situation → Tension → Recommendation → Evidence → Ask, leading with the answer and then supporting it. It is how a strategist earns trust: not by having data, but by holding a position the data supports and stating exactly what they want the reader to do next.
A structured, defensible recommendation you put in front of a client or stakeholder.
Situation → Tension → Point of view → Evidence → The ask
When to use this
- When a stakeholder or client needs a recommendation, not a menu of options to choose from.
- When you have done the research and need to convert it into a decision someone will actually act on.