13 hours ago
- The widespread use of slide decks for non-presentation communication is a puzzling trend that emerged over the last 10–20 years.
- Common theories—such as declining intelligence, reading ability, or technological change—are incomplete or lack strong evidence.
- The shift originated in management consultancies, which gradually replaced written memos with slides as the primary product during the 1990s and 2000s.
- Amazon's internal policy against presentations, favoring six-page memos, shows that slide culture is a choice, not inevitable.
- The adoption of slides is a moderate win facilitated by computers and software, but cultural inertia and institutional choices play a key role.