How do CEOs write emails?

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Good morning. In under 4 minutes, we’re going to teach you how top executives send short, powerful, effective emails, such as Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo (forwarded this email? Join 100k subscribers here).

Today’s Briefing

• Story: How Top CEOs Send Emails 📧

• Insight: 3 Tactics for Unbeatable Communication 💬

• Action: Use this "Powerful Silence" Method 🤐

STORY

How Top CEOs Send Emails 📧

The Big Idea: As Yahoo's CEO, Marissa Mayer turned brevity into an art form, slashing through inboxes with emails shorter than a TikTok attention span.

Why it Matters: Mayer's approach — the art of brevity — proves you can save time, increase impact, and project confidence in your professional interactions.

Marissa Mayer, tech world badass and former Yahoo CEO, didn't just climb the corporate ladder - she took the express elevator by mastering the art of shutting the f**k up in emails.

While other execs were writing emails longer than a CVS receipt, Mayer was dropping communication nukes with single-word responses. We're talking "done," "proceed," or the ultimate power move: "K."

Now, you might be thinking, "Isn't that just being a lazy ass?" Hell no. It's about being so goddamn important that you don't need to waste time on pleasantries or explanations.

In the book Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!, Nicholas Carlson writes:

"Mayer's email style was infamous for its brevity. She would respond to long, detailed messages with a simple 'Got it' or 'Makes sense.'"

Mayer wasn't just saving time; she was establishing dominance faster than a wolf pissing on trees.

• Other CEOs: Writing emails longer than War and Peace

• Mayer: "Nope."

Notice how just by being brief, you automatically know who's in charge?

Whatever business you're in, don't aim to write better emails. Be so f**king concise that you make other people's messages look like they're trying to win a Pulitzer with every "per my last email."

Key takeaway: Don't be verbose or succinct — be "the only one they're scared to email."

Go Deeper: Read Marissa’s very first memo (“Yes, Keep Moving”) to the “Yahoos” right here.

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INSIGHT

3 Tactics for Unbeatable Communication 💬

Robert Greene, the author of The 48 Laws of Power and professional shit-stirrer in the world of self-help, believes that true power comes from keeping your mouth shut more often than not.

Now, let's dive into Greene's power move of shutting the f**k up, as demonstrated by Yahoo's former CEO and email assassin, Marissa Mayer:

1. Silence is Golden: It's not about how much you yap, it's about how many people lose their shit when you finally open your mouth (Mayer didn't just send emails, she launched verbal nukes that left people scrambling for cover with a simple "K").

2. Less is More, More is a Bore: Stop trying to be the Shakespeare of Silicon Valley. Be the Hemingway of the C-Suite (Mayer turned one-word responses into an art form that would make Greene weep with joy).

3. Foot-in-Mouth Prevention Plan: The less you say, the less chance you have of saying something stupid (Mayer's non-responses were more strategic than a game of Risk played by chess grandmasters).

Remember, in Greene's world of power plays, it's not about writing a manifesto in your emails. It's about making every character count like you're paying per letter and the bill's coming out of your own pocket.

Go Deeper: Bookmark Derek Siver’s notes on Robert Greene’s book.

ACTION

Robert Greene's "Powerful Silence" Method 🤐

Here's how regular office drones can channel their inner Marissa Mayer and start playing power games at work:

1. Embrace the "less is more" email: Start responding with brief, to-the-point messages. Turn your usual paragraph into a sentence, your sentence into a word.

2. Master the strategic pause: In meetings, wait a beat before responding. Let the silence make others squirm.

3. Cultivate an air of mystery: Don't overshare about your weekend or your cat's digestive issues. Keep personal info on a need-to-know basis.

4. Quality over quantity in meetings: Speak less, but make it count. One well-timed, insightful comment beats constant blabbing.

5. Perfect the enigmatic response: When asked for your opinion, try "Interesting perspective" or "I'll consider that." Let them wonder what you're really thinking.

Remember, you're not aiming to be a complete mute. You're learning to make your words rare and therefore valuable – like bacon-wrapped wagyu beef, not all-you-can-eat buffet slop.

One Funny Thing 🤣

Bite-Sized Reads 📚

[Read] From the Desk of Marissa Mayer: “Privileged and confidential — Do not forward.”]

[Watch] Robert Greene and Mastering the Laws of Power (19 Minutes).

[Book] Jim Vandehei: “Delete, delete, delete. What words, sentences or paragraphs can you eliminate before sending?”

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