Frontload, Organize, Write
Research deeply, structure the evidence, then draft from command of the subject
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
This workflow separates a major writing project into three deliberate phases: research, organization, and drafting. The writer first develops broad command of the subject through interviews, reading, and evidence collection rather than composing polished chapters too early. The difficult middle phase then converts that accumulated material into themes, arguments, and a workable narrative structure. Only after this organization does sustained drafting begin. Because writing tests the completeness of the writer's understanding, the process remains iterative: drafting can reveal missing facts or weak links that require targeted follow-up research. The mechanism reduces cognitive overload by avoiding simultaneous discovery, organization, and prose production while still allowing evidence uncovered late in the project to improve the final work.
Origin
Duff McDonald described the workflow he developed while researching and writing three deeply reported business books on Jamie Dimon, McKinsey, and Harvard Business School.
Core principles
- 01Build subject knowledge before drafting
- 02Treat organization as a distinct phase
- 03Use writing to expose remaining research gaps
- 04Let evidence determine the final structure
How to run it
- 1
Define the subject
Identify the institution, person, or question the work must explain and establish the boundaries of the investigation.
Pro tip Choose a subject compelling enough to sustain months of reading and interviews.
Watch out A subject that is merely fashionable may not sustain a book-length investigation.
- 2
Frontload the research
Collect documents, historical context, interviews, and competing interpretations before attempting the main draft.
Pro tip Follow interview referrals to people with different perspectives on the same events.
Watch out Do not mistake the volume of collected material for genuine understanding.
- 3
Organize what you know
Sort the evidence into themes, chronology, claims, and supporting examples. Build a structure capable of carrying the full argument.
Pro tip Treat organization as substantive intellectual work rather than administrative cleanup.
Watch out Starting a long draft without a structure can make even strong reporting unusable.
- 4
Draft from command
Write once the research and structure give you a clear account of what happened and why it matters.
Pro tip Let the strongest evidence guide emphasis rather than forcing every collected fact into the manuscript.
Watch out Do not preserve weak sections merely because they required substantial research.
- 5
Research the exposed gaps
Use questions arising during drafting to conduct focused follow-up reporting and strengthen unclear passages.
Pro tip Keep a running list of unsupported claims and unresolved questions while writing.
Watch out Do not allow follow-up research to become an excuse for never completing the draft.
In the wild
A journalist begins with archival research and interviews across former employees, clients, critics, and industry observers. The material is then organized around the consultancy's history, operating model, influence, and consequences. Drafting reveals that the firm's role in several corporate failures remains unclear, prompting targeted follow-up interviews before the relevant chapters are completed.
→ The finished investigation combines institutional history with a coherent explanation of how the organization exercises influence.
An author spends several weeks collecting filings, oral histories, press coverage, and executive interviews. Before drafting, the author creates a chronology and groups turning points by strategic theme. When the first draft exposes a missing explanation for a failed acquisition, the author researches only that gap instead of reopening the entire investigation.
→ The author produces a structured manuscript without becoming trapped in endless undirected research.
Common mistakes
Drafting before understanding
Writing polished chapters too early can lock the project into a structure that later evidence does not support.
Skipping the organization phase
A large archive of interviews and notes does not automatically become a coherent narrative; it must be deliberately structured.
Treating research as permanently finished
Drafting often reveals gaps, so refusing to conduct follow-up research can leave important claims unsupported.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for journalists, authors, and analysts producing long-form work about complex institutions.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for breaking news or short assignments that require immediate publication.
From the transcript
“I'm more of the former, where I sort of try to frontload the research.”
“I do do research at first organization than writing.”
“But you know, you by the time you're writing is when you know the most about the subject”
From the episode
Duff McDonald: How To Fix the Broken Elite Institutions