Claim-Evidence — Claim – Proof

The leanest form of argument

Claim-Evidence is the most compact argument structure there is: a claim immediately followed by its proof. No superfluous context, no needless nuance — just the thesis and its demonstration.

What it does. Presents complex arguments in an ultra-compact way. Ideal for situations where the audience is expert and impatient.

A precise Claim, quantified Evidence

Claim — a precise, clear statement, one that can be true or false.

Evidence — empirical proof that makes the claim highly probable.

The 2 steps of the method

• CClaim — the statement, precise and falsifiable.
• EEvidence — the proof, quantified and sourceable, that demonstrates the Claim.

Defending a technical architecture in front of a sceptical CTO

Common mistakes

• ✕A Claim with no Evidence — that's an opinion, not an argument.
• ✕Unsourced Evidence — "I read somewhere that" doesn't count.
• ✕A Claim that's too broad: "our solution is better" — too vague to prove.
• ✕Evidence that doesn't prove the Claim — the link has to be direct and explicit.

Quick checklist

• ✓Every Claim is precise and falsifiable.
• ✓Every piece of Evidence is quantified and sourceable.
• ✓The link between the Claim and the Evidence is made explicit.
• ✓I can defend every piece of Evidence if challenged on it.

Claim-Evidence in one sentence

Claim-Evidence = an ultra-compact, evidence-based argument. Every Claim (a precise statement) is immediately followed by its Evidence (quantified proof). It's the structure for debates with experts and recommendations to the C-suite.