{"id":"data2-revenue-terms-faq-new-hires","audience":"finance","category":"data","track":"data","technique":"grounding","level":"intermediate","title":"Answer a revenue terms FAQ for new hires using one deal","free":false,"task":"New analysts keep mixing up bookings, billings, ARR and revenue. Write a Q&A with exactly 4 questions and answers about those four terms, each as 'Q:' then 'A:' on the next line, plain text, under 140 words. Each answer is one sentence that uses the example deal's dollar figure, and only the policy's definitions.","materialLabel":"Finance glossary and example deal (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Finance glossary - Cobalt Analytics\n\nBookings: the total contract value signed in the period.\nBillings: the amount invoiced to the customer in the period.\nARR (annual recurring revenue): the yearly value of recurring subscription contracts, normalized to 12 months.\nRevenue: the amount earned and recognized over time as the service is delivered, here evenly each month of the contract.\n\nExample deal (signed Nov 3):\n- Customer: Lakeshore Clinics (fictional)\n- Contract: 3 years, $120,000 per year, invoiced annually in advance.\n- First invoice: $120,000 sent Nov 3, due in 30 days.\n\nCommon mistakes seen in new analyst reports:\n- Calling the whole $360,000 contract \"ARR\".\n- Counting $120,000 as revenue in November.\n- Treating the payment due date as the billing date.\n\nReporting note: November reporting is for the month of November only.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":140}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Generic definitions","why":"The AI gives textbook definitions with no dollar figures.","fix":"Add: \"Use the deal's figure in each answer: $360,000, $120,000, $120,000, $10,000.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Mixing up ARR and bookings","why":"The AI calls the full $360,000 the ARR.","fix":"Add: \"ARR is the yearly value, $120,000.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Revenue as the invoice","why":"The AI books $120,000 as November revenue.","fix":"Add: \"Revenue is recognized evenly: $120,000 / 12 = $10,000 for November.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Leaving the format to chance","why":"The AI picks its own length and layout unless told the exact shape.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold or headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each part instead, for example \"each line under 15 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Asks for Q and A pairs","patterns":["q:","a:","exactly 4"]},{"label":"Uses the deal numbers","patterns":["360,?000","120,?000"]},{"label":"Fixes the ARR trap","patterns":["arr is","yearly","not .{0,6}360"]},{"label":"Fixes the revenue trap","patterns":["10,?000","/ ?12","recogni"]},{"label":"Limits the answers","patterns":["one sentence","under \\d+ words"]}],"hint":"Glossary terms confuse people when they aren't tied to one example. Give the AI the example numbers to use.","mission":"Explain bookings vs billings vs ARR vs revenue.","musts":["Four Q&A pairs","Use the deal's dollars","Only glossary definitions"],"rubricLabels":["The bookings answer says the deal books $360,000 (3 years x $120,000) and the billings answer says $120,000 was invoiced in November (the first annual invoice)","The ARR answer says $120,000 (yearly value, not the $360,000 total)","The revenue answer says $10,000 per month ($120,000 / 12) is recognized as the service is delivered (not $120,000 in November), and there are exactly 4 Q:/A: pairs"]}