{"id":"exec-acquisition-targets-screen-then-score","audience":"executives","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"advanced","technique":"constraints","title":"Screen three acquisition targets by a rule, then score the rest","free":false,"task":"Screen and score the three targets. Step 1: disqualify any target whose largest customer is over 30 percent of revenue. Step 2: score the rest as growth x 2 + margin x 1 + fit x 3 using the latest scores, showing the working like \"4 x 2 + 3 x 1 + 3 x 3 = 20\". Break a tie by lower integration cost. Output a table with the header Target | Screen | Score | Result, then a last line \"Pick:\" with the target and the reason in at most 12 words. Plain text, under 130 words.","materialLabel":"Target data (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Acquisition targets - summary\n\nTarget A: largest customer 42 percent of revenue. Scores (1-5): growth 5, margin 4, fit 4. Integration cost $2.5M. The banker calls A \"the best asset on the list\".\n\nTarget B: largest customer 18 percent. Scores: growth 4, margin 3, fit 3. Integration cost $2.0M.\n\nTarget C: largest customer 25 percent. Scores: growth 3, margin 4, fit 4. Integration cost $3.0M.\n\nDiligence update (Nov 7): Target C's margin score is lowered from 4 to 2 after a cost review. No other scores changed.\n\nScores come from the deal team and are management estimates.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":130},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Scoring the disqualified target","why":"The AI picks A on score.","fix":"Say: \"Disqualify first; do not score a disqualified target.\"","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"Using the old margin score","why":"The AI keeps C at 22.","fix":"Say: \"Use the latest scores from the diligence update.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Missing the tie-break","why":"The AI picks C for its higher fit.","fix":"Say: \"Break a tie by lower integration cost.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Wrong table","why":"The AI adds columns.","fix":"Say: \"Exactly this header and three rows.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI bolds the pick.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text.\"","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":"Gives the header","patterns":["target \\|","screen","result"]},{"label":"Screen rule","patterns":["30 percent","disqualify"]},{"label":"Score formula","patterns":["x 2","x 3","growth"]},{"label":"Latest scores and tie-break","patterns":["latest","tie","integration cost"]},{"label":"Pick line","patterns":["pick:"]}],"hint":"State the screen rule, the score formula with the working, the tie-break and the pick line.","rubricLabels":["Has the header Target | Screen | Score | Result and exactly three rows for A, B and C, with A screened out (42 percent is over 30 percent) and B and C passing","B scores 4 x 2 + 3 x 1 + 3 x 3 = 20 and C scores 3 x 2 + 2 x 1 + 4 x 3 = 20 (using the lowered margin of 2), and A is not scored","The tie is broken by lower integration cost, so the last line is \"Pick:\" with Target B and a reason of at most 12 words"]}