{"id":"exec-board-chair-preread-summary","audience":"executives","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"intermediate","technique":"audience","title":"Write a pre-read summary for a named board chair who dislikes jargon","free":false,"task":"Write a summary of the board materials for the chair, Elaine Frost, who reads on paper and dislikes jargon. Plain text, under 140 words. The first sentence gives the one decision she is asked to make. Then exactly 3 lines starting with a dash covering results, risk and cash, each with one number from the notes. Do not use the terms ARR, EBITDA or runway, and end with the page number where the decision paper starts.","materialLabel":"Board pack notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Board pack - Q3 (meeting Nov 21)\n\nPage 3: Results. Revenue was $6.2M, up 12% from last year. (An earlier draft said 15%; finance corrected it.)\nPage 5: Risk. Our biggest customer, 22% of revenue, has asked for a 10% price cut at renewal on Jan 31.\nPage 7: Cash. $3.4M in the bank; we spend about $430k a month more than we earn, so about 8 months of cash at this pace. (Finance calls this runway.)\nPage 9: Hiring plan. 14 open roles; no decision needed.\nPage 11: Decision paper. The board is asked to approve a $1.5M credit line from Redwood Bank, which management recommends.\n\nNotes: ARR is $24M annualized. EBITDA is negative $1.9M. Elaine said last time: \"Please just tell me what you want me to decide, in normal words.\"","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":140},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Burying the decision","why":"The AI starts with performance and leaves the ask for the end.","fix":"Say: \"First sentence: the one decision she is asked to make.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Using jargon","why":"The AI writes ARR, EBITDA and runway.","fix":"Say: \"Do not use ARR, EBITDA or runway; use plain words.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Using the old growth number","why":"The AI says 15%.","fix":"Say: \"Use the corrected 12%.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Missing the page pointer","why":"The AI ends with 'Let me know'.","fix":"Say: \"End with the page number where the decision paper starts.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI bolds headings.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, dash lines only.\"","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 line: \"each line under 25 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"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 12 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the reader","patterns":["elaine","chair"]},{"label":"Decision first","patterns":["first sentence","decision"]},{"label":"Three lines","patterns":["3 lines","three lines","results.*risk.*cash"]},{"label":"Bans jargon","patterns":["jargon","no (arr|ebitda)","plain words"]},{"label":"Ends with page","patterns":["page","last line"]}],"hint":"Tell the AI who reads it, what the first sentence is, what to ban and how to end.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence asks Elaine to approve a $1.5M credit line from Redwood Bank","Has exactly three dash lines for results, risk and cash, with 12% growth (not 15%), the 22% customer asking for a lower price, and about 8 months of cash","Does not use the terms ARR, EBITDA or runway, and the last line points to page 11"]}