{"id":"fpa-active-customer-definitions","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"grounding","level":"advanced","title":"Document two conflicting customer definitions without picking one","free":false,"task":"Sales and Finance both report \"active customers\" and the numbers differ. Write a prompt for a glossary entry with exactly four lines starting \"Sales definition:\", \"Finance definition:\", \"Counts:\" and \"Open decision:\". Use only the notes. Don't choose one definition, and don't state which number is right. The Open decision line names who decides and the date from the notes. Plain text, under 100 words. No bullets or numbering.","materialLabel":"Slack thread and report extracts (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"#metrics thread, Nov 3, 2026\n\nMaya (Sales Ops): For the pipeline review I count a customer as active if anyone from the account logged in during the last 30 days. That gives us 520 active customers.\n\nDana (Finance): For the board deck I count a customer as active if it has a paid invoice in the last 90 days. That's 455.\n\nIlan (FP&A): I checked the overlap. 430 customers meet both tests. 90 customers logged in but have no paid invoice in 90 days (mostly free trials and pilots). 25 customers paid in the last 90 days but did not log in during the last 30.\n\nRae (CFO): We can't present two numbers in one deck. Decide between yourselves and Priti (CRO) and me, and bring a proposal to the Nov 20 leadership meeting.\n\nNote from Maya: 'Honestly the login number is more meaningful for sales.' Dana: 'The invoice number ties to revenue.'","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":100},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the four lines","patterns":["sales definition","finance definition","counts","open decision"]},{"label":"Includes the overlap","patterns":["overlap","430","login-only"]},{"label":"Names deciders and date","patterns":["rae","priti","nov 20"]},{"label":"Stays neutral","patterns":["(do not|don'?t).*(better|right|choose)"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Choosing a winner","why":"The AI says the invoice definition is better because it ties to revenue.","fix":"Add: \"Do not say which definition is better or which number is right.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Dropping the overlap","why":"The AI gives 520 and 455 with no explanation of the gap.","fix":"Say: \"Counts includes the overlap figures: both, login-only, paid-only.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Missing deciders and date","why":"The AI ends with 'teams should align'.","fix":"Add: \"Open decision: who decides and the date.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText","maxBullets","r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"Two valid definitions need a documented decision path, not a winner. Give the four lines and ban picking.","rubricLabels":["Sales definition says a login by anyone from the account in the last 30 days and Finance definition says a paid invoice in the last 90 days","Counts line gives 520 (Sales), 455 (Finance) and the overlap detail (430 meet both, 90 login-only, 25 paid-only)","Open decision line says the CFO and the CRO (with Sales and Finance) decide at the Nov 20 leadership meeting, and no line says which definition or number is right"]}