{"id":"fpa-runway-board-member-qa","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","level":"intermediate","technique":"constraints","title":"Answer a board member's runway questions in a short Q&A","free":false,"task":"A board member emailed four questions. Answer as exactly 4 Q:/A: pairs in her order, each answer under 30 words with the math shown. Count only cash in the bank, not unsigned deals. FP&A doesn't advise on where to invest cash, so that answer must refer her to the CFO instead of recommending anything. Plain text, under 160 words.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"From: Helen Aldous (Board)\n1. What's our runway in the base case?\n2. What if revenue drops 20%?\n3. When would we need to have a raise closed?\n4. Should we move idle cash into money market funds for better yield?\n\nFP&A model, Oct 31:\n- Cash: $9.0M\n- Monthly revenue: $750k. Monthly costs: $1,350k. Base net burn: $600k/month.\n- Downside: revenue down 20% ($150k/month less), costs flat. Net burn $750k/month.\n- Pipeline: Kessler Foods may prepay $1.5M in December. Contract not signed.\n- Board policy (2025): any raise should close while at least 9 months of runway remain.\n\nCFO note: \"Treasury policy review is on the January agenda.\" ","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":160}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Counting unsigned deals","why":"The AI adds the $1.5M Kessler prepayment and stretches the runway.","fix":"Add: \"Count only cash in the bank. Exclude the unsigned Kessler prepayment.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Skipping the policy math","why":"The AI says 'raise soon' instead of working back from the 9-month rule.","fix":"Ask: \"For question 3, subtract 9 months from each runway.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Giving investment advice","why":"The AI weighs in on money market funds, which isn't FP&A's call.","fix":"Say: \"Don't recommend where to invest cash; refer question 4 to the CFO.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Long answers","why":"The AI writes a paragraph per question with headings.","fix":"Say: \"Each answer under 30 words, plain text, Q: and A: lines.\"","checks":["plainText","maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Excludes unsigned deals","patterns":["unsigned","kessler","only cash","exclude"]},{"label":"Uses the 9-month rule","patterns":["9 months","nine months","policy"]},{"label":"Avoids investment advice","patterns":["cfo","don.t (recommend|advise)","no (investment )?advice","refer"]},{"label":"Asks for Q and A lines","patterns":["q:","a:","q&a"]},{"label":"Sets a length limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)","under \\d+"]}],"hint":"Some questions need math; one isn't yours to answer. Tell the AI what counts as cash and where to send the investing question.","rubricLabels":["Base runway is 15 months ($9.0M ÷ $600k) and downside is 12 months ($9.0M ÷ $750k), without counting the unsigned $1.5M Kessler prepayment","The raise answer says it should close by about month 6 in the base case and month 3 in the downside (to keep 9 months left)","The money market answer gives no recommendation either way and refers the question to the CFO (or the January treasury review)"]}