{"id":"fpa-weekly-cash-flash-slack-message","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"format","level":"beginner","title":"Post a weekly cash flash in Slack with exactly one watch item","free":false,"task":"You're posting the weekly cash flash in the finance channel. Write a prompt for a plain-text Slack message under 60 words. The first line starts \"Cash:\" and gives the balance and the change from last week; the second line starts \"Math:\" and shows the change as receipts minus payroll minus other payments. The third line starts \"Watch:\" and names exactly one item: the largest unscheduled risk, not routine payroll.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"WEEKLY CASH - week ending Nov 6, 2026\n\nCash balance, Nov 6: $2,840,000\nCash balance, Oct 30: $3,060,000\n\nThis week:\n- Customer receipts: $410,000\n- Payroll: $480,000 (paid Nov 6; next payroll Nov 20)\n- Other payments (vendors, rent, tools): $150,000\n\nAR over 60 days: $310,000 in total.\n- Delta Co: $190,000, no payment plan yet; contact says \"end of month\"\n- Six smaller accounts: $120,000\n\nOther notes: a $60,000 insurance renewal is due Nov 25. The credit line ($1,000,000) is undrawn. Treasury reviews this flash every Friday at 3 p.m. and the CFO reads it before the Monday meeting.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":60}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets the first line","patterns":["first line","cash","change"]},{"label":"Asks for the math line","patterns":["receipts","payroll","math"]},{"label":"Starts the watch line","patterns":["watch:"]},{"label":"Limits to one item","patterns":["one (watch )?item","exactly one"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under \\d+"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Picking payroll as the watch item","why":"The AI warns about the biggest outflow.","fix":"Say: \"The watch item is the largest unscheduled risk, not routine payroll.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Listing many watch items","why":"The AI lists three risks.","fix":"Add: \"Exactly one watch item.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Skipping the math line","why":"The AI gives only the balance and the change.","fix":"Add: \"Line two shows receipts minus payroll minus other payments.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Burying the number","why":"The AI opens with a greeting.","fix":"Add: \"The first line is cash and the change from last week.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"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"]},{"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 part short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"A Slack flash is read in seconds. Put the number first and force the choice of one risk.","rubricLabels":["The first line starts \"Cash:\" and gives $2.84M (or $2,840,000), down $220K (or $220,000) from last week","The second line starts \"Math:\" and shows $410,000 - $480,000 - $150,000 = -$220,000 (or equivalent)","The third line starts \"Watch:\" and names only Delta Co's $190,000 overdue balance (not payroll, the insurance renewal or the smaller accounts)"]}