{"id":"lead-hire-vs-contractor-decision-memo","audience":"small-business","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"intermediate","technique":"constraints","title":"Decide between a hire and a contractor with the cost math shown","free":false,"task":"You run a 6-person marketing agency and must decide how to cover 20 hours a week of design work for 12 months. Write a plain-text memo under 150 words with: a first line Recommend: hire or contractor; two lines showing the 12-month cost of each option as a calculation; one line with the biggest risk of your pick; one line with what would change your mind. Use only the notes, include no tax or legal conclusions.","materialLabel":"Your notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Design capacity decision\n\nOption 1 - Part-time hire\n- 20 hours a week, $32 per hour. Employer payroll costs add 12% on top of wages (not tax advice, just what my accountant said we budget).\n- Equipment: $1,800 one-time.\n- Ramp-up: first month at half productivity.\n\nOption 2 - Freelance contractor\n- $55 per hour for 20 hours a week.\n- Can stop with 2 weeks' notice. Has two other clients; capacity not guaranteed in busy months.\n\nFacts\n- 52 weeks a year; use 52 for both. \n- Last year, we had 3 months where design work dropped to about 8 hours a week.\n- I worry about misclassification rules for contractors. I haven't asked my lawyer.\n- I'd rather not lock into a salary if work might drop.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":150},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Skipping the math","why":"The AI compares options without totals.","fix":"Say: \"Show each 12-month cost as a calculation.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Legal conclusions","why":"The AI says contractors are legally fine or not.","fix":"Say: \"Don't conclude anything about tax or law; flag for the lawyer.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Hedging","why":"The AI says 'it depends' with no pick.","fix":"Say: \"First line: Recommend: and one option.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI makes a table.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each line: \"each line under 30 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each part instead, for example: \"each line under 12 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Recommendation first","patterns":["recommend:","first line"]},{"label":"Math","patterns":["calculation","math","x \\$"]},{"label":"Risk and change-mind","patterns":["risk","change (my|your) mind"]},{"label":"No legal","patterns":["legal","tax","don'?t conclude"]},{"label":"Plain text","patterns":["plain text"]}],"hint":"Specify the line order, ask for the cost math, and tell it not to conclude on tax or law.","rubricLabels":["The first line starts with \"Recommend:\" and names exactly one option","The two cost lines show the math: hire 20 x $32 x 52 = $33,280, plus 12% = $37,274 (about), plus $1,800 equipment; contractor 20 x $55 x 52 = $57,200","The risk line names one real risk from the notes, the final line says what would change the pick, and no line concludes what tax or employment law requires"]}