{"id":"mkt2-freelancer-client-status-update","audience":"freelancers","category":"writing-emails","track":"marketing","technique":"verification","level":"intermediate","title":"Write a client status update that separates done, blocked and needed","free":false,"task":"You're a freelance designer writing a Friday status email to your client Hollis. Write a prompt for exactly four plain-text lines labeled \"Done:\", \"Blocked:\", \"Need from you:\" and \"Next check-in:\", each under 22 words. Count something as Done only if it is delivered and approved. Use the dates in the log, and add no greeting or sign-off.","materialLabel":"Work log (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"WORK LOG - Hollis Pottery rebrand, week of Nov 2\n\nTue: Logo options (3) sent to Hollis. Status: delivered, waiting for approval.\nWed: Business card layout finished and approved by Hollis (email, Nov 4).\nWed: Website homepage mockup started.\nThu: Could not finish the packaging label: need the final product list and the new address line.\nThu: Asked Hollis for the brand photos; still not received.\nFri: Invoice #12 for the first milestone sent.\nNext call: Tue Nov 10 at 2 p.m.\n\nNotes: Hollis said she'd decide on the logo \"after the weekend\". I'd like to finish the homepage mockup by Nov 13 if photos arrive by Nov 9.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":100}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Calling delivered work Done","why":"The AI marks the logo options as done.","fix":"Say: \"Done only if delivered and approved.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Vague asks","why":"The AI writes 'let me know what you can'.","fix":"Say: \"Need from you lists the specific items with the date.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Greeting and sign-off","why":"Client emails get 'Hi Hollis' and 'Best'.","fix":"Say: \"No greeting or sign-off.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Letting markdown through","why":"AI adds bold text and headings by default.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text only, no bold, no headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and often runs past a word limit.","fix":"Cap each part (for example \"each line under 15 words\") so the total lands well under the limit.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Gives the four labels","patterns":["done:.*blocked:.*need from you:.*next check-in:"]},{"label":"Defines Done","patterns":["delivered and approved","only if"]},{"label":"Asks for specifics","patterns":["specific","items","photos","dates"]},{"label":"Bans greeting and sign-off","patterns":["no greeting","no sign-off","no intro"]},{"label":"Caps line length","patterns":["under 22 words","22 words"]}],"hint":"A status update is only useful if Done means done. Define it, name the labels and ask for specific items with dates.","mission":"Update client Hollis on Friday's project status.","musts":["Done means approved","Dates from the log","No greeting or sign-off"],"rubricLabels":["The output has exactly four lines starting Done:, Blocked:, Need from you: and Next check-in:","Done lists only the approved business card layout (not the logo options or the homepage mockup), and Blocked names the packaging label","Need from you asks for the product list, address line and brand photos (photos by Nov 9), and Next check-in gives Tue Nov 10 at 2 p.m."]}