{"id":"pro-mkt-launch-backward-timeline","audience":"marketing","category":"planning","technique":"context","track":"productivity","title":"Work backward from a launch date to a campaign timeline","free":false,"task":"You're planning the email and ad campaign for a product launch on Thursday, Nov 20, and need a timeline for the team's project channel. You want exactly 6 numbered lines, each starting with a calendar date (like Nov 13), in date order, under 80 words, plain text. Work each date back from the launch using the lead times in your notes, and use legal's new review time, not the old one. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"Your planning notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Lumen Lamp launch - THU NOV 20 (launch day = email + ads go live)\n\nLead times (count back from launch day, calendar days):\n- Final email copy: 7 days before launch\n- Legal review of ad claims: done 3 days before launch (see Kendra's note)\n- Ads uploaded and approved in ad platforms: 2 days before launch\n- Landing page live (hidden): 1 day before launch\n- Photos delivered by studio: 10 days before launch\n- Launch day: email + ads go live\n\nWho:\n- Photos: Ridge Studio\n- Email copy: Tasha\n- Legal: Kendra\n- Ads: Marcus\n- Landing page: Ben\n\nNote from Kendra (legal), Tue:\n\"Heads up, we're short-staffed through December. Legal needs ad claims 6 days before launch now, not 3. Sorry!\"\n\nRandom:\n- Can we get the CEO to post on LinkedIn? (Ask Friday, not decided)\n- Holiday gift guide pitch is a separate project.\n- Team lunch Friday at noon.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":6},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not giving the anchor date","why":"The AI lists lead times as 'T-minus 7' instead of real dates, or guesses wrong ones.","fix":"Add: \"Launch is Thu Nov 20. Start each line with the actual calendar date.\"","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"Missing legal's change","why":"The 3-day lead time is in the main list, so the AI uses it.","fix":"Add: \"Use Kendra's new 6-day lead time for legal review.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Dropping the owners","why":"The AI writes milestones but forgets who does each one.","fix":"Add: \"End each line with the owner's name.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Letting the AI pick the layout","why":"The AI makes a Gantt-style table or bold week headings.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 6 numbered lines like '1. Nov 10 - Photos delivered (Ridge Studio)'. Plain text.\"","checks":["numberedItems","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 80 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each line under 9 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Says how many lines","patterns":["\\b(6|six)\\b"]},{"label":"Gives the launch date","patterns":["nov(ember)? 20","launch (date|day)"]},{"label":"Asks for real dates","patterns":["calendar date","actual date","start each line with (a|the) date","date order"]},{"label":"Uses legal's new lead time","patterns":["kendra","legal","6 days","six days"]},{"label":"Asks for owners","patterns":["owner","who"]}],"hint":"Lead times only become a plan when they turn into dates. Give the AI the launch date, the line shape, and point it at legal's new lead time.","rubricLabels":["Each line starts with a calendar date and the lines are in date order from earliest to launch day","Dates are worked back correctly from Nov 20: photos Nov 10, legal review Nov 14 (the new 6-day lead time, not Nov 17), email copy Nov 13, ads approved Nov 18, landing page Nov 19, launch Nov 20","Each line names the owner from the notes, and the timeline leaves out undecided or unrelated items (CEO post, gift guide, team lunch)"]}