Check a "300 percent growth" claim against its baseline

About this exercise

A slide says 'Signups up 300% since July'. Check it against the monthly numbers. Write exactly 3 labeled lines in plain text, under 70 words: Claim math, Baseline problem and Fair statement. Show the percent math, name why July is a poor baseline, and give one fair sentence using the typical level.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Only repeating the claim. The AI confirms 300% and moves on. Try: Add: "Claim math: (400 - 100) / 100 = 300%, then say why July is a poor baseline."
• Missing the outage. The AI says July was 'low' without the cause. Try: Add: "Baseline problem: the 10-day outage and last July's 370."
• No usable sentence. The AI doesn't offer wording the owner can use. Try: Add: "Fair statement: about 383 a month since August."
• Leaving the format to chance. The AI picks its own length and layout unless told the exact shape. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold or headings."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each part instead, for example "each line under 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

• Gives the three labels
• Asks for percent math
• Names the outage
• Uses the typical level
• Rules out extras

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