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Draft the Q3 finance page for the board deck

  • For FP&A and financial analysts
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Draft the finance page for the Q3 board deck. Start with a title line under 12 words, then at most 4 bullets, each giving actual vs plan and the difference. Use the cash balance after the late-September debt repayment. End with a line starting "Ask of the board:" that names the decision the CFO needs. Plain text, under 90 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the draft cash number. The AI copies $24.0M and misses the CFO's note about the repayment. Try: Add: "Use ending cash after the Sept 29 repayment: $22.0M."
  • No plan comparison. The AI lists actuals without the plan and the gap the board looks for. Try: Show it: "- Revenue: $12.0M vs $11.5M plan (+$0.5M)"
  • Forgetting the ask. The AI summarizes results but never states what the board must decide. Try: Say: "End with 'Ask of the board:' and the $3M line of credit renewal."
  • Slide clutter. The AI writes long bullets with bold labels and sub-points. Try: Say: "Title line, at most 4 bullets under 12 words, plain text."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Uses the corrected cash
  • Compares to plan
  • States the board ask
  • Caps the bullets
  • Sets a length limit

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