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Compare two office leases with the math and flag unknowns for counsel

  • For Small business owners
  • You practice Catching mistakes and made-up facts
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Advanced

About this exercise

Write a decision memo comparing two office options for your 12-person agency. Plain text, under 170 words. Lines in this order: Recommend: (one option), Option A cost over 3 years as a calculation, Option B cost over 3 years as a calculation, the difference in dollars, Unknowns: listing what you cannot determine from the notes, then a final line: Lease terms to be reviewed by our lawyer. Use the final quotes only.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Old quote. The AI uses $10,400. Try: Say: "Use the final $9,800."
  • Ignoring escalation. The AI uses $7,900 for all 3 years. Try: Say: "Rent rises 4% a year in B."
  • Wrong totals. The AI does not add one-time costs or gets the difference wrong. Try: Say: "Add repainting to A and moving plus build-out to B, then state the difference."
  • Counting unconfirmed savings. The AI subtracts the free rent. Try: Say: "Free rent is unconfirmed; list under Unknowns."
  • Legal conclusions. The AI says clauses are fine. Try: Say: "No legal conclusions; end with the lawyer line."
  • Markdown. The AI makes a table. Try: Say: "Plain text."
  • 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 line: "each line under 35 words."
  • 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 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Recommend first
  • Math
  • Unknowns
  • Lawyer line
  • Final quotes

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