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Work backward from a launch date to a campaign timeline

Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

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.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not giving the anchor date. The AI lists lead times as 'T-minus 7' instead of real dates, or guesses wrong ones. Try: Add: "Launch is Thu Nov 20. Start each line with the actual calendar date."
  • Missing legal's change. The 3-day lead time is in the main list, so the AI uses it. Try: Add: "Use Kendra's new 6-day lead time for legal review."
  • Dropping the owners. The AI writes milestones but forgets who does each one. Try: Add: "End each line with the owner's name."
  • Letting the AI pick the layout. The AI makes a Gantt-style table or bold week headings. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 6 numbered lines like '1. Nov 10 - Photos delivered (Ridge Studio)'. Plain text."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 80 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 9 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Says how many lines
  • Gives the launch date
  • Asks for real dates
  • Uses legal's new lead time
  • Asks for owners

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