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Build a dated source table for a competitor's pricing

  • For Product managers
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You're checking what rival tool Tallyboard charges before a pricing review on Nov 10, 2026, using 6 snippets an AI search tool returned. Make a table with columns Source, Date, Price claim and Status, one row per snippet, newest first, where Status is Current for sources from May 2026 or later and Stale for anything older. After the table write one line starting Current price: with the price from the newest official source. No bullets, under 160 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Asking for a summary. The AI writes a paragraph averaging the prices instead of showing each source and its date. Try: Say: "Table with columns Source, Date, Price claim, Status."
  • Not defining stale. The AI doesn't know your cutoff, so it marks nothing stale or guesses. Try: Add: "Current means May 2026 or later; older is Stale."
  • Not saying the sort order. The AI keeps the search order, so the old $49 claims look as strong as the new $59 one. Try: Add: "Newest first."
  • No bottom line. The AI adds a long analysis section instead of one answer you can bring to the meeting. Try: Add: "After the table, one line: Current price: ... Nothing else."
  • Getting bold and headings. AI adds a heading and bold text above the table. Try: Ask for "no heading, no bold."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for a table with columns
  • Defines current vs. stale
  • Sets the sort order
  • Asks for one bottom line
  • Bans extras

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