Use when: You receive a vendor pitch, a resume, or a technical update full of buzzwords and need to know what it actually says.
Rewrite the text below into plain English. Remove all corporate buzzwords ("synergy," "paradigm," "leverage") and marketing fluff. Summarize the core message in exactly three bullet points:
1. What are they proposing?
2. What is the actual cost or request?
3. What is the specific benefit to us (if any)?
Use when: You have to review a long document (contract, proposal, policy) and are afraid of missing a red flag.
Act as a cynical lawyer who protects [Your Company's] interests. Review the attached text. Do not summarize it. Instead, extract the 5 most dangerous clauses, vague promises, or obligations that could hurt us later. For each, explain why it is a risk in one sentence.
Use when: You have to write a high-stakes document (strategy deck, quarterly review) and have been staring at a blinking cursor for 20 minutes.
I need to write a [Document Type] for [Audience]. The goal is to convince them to [Goal]. Do not write the document. Instead, give me a detailed, fill-in-the-blanks outline. Break it down into sections with bullet points indicating exactly what data or arguments should go in each block to make it persuasive.
Use when: You need someone to tell you the truth, not what you want to hear.
I'm about to [Action]. Act as a brutally honest advisor who cares about my success but won't sugarcoat anything. Tell me:
1. The one thing I'm probably overestimating
2. The one thing I'm probably underestimating
3. What I should do differently
Use when: Leadership asks about a new AI announcement and you need to explain it without sounding like a hype merchant.
Explain this in plain language for a busy manager:
[Paste article or announcement]
Separate into:
1. What it is (one sentence)
2. What's real vs. hype
3. Who should actually care (specific roles)
4. One low-effort way to experiment this week (or "safe to ignore for now" if appropriate)
Use when: You need to present the same update to different audiences (your team, your boss, the C-suite) and each one cares about completely different things.
I need to communicate the following update to three different audiences:
UPDATE: [Paste your update here]
Rewrite this update three ways:
1. FOR MY TEAM: Focus on what changes for them day-to-day. Be direct. Skip the corporate framing.
2. FOR MY MANAGER: Focus on timeline, risks, and what decisions are needed. Keep it under 100 words.
3. FOR LEADERSHIP: Focus on business impact, cost, and strategic alignment. No jargon. Two sentences max.
Use when: You got pulled into a meeting in 10 minutes and have no idea what it's about.
I have a meeting in 10 minutes about [Topic]. I know almost nothing about it.
Give me:
1. The 3 most likely reasons this meeting is happening
2. The 2 questions I should ask to sound informed
3. The 1 thing I should NOT say if I want to avoid getting assigned more work
Keep it under 100 words total.
Use when: Your boss wants a weekly status update and you'd rather do literally anything else.
Here are my rough notes from this week:
[Paste messy notes, Slack messages, or bullet points]
Turn these into a professional status update for my manager. Format:
COMPLETED:
- (2-3 items, outcome-focused, not task-focused)
IN PROGRESS:
- (2-3 items with expected completion dates)
BLOCKED:
- (Only if something is actually blocked. If nothing is blocked, skip this section entirely.)
Keep the total under 150 words. No filler. No "I'm pleased to report."
Category: Skeptic / Due Diligence — Use when: Before signing any AI vendor POC or contract.
You are a skeptical IT Director evaluating a vendor. Read this description and give me three things:
1. THE JARGON DECODER: For every vague claim (e.g., "seamless integration," "flexible API," "enterprise-ready"), write one specific technical question that forces them to define the architecture.
2. TECHNICAL DEBT: Identify two integration questions their materials avoid answering — specifically around data privacy, security compliance, and long-term maintenance costs.
3. THE HYPE FILTER: Flag one red flag in their business model or pricing structure that suggests hidden costs or vendor lock-in after year one.
Give me all questions in plain language I can ask in a 30-minute demo.
[PASTE VENDOR WEBSITE COPY OR ONE-PAGER]
Source: Issue #15 + Survival Guide
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