08-13-2026, 07:59 AM
A ChatGPT/ Claude prompt I use constantly when someone dumps a long doc, meeting transcript, or Slack thread on me and wants my take. Sharing because it's simple but consistently produces something I can actually act on.
The prompt:
"""
Read the following [meeting notes / transcript / document / email thread].
Produce a 1-page decision memo with exactly these sections:
1. Context (2-3 sentences max — what is this about, who cares)
2. Key facts (bullet list, max 7 bullets, each under 20 words; no fluff)
3. Open questions (what do we still not know)
4. Options on the table (2-4 realistic options, named)
5. Recommendation (pick one option, 2-3 sentences explaining why)
6. Action items (owner-verb-deadline format, even if owner is unknown mark as TBD)
If the source material doesn't contain enough info for a section, say "Insufficient info" — don't make things up.
Tone: concise, for a busy decision-maker. No corporate jargon.
Source:
[paste text here]
"""
Why it works:
- Forces structure rather than a waffly summary.
- "Recommendation" is the secret sauce — even if you disagree with it, having a concrete proposal to push back against is way faster than starting from zero.
- "No corporate jargon" and bullet limits prevent it from producing the kind of summary that *sounds* smart but says nothing.
- "Insufficient info" guardrail reduces confident hallucination.
I use variants for 1:1 meeting prep, due-diligence notes, support ticket triage, and even personal decisions (pasting a long product page and asking for a buy/don't-buy memo).
Try it on your next long document and let me know what you'd tweak.
The prompt:
"""
Read the following [meeting notes / transcript / document / email thread].
Produce a 1-page decision memo with exactly these sections:
1. Context (2-3 sentences max — what is this about, who cares)
2. Key facts (bullet list, max 7 bullets, each under 20 words; no fluff)
3. Open questions (what do we still not know)
4. Options on the table (2-4 realistic options, named)
5. Recommendation (pick one option, 2-3 sentences explaining why)
6. Action items (owner-verb-deadline format, even if owner is unknown mark as TBD)
If the source material doesn't contain enough info for a section, say "Insufficient info" — don't make things up.
Tone: concise, for a busy decision-maker. No corporate jargon.
Source:
[paste text here]
"""
Why it works:
- Forces structure rather than a waffly summary.
- "Recommendation" is the secret sauce — even if you disagree with it, having a concrete proposal to push back against is way faster than starting from zero.
- "No corporate jargon" and bullet limits prevent it from producing the kind of summary that *sounds* smart but says nothing.
- "Insufficient info" guardrail reduces confident hallucination.
I use variants for 1:1 meeting prep, due-diligence notes, support ticket triage, and even personal decisions (pasting a long product page and asking for a buy/don't-buy memo).
Try it on your next long document and let me know what you'd tweak.