// Use when creating executive summaries for reports, proposals, or business documents. Helps distill complex information into concise, scannable summaries that busy decision-makers can act on.
Use when documenting architectural decisions, technology choices, or significant design decisions. Helps create structured ADRs with context, alternatives, and consequences.
Use when creating step-by-step technical tutorials, how-to guides, or learning materials. Helps structure tutorials with clear prerequisites, incremental steps, and working code examples.
Use when creating project status reports, weekly updates, or progress summaries for stakeholders. Helps structure clear, actionable reports that communicate status, blockers, and next steps without wasting readers' time.
Use when creating migration or upgrade guides for software, APIs, or frameworks. Helps structure step-by-step migration paths with breaking changes, automated tooling, and rollback procedures.
Use when writing cold outreach emails for sales, partnerships, or networking. Helps craft emails that get opened, read, and replied to by focusing on recipient value over self-promotion.
Use when drafting contract language, terms and conditions, or legal clauses for business agreements. Helps structure clear, enforceable clauses that protect both parties while remaining readable.
| name | executive-summary-writer |
| description | Use when creating executive summaries for reports, proposals, or business documents. Helps distill complex information into concise, scannable summaries that busy decision-makers can act on. |
Create executive summaries that busy leaders actually read. This skill helps you distill complex documents into clear, actionable summaries that communicate key points, recommendations, and required decisions in under 2 minutes of reading time.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Document: [Full Document Title]
Date: [Date]
Author: [Name/Team]
For: [Intended Audience]
---
BOTTOM LINE:
[1-2 sentences: The single most important takeaway. What should the reader remember if they read nothing else?]
---
SITUATION:
[2-3 sentences: Context and background. Why does this matter now?]
---
KEY FINDINGS / ANALYSIS:
- [Finding 1 with key data point]
- [Finding 2 with key data point]
- [Finding 3 with key data point]
---
RECOMMENDATION:
[1-3 sentences: What action is being recommended?]
---
OPTIONS (if applicable):
| Option | Pros | Cons | Cost/Impact |
|--------|------|------|-------------|
| Option A | | | |
| Option B | | | |
| Option C (Recommended) | | | |
---
DECISION REQUIRED:
[Explicit statement of what decision or approval is needed]
Deadline: [Date/timeframe]
---
NEXT STEPS (if approved):
1. [First action with owner]
2. [Second action with owner]
3. [Third action with owner]
---
SUPPORTING DETAILS:
Full report: [Link or page reference]
Questions: Contact [Name, email]
| Element | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Length | 1 page max (300-500 words) |
| Bottom line | First, not buried |
| Sentences | Short (under 20 words) |
| Bullets | 3-5 items per section |
| Data | Include 2-3 key numbers |
| Jargon | Avoid or define |
| Decision | State explicitly |
| Read time | Under 2 minutes |
Military-inspired format:
Narrative structure:
Progressive format:
Decision-focused:
Executives read top-down. Put your recommendation first, then support it. Don't save the "big reveal" for the end.
Wrong order: Background → Analysis → Conclusion Right order: Conclusion → Key Support → Background (if needed)
If you can't fit it on one page, you haven't distilled enough. Ruthlessly cut:
"Revenue increased" → "Revenue increased 23% ($1.2M)" "Costs are high" → "Costs are $45K above budget" "Many customers complained" → "127 complaints in Q1 (3x normal)"
Never assume they'll know what you need. State it:
Input: Write an executive summary for a Q4 sales performance report
Output:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Document: Q4 2025 Sales Performance Report
Date: January 15, 2026
Author: VP of Sales
For: Executive Leadership Team
---
BOTTOM LINE:
Q4 revenue exceeded target by 12% ($14.2M vs. $12.7M target), driven by enterprise deals. However, SMB segment declined 8%, requiring strategic attention in 2026.
---
SITUATION:
Q4 closed the strongest quarter in company history. Enterprise segment acceleration offset SMB headwinds. We enter 2026 with a healthy pipeline but unbalanced segment performance.
---
KEY FINDINGS:
**What Worked:**
- Enterprise revenue: $9.8M (23% above target)
- Average deal size: Up 31% ($127K → $166K)
- Win rate: Improved to 34% (from 28% in Q3)
**What Didn't:**
- SMB revenue: $4.4M (8% below target)
- SMB churn rate: 4.2% (highest in 8 quarters)
- New logo acquisition: 47 (vs. 65 target)
**Pipeline Status:**
- Q1 2026 pipeline: $18.4M (1.4x coverage)
- Enterprise pipeline healthy; SMB needs building
---
RECOMMENDATION:
Invest in SMB retention and lead generation in Q1. Propose reallocating $200K from brand marketing to SMB-focused demand gen and launching customer success intervention for at-risk accounts.
---
DECISIONS REQUIRED:
1. Approve $200K budget reallocation to SMB initiatives
2. Approve hiring 2 additional SMB account managers (budgeted)
Deadline: January 22 ELT meeting
---
NEXT STEPS (if approved):
1. SMB demand gen campaign launch (VP Marketing, Feb 1)
2. At-risk account outreach (CS Lead, Jan 20)
3. SMB hiring kicked off (HR, Jan 23)
---
SUPPORTING DETAILS:
Full report: [Link to 22-page analysis]
Dashboard: [Link to live metrics]
Questions: Contact VP Sales, sales@company.com
Input: Write an executive summary for a software implementation project that's behind schedule
Output:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Document: ERP Implementation Status Update
Date: March 1, 2026
Author: Project Manager, IT
For: Steering Committee
---
BOTTOM LINE:
The ERP implementation is 6 weeks behind schedule due to data migration complexity. Go-live must shift from April 15 to May 31, or we risk launching with critical data gaps.
---
SITUATION:
Phase 2 (data migration) has revealed 40% more legacy data inconsistencies than scoped. The original timeline assumed clean data; reality requires additional cleansing and validation.
---
KEY FINDINGS:
**Current Status:**
- Phase 1 (Configuration): Complete ✓
- Phase 2 (Data Migration): 65% complete (was planned 100%)
- Phase 3 (Testing): Not started (was planned 30%)
- Budget: On track ($1.2M of $1.4M spent)
**Root Causes:**
- 12,000 duplicate customer records found (expected: 2,000)
- 3 legacy systems had undocumented data formats
- Vendor support response times slower than contracted
**Impact of Staying on April 15:**
- 30% of customer data would migrate incorrectly
- Finance unable to close April books accurately
- Customer service unable to access order history
---
OPTIONS:
| Option | Timeline | Risk | Cost Impact |
|--------|----------|------|-------------|
| A: Push to May 31 | +6 weeks | Low | +$80K (extended resources) |
| B: Partial go-live (Finance only) | On time | Medium | +$40K |
| C: Continue as planned | On time | High | $0 now, $200K+ fixes later |
**Recommended: Option A** - Full delay to May 31. Attempting partial go-live creates integration gaps that cost more to fix later.
---
DECISION REQUIRED:
Approve revised go-live date of May 31, 2026
Approve additional budget of $80K for extended resources
Deadline: March 8 (to adjust vendor contracts)
---
NEXT STEPS (if approved):
1. Renegotiate vendor support contract (PM, March 4)
2. Communicate revised timeline to department heads (Sponsor, March 8)
3. Accelerate data cleansing with additional contractor (PM, March 10)
4. Revised project plan to Steering Committee (PM, March 15)
---
RISK MITIGATION:
- Added weekly data quality checkpoints
- Vendor escalation path established with SLA penalties
- Parallel processing enabled to accelerate Phase 2
---
SUPPORTING DETAILS:
Full project status: [Link to project dashboard]
Data migration analysis: [Link to technical report]
Questions: Contact Project Manager, pm@company.com
Input: Write an executive summary recommending a marketing technology investment
Output:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Document: Marketing Automation Platform Investment Proposal
Date: March 1, 2026
Author: VP of Marketing
For: CFO, CEO
---
BOTTOM LINE:
Investing $120K annually in a marketing automation platform will generate an estimated $480K in additional pipeline within 12 months (4x ROI), while reducing manual marketing work by 15 hours per week.
---
SITUATION:
Marketing currently operates with disconnected tools (Mailchimp, spreadsheets, manual tracking). As lead volume grows, we're losing opportunities due to slow follow-up and inability to personalize at scale. Competitors using automation see 2x higher conversion rates.
---
KEY FINDINGS:
**Current State:**
- Lead response time: 28 hours average (benchmark: 5 minutes)
- Lead scoring: Manual, inconsistent
- Email personalization: Basic (name only)
- Campaign attribution: Unreliable
- Marketing FTEs on manual tasks: 15 hrs/week
**Opportunity Cost:**
- Estimated lost pipeline from slow response: $200K/quarter
- Deals with proper nurture close at 2.3x rate
**Market Benchmark:**
- Companies our size with automation: 67% higher lead-to-customer rate
- Average time to ROI: 6-8 months
---
RECOMMENDATION:
Invest in HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional at $120K/year. This platform scores highest on our evaluation criteria and integrates with our existing CRM.
---
OPTIONS EVALUATED:
| Platform | Annual Cost | Fit Score | ROI Estimate | Risk |
|----------|-------------|-----------|--------------|------|
| HubSpot Professional | $120K | 92/100 | 4x in 12 mo | Low |
| Marketo | $180K | 88/100 | 3.5x in 18 mo | Medium |
| ActiveCampaign | $48K | 71/100 | 2x in 12 mo | Low |
| Build in-house | $200K+ | N/A | Unknown | High |
**Why HubSpot:**
- Best CRM integration (already using HubSpot CRM)
- Fastest implementation (8 weeks vs. 16 for Marketo)
- Scalable as we grow (can upgrade tiers)
---
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|------|--------|--------|--------|
| Platform cost | $120K | $120K | $144K |
| Implementation | $25K | $0 | $0 |
| Training | $10K | $5K | $5K |
| **Total Cost** | **$155K** | **$125K** | **$149K** |
| Projected Revenue Impact | $480K | $720K | $900K |
| **Net ROI** | **$325K** | **$595K** | **$751K** |
---
DECISION REQUIRED:
Approve $155K Year 1 investment in HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional
Deadline: March 15 (to begin Q2 implementation)
---
NEXT STEPS (if approved):
1. Contract negotiation with HubSpot (VP Marketing, March 18)
2. Implementation kickoff (Marketing Ops, April 1)
3. Team training (All marketing, April 15-30)
4. Full launch (Marketing, May 15)
5. ROI review at Steering Committee (VP Marketing, August)
---
SUPPORTING DETAILS:
Full evaluation report: [Link to 15-page analysis]
Vendor demos: [Link to recordings]
ROI model: [Link to financial model]
Questions: Contact VP Marketing, vp-marketing@company.com
Ideal: 12-18 words per sentence Maximum: 25 words (break up longer ones)
Put important words at the beginning of sentences: