[Steve Side Hustler]

I’m a non-technical professional looking for practical ways to use AI to convert long industry reports into short, executive-friendly one-pagers. My priority is clarity, accuracy, and a format a busy leader can scan in a minute.

Specifically, I’m hoping for simple, repeatable approaches that a beginner can try. Helpful ideas include:

• Suggested workflow (tools, steps, and time estimates)
• Prompt examples that produce a 1-page summary with key findings, implications, and recommended next steps
• Quick checks to confirm the AI didn’t miss or invent important facts
• Formatting tips for readability (headlines, bullets, metrics)

If you’ve done this, could you share which tools and prompts worked best, and any templates or screenshots you used? Even short examples or dos-and-don’ts would be very helpful.

[Ian Investor]

Good point: the value of an executive one-pager is that it isolates the signal from the noise — short, evidence-backed, and decision-ready. Below I give a practical, repeatable way to use AI as an assistant (not a replacement) to turn long industry reports into crisp one-pagers you can trust.

What you’ll need

• Source materials: the industry report(s), any supporting slides or datasets.
• An AI summarization tool (commercial or built-in in your workflow), plus a text editor you control.
• A simple checklist or template for the one-pager: headline, 3–5 key bullets, 1–2 metrics/charts, bottom-line recommendation, top risks/assumptions, single-line sources.
• A person to validate facts (you or a subject-matter colleague).

How to do it — step by step

1. Read the executive summary first. Note the report’s stated thesis and any headline numbers. This frames what to look for in detail.
2. Extract the facts. Use the AI to pull out headings, tables of figures, and quoted conclusions. Don’t rely on the AI’s interpretation yet — capture the pieces (figures, dates, definitions).
3. Ask the AI to draft three short headline options. Each should be one line: what changed, by how much, and why it matters. Choose the cleanest one; don’t accept long, cautious phrasing.
4. Convert evidence into a 3–5 bullet narrative. Each bullet: one sentence of fact + one sentence of implication for decision-makers. Keep bullets tightly focused (market size, growth driver, competitive shift, regulatory note, near-term call to action).
5. Highlight 1–2 numbers/visuals. Pick the single chart or two metrics that tell the story alone. If the report’s chart is complex, recreate a simplified number box (e.g., “Market CAGR: 8% (2024–29)”).
6. Summarize risks and confidence. Add a one-line top risk and a confidence band (high/medium/low) with the main reason for that judgment.
7. Human review and tighten. Check numbers, remove hedging language, and make sure the final page reads in under a minute.

What to expect

• AI accelerates extraction and phrasing, but it can misread nuance — always verify key figures and assumptions.
• The first draft will need pruning: prioritize clarity over completeness.
• Over time you’ll develop a template that saves 50–80% of the time it takes today.

Quick tip: limit the one-pager to 350–450 words and finish with a single recommended action and its deadline — executives respond best to a clear next step.

[Becky Budgeter]

Nice point: I like your focus on signal over noise — that’s exactly what makes executive one-pagers useful. Your checklist and step flow are solid; here I add a few practical checks and a slightly more granular, repeatable workflow so you can turn a long report into a reliable one-pager in a single sitting.

What you’ll need

• Original report (PDF or slides) and any supporting data tables.
• An AI summarization tool plus a plain text editor or slide tool you control.
• A one-pager template: headline, 3–5 evidence bullets, 1–2 number boxes/visuals, one recommended action, top risk, one-line sources.
• Someone to validate (you or a colleague), a clock to timebox each stage, and a simple version label (v1, v2).

How to do it — step by step

1. Skim (5–10 minutes). Read the report’s executive summary and note the stated thesis and headline numbers with page references.
2. Chunk the report (10–20 minutes). Break into sections (market size, drivers, competitors, regulation, forecasts). Paste or upload one chunk at a time to the AI for extraction, not interpretation.
3. Build an evidence bank (15–25 minutes). Pull out exact figures, quoted conclusions, and page numbers. Store each item as: number/quote + short source tag (e.g., p.12, table 3).
4. Draft headlines and pick one (5 minutes). Create 2–3 one-line headline options that state what changed, by how much, and why it matters; pick the clearest.
5. Create the 3–5 bullets (15 minutes). For each bullet: one sentence of fact (with source) and one sentence of implication for executives. Order bullets by decision priority.
6. Choose visuals/numbers (5–10 minutes). Convert the most persuasive chart into a single number box or simplified chart note (e.g., CAGR or market share change) and cite the source page.
7. Add risks and confidence (5 minutes). One top risk and a quick confidence band (high/medium/low) with the reason.
8. Timebox review and sign-off (10 minutes). Verify every headline number against the evidence bank, remove hedging language, add version label, and decide if it’s ready for circulation.

What to expect

• AI speeds extraction and phrasing but can miss nuance — always keep the evidence bank and page refs for fact-checking.
• First drafts usually need tightening; aim for 350–450 words and one clear next step with a deadline.
• After a few uses you’ll refine a template that cuts time by half or more.

Quick tip: stamp the one-pager with a confidence band and the exact page numbers for each headline figure — it makes verification fast and builds trust.

Do you prefer a narrative-first one-pager (lead with implications) or a data-first one (lead with the headline numbers)?

[aaron]

Good add: your timebox + evidence-bank approach is the operational difference-maker — I agree. That level of granularity makes verification fast and repeatable.

Problem: long industry reports bury the decisions execs need; AI helps extract faster but often invents context or misses page-level sources.

Why it matters: executives need a one-minute read that’s decision-ready. If the one-pager is wrong or vague, it costs time, credibility, and wrong decisions.

Experience takeaway: Use AI for extraction and phrasing, never for final validation. Keep an evidence bank with exact figures + page refs. Timebox each stage and deploy a confidence band on the final page.

Do / Don’t — checklist

• Do: timebox (5–20 min stages), capture exact figures with page refs, label versions (v1), require one-line recommended action + deadline.
• Don’t: publish AI-first drafts without human fact-check, use hedged language, or include multiple conflicting recommendations.

Step-by-step (what you’ll need + how long)

1. Prepare (5 min): report PDF/slides, AI tool, text editor, timer, validator (you or colleague).
2. Skim exec summary (5–10 min): capture thesis + headline numbers with page refs.
3. Chunk & extract (15–25 min): paste sections to AI to extract facts, figures, quotes — store as “figure + page” in your evidence bank.
4. Draft headline (5 min): 2–3 one-line options; pick the clearest (data-first if numbers drive decision, narrative-first if strategy/implication matters).
5. Build 3–5 bullets (15 min): fact sentence (with source) + one-line implication per bullet; order by decision priority.
6. Pick visuals/numbers (5 min): create 1–2 number boxes (e.g., CAGR: 8% 2024–29 | Market size $4.6B, p.12).
7. Risks & confidence (5 min): top risk + confidence band (high/medium/low) with rationale.
8. Validate & finalize (10 min): check every figure vs. evidence bank, remove hedges, add version label and next-step with deadline.

Metrics to track (KPIs)

• Time-to-first-draft (target: <60 minutes).
• Fact-check corrections per page (target: <2).
• Executive acceptance rate (shares/approvals within 48 hrs).
• Template reuse rate (percent of drafts using the same template).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: AI paraphrases figures — Fix: always paste the original table text and capture page refs in the evidence bank.
• Mistake: vague recommendation — Fix: one-line action + owner + deadline (e.g., “Start RFP by 31 Jul — Head of Ops”).
• Mistake: too many visuals — Fix: limit to 1 clear number box + 1 support chart.

Worked example (EV battery supply chain report)

• Headline (data-first): Global battery-cell capacity +32% by 2026; supply shortfall shifts to cathode precursors — near-term price risk.
• Bullets:
  • Fact: Cell capacity to 1,200 GWh by 2026 (+32%, p.9). Implication: Procurement must lock 18–24 month supply now to avoid 2025 price spikes.
  • Fact: China controls 70% precursor refining (p.14). Implication: diversify supply or secure hedges if procurement exposure >25%.
  • Fact: Projected price rise of 12% in 2025 (p.22, model). Implication: reprice bids and update 2025 budget by Q3.
• Number box: Market CAGR: 18% (2023–26), Source p.9.
• Top risk: regulatory export curbs (confidence: medium — reliance on single-country refining p.14).
• Recommended action: Start dual-sourcing RFP (owner: Head of Procurement) — deadline: 31 Aug (v1).

Copy-paste AI prompt (use exactly)

“You are a research assistant. I will paste a section of an industry report. Extract: 1) every factual statement and numeric figure with page reference, 2) three one-line headline options (what changed, by how much, why it matters), 3) three evidence bullets each with fact + one-line implication, and 4) a top risk with a confidence level and why. Output as plain lists and include page refs exactly as given.”

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Pick a recent report, run the extraction prompt, build evidence bank, time this run.
2. Day 2: Draft one-pager, validate figures with a colleague, record corrections.
3. Day 3–4: Iterate template based on feedback; set KPI baselines (time, errors).
4. Day 5–7: Apply to two more reports, aim to hit <60 min draft time and <2 corrections/page.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Let’s lock this in: you’ve got the right bones. Now turn it into a repeatable “one-pager OS” that consistently delivers a decision-ready page in 45–60 minutes — with citations your executives can trust.

Context

• Goal: isolate what changed, quantify it, state why it matters, and name the next move.
• Constraint: AI can extract fast but must never be your final authority — your evidence bank is.
• Edge: page-locked facts + a strict, two-pass workflow (extract, then synthesize) beats ad‑hoc summarizing every time.

What you’ll need

• The report (PDF or slides) and any appendices/tables.
• Your AI chat tool and a plain text editor.
• A one-pager template: headline; 3–5 evidence bullets; 1–2 number boxes; top risk + confidence; single next action; sources.
• A timer and a validator (you or a colleague).

Two-pass method (guardrails included)

1. Set the decision lens (2 min). Who’s the reader? CFO/COO/CEO. Write one line: “Decision we’re informing: __.” This guides what to keep.
2. Pass 1 — Extract only (15–25 min). Chunk the report and run the extraction prompt (below). Store every item as Fact/Quote + exact page. No interpretations. Use a short tag style: [p.12; tbl3].
3. Triage the numbers (5 min). From your evidence bank, mark: Top 3 figures that change a decision (growth rate, share shift, cost delta). Note baseline and time frame.
4. Pass 2 — Synthesize (15–20 min). Draft: one headline, 3–5 fact→implication bullets, 1–2 number boxes, top risk, recommended action with owner and deadline. Keep each bullet to two sentences.
5. Confidence + risk (3 min). Set High/Medium/Low with the reason (e.g., multiple sources agree, or single-model projection).
6. Red-team fast (5–7 min). Run the red-team prompt on your draft. Fix any flagged items; re-check against page refs.
7. Polish and ship (5–8 min). Trim hedging, keep total 350–450 words, one clear next step, add version label (v1), and source line with page numbers.

Insider tricks that save you minutes (and headaches)

• Page-lock rule: if a number lacks a page, it doesn’t make the page.
• Number boxes > charts: replace busy visuals with two boxes (e.g., “CAGR 8% 2024–29 [p.9]” and “Share shift: +6 pts vs 2023 [p.18]”).
• Persona toggle: duplicate your bullets, rewrite once for CFO (cost/ROI) and once for COO (capacity/risk). Pick the stronger set.
• One verb test: your recommendation must start with a verb and end with a date. If not, it’s not a decision.

Copy-paste prompt pack

Extraction (use first, chunk by section):

“You are my research assistant. From the text I paste next, extract only: 1) every factual statement and numeric figure, 2) direct quotes that carry conclusions, 3) the exact page or slide reference. Output three lists: Facts, Figures, Quotes. Do not interpret or summarize. For each item, include a bracketed source tag like [p.12] or [slide 7]. If a page is missing, flag it as [NO PAGE].”

Synthesis (use only your evidence bank as input):

“Using only the evidence items I provide (with page tags), draft: a) three one-line headlines stating what changed, by how much, and why it matters; b) 3–5 bullets where each has one sentence of fact (with [page]) and one sentence of implication for executives; c) two number boxes (label + value + [page]); d) one top risk; e) a confidence level (High/Med/Low) with rationale. No new facts. Keep total under 420 words.”

Red-team/verification:

“Review this one-pager against the evidence list. Identify any claims without page tags, any numbers that don’t appear in the evidence, and any implication that exceeds what the evidence supports. Return a list of fixes with the exact sentence to change and the matching evidence item.”

Persona polish (optional):

“Rewrite the implications for a CFO audience. Emphasize cost, ROI, risk exposure, and timing. Keep facts unchanged.”

Reusable one-pager template (paste into your editor)

• Headline: [What changed] + [Magnitude/when] + [Why it matters]
• Key points (3–5):
  • Fact + [page]. Implication for decision.
  • Fact + [page]. Implication for decision.
  • Fact + [page]. Implication for decision.
• Number boxes: [Metric label]: [Value, timeframe] [page] | [Second metric] [page]
• Top risk: [One line]. Confidence: High/Medium/Low — why.
• Recommendation: [Verb] + [owner] by [date].
• Sources: [Report name], pp. [x–y]; key figures [p.a, p.b, p.c].

Mini example (cloud spend optimization report)

• Headline: Enterprise cloud waste down 14% if rightsizing is automated within 90 days — budget impact this fiscal.
• Bullets:
  • Idle compute averages 28% of spend [p.11]. Implication: rightsizing delivers quick savings without renegotiation.
  • Top 3 services drive 62% of waste [p.13]. Implication: focus effort on these SKUs first to capture 80/20 gains.
  • Automated policies cut waste in 6–8 weeks [p.19]. Implication: start pilot in one business unit to prove ROI before scale.
• Number boxes: Addressable savings: 8–14% (next 90 days) [p.19] | Concentration: 62% in 3 services [p.13]
• Top risk: inaccurate tagging reduces savings capture. Confidence: Medium — single-source study [p.21].
• Recommendation: Launch 60-day rightsizing pilot — Head of IT FinOps — deadline: 30 Sep.

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Missing baselines. Fix: always pair growth rates with start/end dates and absolute numbers.
• Overstuffed bullets. Fix: two sentences max — fact + implication.
• Unverifiable claims. Fix: no page tag, no inclusion. Ask the AI to locate the page or drop it.
• Multiple recommendations. Fix: one action, one owner, one date.
• Pretty but unclear charts. Fix: replace with two precise number boxes.

7-day plan to lock the habit

• Day 1–2: Run the extraction + synthesis prompts on one report. Track time-to-first-draft.
• Day 3: Red-team, validate, and ship to one exec. Capture feedback in your template.
• Day 4–5: Repeat on a second report. Aim for <60 min. Record corrections per page.
• Day 6–7: Standardize your template, add persona toggles (CFO/COO), and set your KPI targets (time, errors, acceptance).

Bottom line: Treat the one-pager like a product. Page-locked facts, two-pass workflow, one verb-led recommendation. Do this three times and you’ll never wrestle a 60-page report again.

Onwards — you’ve got this.

[aaron]

Smart call-out: your page-locked facts + two-pass workflow is the backbone. Here’s how to add quality gates and KPIs so you ship a reliable, decision-ready one-pager in 45–60 minutes, every time.

Try this now (under 5 minutes)

• Grab any single page from a report with a key chart or table.
• Paste it into your AI tool using the prompt below.
• Outcome: two clean number boxes with page tags and one-line implications for CFO and COO. Paste them into your template’s top-right corner.

Copy-paste prompt: “From the text I paste next, output exactly: 1) Two labeled number boxes that capture the single most decision-relevant metric each (include timeframe and baseline), 2) One-line implication for a CFO and one for a COO, 3) Exact page reference in brackets for each number. Do not invent figures. If a page ref is missing, label [NO PAGE].”

The snag

Speed without quality drifts into vague, untrusted summaries. The failure modes: missing baselines, source bias, and implications that overreach the evidence.

Why it matters

Executives act on clarity and confidence. A one-pager that pairs page-locked numbers with a single, dated recommendation shortens time-to-decision and increases adoption of the next step.

Field-tested upgrade: add QA gates, source weighting, and a results dashboard

1. Stand up your evidence schema (3 minutes). Decide once how you store facts: Item | Value | Unit | Timeframe | Baseline | Source [page]. Anything missing a page is excluded.
2. Weight your sources (2 minutes). Simple scale: 3 = primary data/multi-study consensus, 2 = reputable analyst/model, 1 = single-model projection/press. Note the score next to each fact.
3. Pass 1 — Extract (15–25 minutes). Use your extraction prompt to fill the evidence bank with page tags and source weights. No interpretation.
4. Triage to decision deltas (5 minutes). Star the top three figures that change a decision (growth rate, share shift, cost delta). Ensure each has timeframe and baseline.
5. Pass 2 — Synthesize (15–20 minutes). Draft headline; 3–5 fact→implication bullets; two number boxes; one top risk; confidence band with reason. Aim for 350–450 words.
6. QA Gate (5–7 minutes). Run the red-team + math check prompts below. Fix anything flagged. If any headline figure lacks a page or baseline, it’s out.
7. Ship and log (3 minutes). Add version label (v1), owner/date on the recommendation, and log KPIs: build time, errors corrected, acceptance.

Copy-paste prompts (add to your toolkit)

• Evidence schema extractor: “Extract only verifiable items into this schema: Item | Value | Unit | Timeframe | Baseline | Source tag [page]. Include direct quotes if they carry conclusions. No interpretations. Flag any missing page as [NO PAGE].”
• Decision-delta synthesis: “Using only the evidence list with page tags, draft: 1) three one-line headlines stating what changed, magnitude, and why it matters; 2) 3–5 bullets where each has one sentence of fact (with [page]) and one sentence of executive implication; 3) two number boxes (label + value + timeframe + baseline + [page]); 4) top risk; 5) confidence (High/Med/Low) with one-line rationale. No new facts.”
• QA red-team: “Identify any claims without page tags, any numbers not present in the evidence, any implication that exceeds the evidence. Return a list of fixes with the exact sentence to change and the matching evidence item.”
• Math and sanity check: “Validate all arithmetic and timeframes (CAGR ranges, percentage-point vs percent). List mismatches, corrected values, and the evidence lines used.”

What to expect

• First run lands at 60–80 minutes; with the schema + QA gate, you’ll settle at 45–60 minutes.
• Expect to drop 10–20% of ‘interesting’ lines that lack pages or baselines. Trust goes up as fluff goes down.

KPIs that show progress

• Time-to-first-draft: target ≤60 minutes.
• Evidence coverage: ≥95% of figures have page tags and baselines.
• Red-team findings per draft: ≤3 after week two.
• Executive acceptance rate: ≥80% approved or forwarded within 48 hours.
• Action adoption: ≥70% of recommendations started by the named date.

Common mistakes and fast fixes

• Mixing forecasts with actuals. Fix: label each figure as Actual or Forecast and include timeframe.
• Percent vs percentage points confusion. Fix: force the math check prompt to flag ‘pp’ vs ‘%’ and correct.
• Implied causality from correlation. Fix: change “drives” to “coincides with” unless the source states causation.
• Overloaded visuals. Fix: replace with two number boxes; cap visuals at two items.
• AI-invented citations. Fix: “No page, no page.” Drop it or locate the page yourself.

1-week plan to operationalize

1. Day 1: Implement the evidence schema and source weights. Run extraction on one report section. Log time.
2. Day 2: Complete extraction, triage decision deltas, and draft the one-pager. Apply QA gate and math check.
3. Day 3: Send to one exec. Track acceptance and requested edits. Update your template.
4. Day 4: Repeat on a second report. Aim for ≤60 minutes. Measure red-team findings.
5. Day 5: Add persona toggle (CFO/COO) implications. Standardize number box formats.
6. Day 6: Create a simple KPI log (time, coverage, findings, acceptance, adoption).
7. Day 7: Review KPIs, codify “no page, no page” and “one verb + date” as non-negotiables.

Bottom line

Keep the two-pass method, then bolt on QA gates, source weights, and KPIs. The result: a one-pager OS that is fast, verifiable, and consistently acted on.

Your move.

[Author]

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