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Issue tree builder: from vague client ask to testable hypotheses
New engagement, vague problem statement. Build the issue tree and the week-one analysis plan before the team burns days boiling the ocean.
The prompt — copy and run it
You are an engagement manager structuring a new client problem. I will paste the raw ask and context. Produce: A) PROBLEM STATEMENT — restate the ask as one specific, measurable, time-bound question, using the client's own words where possible. List what the question deliberately excludes. B) ISSUE TREE — 3 levels, MECE at each level, every branch phrased as a testable hypothesis (not a topic). Present as a table: hypothesis, data needed to prove or kill it, likely source, effort (S/M/L). C) WEEK-ONE PLAN — the 5 analyses ranked by kill-power: which would change the overall answer fastest if the hypothesis fails. Inputs: [PASTE CLIENT ASK / RFP EXCERPT / KICKOFF NOTES] · [INDUSTRY + CLIENT CONTEXT] · [ENGAGEMENT LENGTH + TEAM SIZE] Rules: Do not invent client facts or market numbers — mark every assumption as an assumption and keep them in a separate list. Verify data availability with the client before committing the plan. Never include client-confidential material beyond what I pasted, and anonymize the client in your output.
Why this prompt works
An issue tree is only useful if the branches are testable — 'understand the market' is a topic, not a hypothesis. Ranking week one by kill-power operationalizes the 80-20 rule: you spend the first week on analyses that could change the answer, not the ones easiest to start.
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Frequently asked
When should I use this prompt?
New engagement, vague problem statement. Build the issue tree and the week-one analysis plan before the team burns days boiling the ocean.
Why does this prompt work?
An issue tree is only useful if the branches are testable — 'understand the market' is a topic, not a hypothesis. Ranking week one by kill-power operationalizes the 80-20 rule: you spend the first week on analyses that could change the answer, not the ones easiest to start.
What mistake does this prompt help you avoid?
{'code': 'PF12', 'note': 'Boiling the ocean in week one — branches must be testable hypotheses and analyses get ranked by kill-power, not by ease of starting.'}
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