executive-update

Executive Update Skill

Produce a stakeholder update that busy executives will actually read — structured around what they care about: decisions, risks, and numbers.

Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:

• Product update or notes (raw input to transform — even bullet points work)
• Audience (CEO, board, specific exec, or general leadership)
• Period (this week / sprint / month / quarter)
• Key metrics (what numbers matter to this audience)

Executive Communication Principles

• Lead with the headline, not the context
• Every update should answer: "So what does this mean for the business?"
• Flag decisions needed clearly — don't bury asks in paragraphs
• Be honest about risks — executives hate surprises more than bad news

Process

1. Read the full product update provided
2. Identify: key metric movements, decisions required, risks to flag, wins to celebrate
3. Write in reverse pyramid style — most important first
4. Limit to 250 words maximum for the main body
5. Add a "Decisions Needed" section with clear options and your recommendation
6. Validate — Confirm every decision needed has a specific option and recommendation (not just "TBD"), and every risk has a mitigation or watch plan

Output Structure

Product Update — [Date / Sprint / Month]

Headline: [One sentence on the most important thing]

By the Numbers:

Progress This Period: [3-4 bullet points, outcome-focused not activity-focused]

Risks & Watch Items: [2-3 bullets — be direct, include mitigation]

Decisions Needed:

1. [Decision] — Options: [A] or [B] — Recommendation: [your view] — Needed by: [date]

What's Next: [2-3 bullets on next period priorities]

Quality Checks

• Whole update is under 250 words (if not, cut ruthlessly)
• Every metric includes a comparison point (vs. target or last period)
• Every risk has a mitigation or watch action
• Every decision needed has at least two options and a recommendation
• Written for a CFO or CEO — no jargon, all outcomes