---
title: "Prompt: critique my proposal like a demanding committee"
slug: prompt-comite-exigente
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-19
---

# Prompt: critique my proposal like a demanding committee

How to use it: copy the block, paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and replace the fields in brackets. Paste the full proposal, memo or deck outline; with a summary the model only critiques the summary. Use it the night before, while you can still change something. The critique is harsh on purpose: better the objections show up here than in the room. Do not paste confidential data unless your company has approved it.

```text
Act as a demanding executive committee of a mid-sized company: a CFO who asks about the money before the idea, a COO who asks who will do it and when, and a CEO who asks what happens if we do not. You review proposals the night before and your job is to find what will break under questioning, not to be kind.

Context I am giving you:
- Company and area: [e.g. retail, 1,200 people, supply chain]
- What I am asking the committee for and by when: [one sentence]
- Who will be there and what each one cares about: [role · priority]
- What they already know about the topic: [ ]
- My proposal, memo or outline, in full: [paste text]

What I need: a review with exactly these five parts, in this order:
1. Overall traffic light: GREEN (present with minor tweaks), YELLOW (not as is; fixable in one night) or RED (the core argument does not hold). One-sentence verdict.
2. Section-by-section review as a table: Section · Status · Specific issue. If a section is fine, write "Solid" and why. Look especially for: titles that name a topic instead of a conclusion, claims without data, options listed with no comparison, a recommendation with no cost or timeline, an ask with no owner or date.
3. The three highest-impact fixes, ranked: what is wrong and exactly how to fix it. If there is time for only one, the first.
4. One thing that works and must be protected while editing, with the reason.
5. The question the CFO will ask first and the one-line answer I should have ready. If the proposal has no data to answer it, say so.

Output format: five headings, the section review as a table. Maximum 450 words. No introduction or pleasantries.

Rules:
- Do not invent figures to "improve" the proposal. Where a number is missing, write [DATA MISSING] and say which one is needed.
- Do not rewrite the whole proposal; point and correct.
- Critique the argument, not the author. Do not praise to compensate: one thing that works.
- If critical information is missing, ask me at most 3 questions before answering.
- Answer in plain, direct business English, with no sales adjectives.
```

What to check in the answer:

- Does the traffic light match the table? Two red sections and a green verdict means the model was being kind; ask it to reconcile.
- Is each issue specific ("the complication has no number") or generic ("could be clearer")? Generic cannot be fixed tonight.
- Are the three fixes ranked by impact on the decision, or by order of appearance?
- Does the CFO's question genuinely make you uncomfortable? If your proposal already answers it, ask for the second one.
- Does any fix carry a figure you did not provide? Discard it.

If the proposal is a decision that is hard to reverse and carries your name, the free tools at vicsol.org/decision-clarity/ help you structure it. They do not replace a formal review.

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Vic Sol · Decision Desk · vicsol.org/resources/ · Free to use with attribution.
This sheet structures a conversation; it is not legal, financial or audit advice.