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
- Read the full product update provided
- Identify: key metric movements, decisions required, risks to flag, wins to celebrate
- Write in reverse pyramid style — most important first
- Limit to 250 words maximum for the main body
- Add a "Decisions Needed" section with clear options and your recommendation
- 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:
- [Metric 1]: [value] ([vs. target / last period])
- [Metric 2]: [value] ([vs. target / last period])
- [Metric 3]: [value] ([vs. target / last period])
Progress This Period: [3-4 bullet points, outcome-focused not activity-focused]
Risks & Watch Items: [2-3 bullets — be direct, include mitigation]
Decisions Needed:
- [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