Tip: turn an 80-page report into a 2-page brief

You receive an 80-page report from a donor. You need the essentials in 5 minutes. Here’s how I do it:

1. I load the PDF into Claude
2. I ask:

“Read this report. Extract: (1) the 5 main conclusions, (2) recommendations that directly concern my organization, (3) key figures, (4) points of disagreement or tension. Format: bullet points, 2 pages max.”

3. In 30 seconds, I have my brief

What used to take me half a day now takes the time of a coffee.

The trap: don’t read the brief with your eyes closed. AI synthesizes, but you’re the one who knows what matters for your context. Read, adjust, make it yours.