Break a client's problem into an issue tree with hypotheses to test
A structured, non-overlapping breakdown of a client problem with hypotheses, the analysis to test each, and a work plan.
The prompt
Help me structure a client problem as an issue tree I can use to plan the engagement.
The client's question, as they put it: [e.g. "Why are our margins falling?"]
Context: [industry, size, what's changed recently]
What they've already tried or believe: [THEIR THEORIES]
Data and people I'm likely to have access to: [SOURCES]
Time available: [WEEKS]
Steps:
1. Rewrite the client's question as one sharp key question: specific, measurable, and time-bound. Point out any hidden assumption in their original wording.
2. Build an issue tree two or three levels deep. Each level should be mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive (no overlaps, no gaps). Explain the logic of each split (e.g. revenue vs. cost, internal vs. external).
3. For each bottom-level branch, write a testable hypothesis.
4. Build a work plan table: hypothesis | analysis that would prove or disprove it | data needed | source | owner | effort (S/M/L).
5. Rank the hypotheses by likely impact and ease of testing, and tell me which three to start with in week one.
6. Note the branches where the client's own theory sits, so I test it fairly rather than confirm it.
Don't assert facts about the client's business. Frame everything as hypotheses to verify.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Thinking & Decisions prompts
What to fill in
- e.g. "Why are our margins falling?"
- industry, size, what's changed recently
- THEIR THEORIES
- SOURCES
- WEEKS
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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