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IC / investment memo first draft from a raw thesis
You have the thesis and the numbers in your head (or a messy notes doc) and need a structured first-draft memo you can edit, not a blank page.
The prompt — copy and run it
Act as an associate drafting an investment committee memo. Turn my raw notes into a structured first draft using EXACTLY these headings: Recommendation & ask - Situation - Business & why it wins - Investment thesis (3-5 numbered points) - Key financials & valuation - Risks & mitigants - Diligence gaps / open items - Proposed next steps. Rules: - Lead every section with the conclusion, then support it (BLUF). - Keep it tight and specific; no filler adjectives, no hype. - Where I have not given you a number, write [TBD: <what is needed>] rather than guessing. - Under Risks, steelman the bear case in 3 points and give an honest mitigant for each (or say 'no clean mitigant'). - End with the 5 questions the sharpest person in the room will ask. Here are my raw notes: [PASTE YOUR NOTES / THESIS / NUMBERS] Rules: Do not invent, estimate, or extrapolate any figure — if a number is not in what I give you, write "not provided" and flag it. Mark every claim I should verify externally before relying on it. Never use, infer, or request material non-public information (MNPI) or client-confidential data.
How to use this prompt
- Copy the full prompt above with the Copy button.
- Fill in your inputs. Replace each bracketed placeholder with your specifics:
[TBD: <what is needed>][PASTE YOUR NOTES / THESIS / NUMBERS] - Paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and run. Read the reality guardrail below before you act on the output.
Why this prompt works
BLUF structure + a fixed heading set gets you to a defensible draft fast, and the forced bear-case + [TBD] tags stop the memo from reading like a sell-piece. The 'sharpest questions' close is your pre-read prep.
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When should I use this prompt?
You have the thesis and the numbers in your head (or a messy notes doc) and need a structured first-draft memo you can edit, not a blank page.
Why does this prompt work?
BLUF structure + a fixed heading set gets you to a defensible draft fast, and the forced bear-case + [TBD] tags stop the memo from reading like a sell-piece. The 'sharpest questions' close is your pre-read prep.
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