7-lesson course · about 2 hours
Confirm the question before you build the answer
For Consultants, project leads, managers and professionals who turn information into plans, decisions and client work
Everything for ProfessionalsSomeone sends two lines and a deadline. Use AI to draft a few clarifying questions and a one-page brief the requester signs off before you build anything. A 2-hour course for consultants and project leads.
What you’ll be able to do
By the end, you can…
How it works
A tutor that meets you where you are
- Lessons at your levelSeven lessons that adapt as you go. Later lessons are written for your level as you reach them, so you are not stuck rereading basics you already know.
- An AI tutor you can ask anythingType or speak your questions at any point, for example how to phrase a question for a particular client or whether something in your brief is really an assumption.
- Quizzes and flashcards for each lessonShort checks tied to each lesson help the method stick, such as telling stated, implied and missing apart, or confirmed from assumed.
- A worked example, or your own requestFollow a sample service-improvement request from first read to signed-off brief, or work through a real request from your own role, keeping confidential details out of unapproved AI tools.
- Progress tracking and a certificateSee where you are across both modules and receive a certificate of completion when you finish.
Curriculum
The curriculum
Two modules, seven lessons. The first teaches you to read a vague request and turn its gaps into a short set of questions. The second takes you from a drafted brief to a confirmed one, and keeps it accurate as answers come in.
Module 1Read the Request Before You Build Anything3 lessons
1Why Polished Answers Go to the Wrong Question
- Explain how starting the deliverable before confirming the need leads to 'that's not quite what we meant'
- Identify the point in your own recent work where you started building before the need was agreed
- Choose what request details can and cannot go into the AI tool you are approved to use
2Read a Vague Request: Stated, Implied, Missing
- Sort the contents of a short request into stated, implied and missing
- Spot missing information that is presented or assumed as if it were an agreed requirement
- List the gaps that matter most for the need, audience, decision and constraints
3Prompt AI for Clarifying Questions, Then Trim Them
- Write a prompt that gives AI the request, the context and the identified gaps, and asks for clarifying questions
- Trim an AI-generated list down to the few questions that would change the work
- Rewrite questions so they can be answered in a line or by picking an option
Module 2Draft, Confirm and Update the Brief4 lessons
4Draft the One-Page Brief with AI
- Write a one-page brief that states the need, the audience, the decision it supports and the constraints
- Prompt AI to draft the brief from the request and your notes
- Edit the AI draft so it stays short and does not add content the requester never mentioned
5Mark What Is Confirmed, Assumed and Open
- Label each statement in the brief as confirmed, assumption or open
- Spot inferred owners and deadlines and rewrite them as proposals
- Prompt AI to check a draft brief for unlabeled assumptions
6Send the Brief for Sign-Off
- Write a short cover message that asks for a clear confirm-or-correct reply
- Tell an explicit sign-off apart from a vague or missing reply, and write a brief follow-up when needed
7Update the Brief Without Scope Creep
- Update the brief from replies and show what changed, what was added and what remains accepted
- Identify when a reply expands scope or drops an accepted requirement, and raise it with the requester
Who it’s for
Made for you if…
Made for: Consultants, project leads, managers and professionals who turn information into plans, decisions and client work
Consultants who get two-line client emails with a Friday deadline
You can confirm what the client needs in a short exchange instead of finding out after the deck is built.
Project leads handed loosely defined internal requests
You get a brief that separates agreed facts from assumptions, so owners and deadlines are not treated as settled before anyone agrees to them.
Managers and professionals who turn information into plans and decisions
You get a repeatable way to use an AI assistant you already have for the step before the work: deciding what the work is.
Questions
Good to know
Do I need to be experienced with AI?
No. You should have used a general AI chat assistant at least casually, and have access to one that is approved for your work. The course does not cover choosing, configuring or comparing specific AI products.
How long does it take?
About two hours across seven self-paced lessons.
Can I use a real request from my job?
Yes. The course follows a sample service-improvement request, and you can substitute a comparable request from your own role. Lesson 1 covers deciding what request details can and cannot go into the AI tool you are approved to use.
Does the course help me build the final deck or report?
No. It stops once the brief is confirmed and kept up to date. Building the deliverable is outside this course.
Is this a formal requirements or contract scoping method?
No. It is a practical, lightweight way to get a one-page brief confirmed. Formal requirements engineering and contract scoping are not covered.
What should I already know?
You should have experience receiving and delivering requests from clients, managers or internal stakeholders, and be comfortable writing short professional emails or messages.