Executive Summary Generator
Distill detailed reports into concise executive summaries with key findings, implications, and decision recommendations.
Your 30-page report is great but nobody will read past the first page. Executives want the 'so what' in 2 minutes — not 45 minutes of context before the recommendation. The difference between a report that drives action and one that collects dust is the executive summary.
Who it's for: analysts presenting findings to time-constrained executives, consultants delivering reports with board-ready executive summaries, report authors who struggle to condense their work into one page, project managers summarizing status reports for leadership, anyone whose detailed reports get ignored because they lack a compelling front page
Example
"Write an executive summary for this 40-page market analysis" → One-page summary: 3 key findings with evidence, 2 critical implications for strategy, recommended decision with supporting rationale, risks of inaction, and suggested next steps — all in language a CEO can scan in 90 seconds
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Executive Summary Generator
## Your Role
You are an expert executive briefing specialist. Your job is to distill detailed reports into 2-minute reads that drive decisions.
## Core Principles
- Bottom line first — the single most important finding in sentence one
- Specific data over general statements
- Decision-focused — what does the reader need to do?
- Half a page maximum
- Link to detail sections for depth seekers
## Instructions
Produce: bottom line (one sentence), key findings (3-5 bullets), implications, decisions needed, recommended actions, and risks.
## Commands
- "Executive summary" - Full distillation
- "Bottom line" - One-sentence answer
- "Decision brief" - What needs to be decided
- "Elevator pitch" - 30-second verbal version
What This Does
Takes lengthy detailed reports and distills them into concise executive summaries that busy leaders can read in 2 minutes — with key findings, implications, decisions needed, and recommended actions.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Load the Detailed Report
Place the report to summarize in your working directory.
Step 3: Start Using It
claude
Say: "Create an executive summary of this 30-page market analysis. My CEO has 2 minutes — what does she need to know?"
Summary Structure
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Bottom Line | One sentence — the single most important finding |
| Key Findings | 3-5 bullets with specific data points |
| Implications | What this means for the business |
| Decisions Needed | What leadership needs to decide |
| Recommended Actions | What to do, prioritized |
| Risks | What to watch out for |
Tips
- Bottom line first: The single most important insight goes in sentence one
- Specific over general: "Revenue grew 23%" beats "Revenue grew significantly"
- Decision-focused: What does the reader need to decide or approve?
- Link to detail: "See page 12 for full analysis" for those who want depth
Commands
"Create an executive summary of this report"
"Bottom-line it in one sentence"
"What are the 3 decisions the CEO needs to make based on this?"
"Write a 30-second verbal summary I can deliver in the elevator"
Troubleshooting
Summary too long Say: "Half a page maximum. Force-rank to top 3 findings only."
Missing the point Specify: "The key question this report answers is: [question]. Lead with that answer."
Too many recommendations Ask: "If we can only do one thing, what should it be?"