The Summarize Pattern

What Summarize Means

Summarize means taking a large chunk of information and making it shorter. You do this every day. You read an article and tell a friend the main point in one sentence. You listen to a meeting and write down the key decisions.

AI is great at this. But you need to tell it what kind of summary you want.

The Template

"Summarize [content type] in [format]. Focus on [what matters]. The reader is [audience]."

Three Ways to Ask

1. Three-Sentence Summary

"Summarize this article in 3 sentences. The reader is a busy marketing manager who only cares about business impact."

Use this when: You want the absolute minimum. Good for very long content.

2. Bullet-Point Summary

"Summarize this meeting transcript in 5 bullet points. Include the main discussion, decisions made, and action items. Audience: people who didn't attend the meeting."

Use this when: You want structure. Good for meetings, emails, or documents with multiple topics.

3. Executive Summary

"Write an executive summary of this report. Keep it to 1 page. Include the problem, solution, and key numbers. Audience: the CEO."

Use this when: You need something that stands on its own. Good for reports, proposals, or complex documents.

Real Examples

Example 1: Summarize an Article

Vague: "Summarize this article."

Better: "Summarize this article in 4 bullet points. I am a small business owner. Focus on trends that affect my business. Skip academic details."

Example 2: Summarize a Meeting

Vague: "Summarize our meeting."

Better: "Summarize our product strategy meeting in 6 bullets. Include: decisions made, action items, and who is responsible for each action item. Audience: the executive team."

Example 3: Summarize Customer Feedback

Vague: "Summarize the customer feedback."

Better: "Summarize these customer reviews in 1 paragraph. What are the top 3 complaints? What is 1 thing customers love? Keep it simple for our marketing team."

The Key Rules

1. Tell AI what format you want (sentences, bullets, paragraph)
2. Tell AI how long (3 sentences, 5 bullets, 1 page)
3. Tell AI what to focus on (business impact, action items, decisions)
4. Tell AI who will read it (CEO, team member, investor, customer)

Do this and your summary will be useful.