Write commentary for a KPI dashboard update
intermediateClaude SonnetFinanceFpakpidashboardfpametricscommentary
Use case
Use this prompt when distributing a KPI dashboard to leadership, the board, or investors. Charts without commentary are just pictures — this prompt produces the written narrative that turns metric movements into actionable insights.
The prompt
You are a senior FP&A analyst. Write commentary for the following KPI dashboard update. Context: - Company:{{company_name}}- Dashboard period:{{period}}- Audience:{{audience}}(e.g., weekly exec team, monthly board packet, investor update) - KPIs and their current values:{{kpi_data}}(paste each KPI with: current value, prior period value, target/budget, trend direction) - Business context this period:{{business_context}}For each KPI, write a commentary entry with: - **KPI name** — current value vs. target/prior period - A 1–3 sentence explanation of what's driving the movement (not just restating the number) - A "watch" flag if the KPI is trending in a concerning direction - A "positive signal" flag if the KPI shows an important favorable development After all KPIs, write: ## Dashboard Summary (3–5 sentences) The overall narrative across the metrics — what story do these KPIs tell together? What's the most important thing the reader should take from this dashboard? ## Top Priority for Next Period The one metric or trend the team should focus on most in the coming period, and why. Tone: analytical and direct. Each commentary entry should add insight beyond what the number itself communicates. No restating the obvious ("revenue increased because we had more revenue").
Variables
{{{{company_name}}}}Replace with your {{company name}}{{{{period}}}}Replace with your {{period}}{{{{audience}}}}Replace with your {{audience}}{{{{kpi_data}}}}Replace with your {{kpi data}}{{{{business_context}}}}Replace with your {{business context}}
Example
Input
company_name: Anchor Analytics period: April 2024 (Week 2) audience: weekly executive team standup kpi_data: | ARR: $1.82M (prior: $1.75M, target: $1.95M) — up $70K WoW, still behind target New Trials Started: 47 (prior: 31, target: 35) — above target Trial-to-Paid Conversion: 18% (prior: 22%, target: 20%) — below target and declining Churn ARR (MTD): $28K (prior month total: $95K, target: <$80K/month) — on track NPS Score: 42 (prior: 38, target: 40) — above target, improving Signal Adoption (existing customers): 31% (first data point, target: 25%) — above target business_context: Signal launched April 15; 3 new AEs in ramp; one enterprise deal expected to close this week
Output
**ARR: $1.82M (target: $1.95M, +$70K vs. prior week)** The $70K week-over-week gain reflects 2 new customer closes and a small expansion from an existing account. The $130K gap to target remains largely driven by AE ramp — the new hires contributed $35K of the $70K this week, ahead of their individual targets for the week. At this pace, we close approximately half the ARR gap to target by month-end; the other half is contingent on the pending enterprise close. --- **New Trials: 47 (target: 35) — POSITIVE SIGNAL** Trial starts hit a new weekly high, running 34% above target. This appears to be a direct effect of the Signal launch — referral traffic and earned media from the April 15 announcement drove above-normal inbound. The quality of these trials will be visible in conversion metrics over the next 3–4 weeks. --- **Trial-to-Paid Conversion: 18% (target: 20%, down from 22%) — WATCH** Conversion has declined 4 points over the past two weeks despite strong trial volume. This is the week's most important metric to monitor. Two hypotheses: (1) the Signal-driven trial surge may include a higher proportion of lower-intent, top-of-funnel visitors who convert at a lower rate; or (2) something in the trial experience is creating friction. Recommend a cohort analysis comparing Signal-attributed trials vs. prior cohorts before drawing conclusions. --- **Churn ARR (MTD): $28K (target: <$80K/month)** Through week 2, MTD churn is tracking well within target. The 3 accounts that churned in March have been processed; no additional churn flags from the CS team this week. --- **NPS: 42 (target: 40) — POSITIVE SIGNAL** NPS improved 4 points to 42, the highest score in the past 6 months. The Signal launch appears to be positively impacting sentiment — preliminary analysis shows Signal users scoring 8 points higher on NPS than non-users (48 vs. 40). Early signal worth tracking. --- **Signal Adoption: 31% of eligible customers (target: 25%)** First adoption data point post-launch: 31% of eligible Professional and Enterprise customers have enabled Signal, ahead of the 25% target. Notably, the accounts that adopted Signal earliest tend to be the highest-engagement accounts — adoption among the bottom quartile is lower. Retention team should proactively outreach to low-engagement accounts who haven't enabled Signal. --- ## Dashboard Summary Two weeks post-Signal launch, the product release is showing early positive impact: trials are up 34% above target, NPS is at a 6-month high, and Signal adoption is ahead of plan. The conversion decline is the primary concern — it warrants investigation before concluding that the trial quality has shifted. ARR is recovering but remains behind target; the pending enterprise close is the most significant near-term lever. Overall: cautiously positive, with one important metric to watch. ## Top Priority for Next Period Trial-to-paid conversion. If the decline reflects trial quality (top-of-funnel visitors who aren't buyers), no action is needed — the rate will normalize. If it reflects friction in the trial experience, the fix has material revenue implications. Run the cohort analysis by end of this week.
Tips for best results
- 1Every commentary entry should add information the number itself doesn't convey — the 'why' or 'so what.' 'NPS improved to 42' is a caption; 'Signal users score 8 points higher on NPS than non-users' is an insight.
- 2The WATCH and POSITIVE SIGNAL flags help executives scan the dashboard quickly. Use them sparingly — if everything is a watch flag, nothing is.
- 3The 'Top Priority' section is the most valuable output for weekly operating cadences. It forces you to synthesize across all metrics and name the single most important thing.
- 4For board or investor audiences, compress this commentary into 1–2 sentences per KPI and expand the Dashboard Summary. For internal audiences, depth is more valuable than brevity.
- 5After running this prompt, ask Claude to identify any KPIs that are missing from the dashboard that would add analytical value — the gaps in your dashboard are often as informative as what's there.
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