A few short questions, plain English, no jargon. Your answers become Claude's standing instructions.
Who is this report for? Each audience has different expectations for depth, vocabulary, and the kind of action they want to take.
How often is this report published? Cadence shapes which comparison periods to include and how much trend context is needed.
What decision or question is this report answering? Be specific. "Show Q2 performance" is weak; "Help the exec team decide whether to accelerate hiring in Q3" is better.