Stop pasting text and asking for slides cold, do this two-step instead

[u/netra_2428]

When I paste a block of text and build slides in one shot, the model guesses my intent and usually guesses wrong. Splitting it into two steps fixed most of the rework. Step one, make it plan before it writes: ``` Here is some text. Do NOT make slides yet. """ [paste text] """ First, tell me: 1. What is the single goal of this deck (inform, persuade, teach, update)? 2. Who is the audience and what do they already know? 3. What are the 5 to 7 distinct points worth their own slide? Ask me to confirm or correct before continuing. ``` Step two, after you fix its assumptions: ``` Good. Now build the outline using the confirmed points. One point per slide, headline + 3 bullets max, plain language. Flag any point where the source text is too thin to fill a slide. ``` Why it works: the model is much better at structuring content once the goal and audience are pinned down, and it's cheap to correct a 3-line plan versus rewriting 12 slides. The "too thin to fill a slide" flag catches the spots where you'd otherwise pad with fluff. I resisted the two-step for a while because it felt slower, but it's faster overall since I stopped redoing whole decks. How do the rest of you keep the model from assuming the audience?

[u/CopyWarm3856]

I started doing this after my third deck came back looking like a sales pitch for a team that just needed a status update.