---
name: board-pre-read
description: "Write a board pre-read that's sent before the meeting so the meeting is about decisions, not status. Use when asked to prepare a board pre-read, a board update/package, or pre-meeting materials for a board. Produces a board pre-read — a TL;DR, the metrics dashboard vs. plan, what's working / what's not, the decisions and asks for the board, and risks — designed to be read in advance."
---

# Board Pre-Read Skill

The best board meetings spend zero time on status because the board already read it. A pre-read sent
48+ hours ahead does that: it conveys the state of the business and, crucially, tells the board exactly
what input and decisions are needed — so the meeting is discussion and decisions, not a slide-reading
session. This skill structures that document.

## Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

- **The headline** — the one thing the board should take away this period (good or bad).
- **Metrics vs. plan** — the key numbers against the plan/forecast (revenue, growth, burn, runway, the north-star).
- **What changed** — major wins, misses, and shifts since last meeting.
- **Decisions/asks** — what you actually need from the board (approval, input, introductions).

## Output Format

### Board Pre-Read — [company], [month/quarter]
**Sent:** [date, ≥48h before the meeting]

**1. TL;DR** — 3–5 bullets: the state of the business, the headline, runway, and the decisions you're bringing. A busy board member should get the gist from this alone.

**2. Metrics dashboard** — the core numbers vs. plan, with the trend and a one-line "so what" each. Show misses honestly — boards trust founders who surface bad news first.

| Metric | This period | vs. plan | Trend | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|

**3. What's working** — the 2–3 things going well and why (so they can be doubled down on).

**4. What's not** — the 2–3 problems, what you're doing about them, and where you want the board's help. Candour here is the whole game.

**5. Decisions & asks** — explicit: "We're asking the board to approve X" / "We'd value input on Y" / "We need intros to Z." Tie each to the agenda.

**6. Risks & watch-items** — the top risks to the plan and runway, and the leading indicators you're watching.

**Appendix** — detail, financials, and supporting data (linked, not inline).

## Quality Checks

- [ ] It's genuinely a pre-read — sent ahead, readable without a presenter
- [ ] The TL;DR stands alone for a time-pressed director
- [ ] Metrics are shown vs. plan, with misses surfaced honestly (not buried)
- [ ] The decisions/asks for the board are explicit and tied to the agenda
- [ ] Runway and the top risks are stated plainly

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not save bad news for the live meeting — boards punish surprises; lead with the hard numbers
- [ ] Do not send a deck to be read aloud — a pre-read is prose/dashboards designed for solo reading
- [ ] Do not omit the asks — if the board doesn't know what you need, the meeting defaults to status theatre
- [ ] Do not vanity-metric the dashboard — show the numbers that govern the business, against plan
- [ ] Do not inline 40 pages of appendix — link the detail; keep the core pre-read tight

## Based On

Board-management practice — pre-circulated reading, metrics-vs-plan transparency, and decision-focused agendas.