---
name: add-takeaway
description: Use when the user states a key takeaway, lesson, or point from the Merkator "developing with AI" presentation, or asks to add, reword, expand, or reorder an item in the README's key takeaways list.
---

# Add a key takeaway

## Overview

This repo collects the key takeaways of a presentation on developing with AI at
Merkator. The deliverable is the list in [README.md](../../../README.md). Every
takeaway the user states goes in that list, in their words.

## When to use

- The user states a point from the talk ("the next one is…", "another takeaway is…").
- The user refines a takeaway already in the list ("make that one also mention X").
- The user asks to reorder, split, merge, or drop takeaways.

Not for: general edits to this repo that have nothing to do with the list.

## Format

The list is a numbered Markdown list under `## Key takeaways`. Each item is:

```markdown
1. **Short imperative headline.** One or two sentences in plain language saying
   what to do and why. Optional sub-bullets when the takeaway has distinct parts:
   - **Name of the part** — what it is, in one line.
```

Rules:

- **Headline is bold, imperative, and short** — it is what lands on the slide.
- **Body is the speaker's own point**, lightly edited for reading. Don't inflate
  a one-line remark into a paragraph.
- **Sub-bullets only when the takeaway genuinely splits** into named parts.
  Otherwise keep it to the sentences.
- **Numbering is presentation order.** New takeaways append to the end unless the
  user says where it belongs.

## How to add one

1. Read the current `## Key takeaways` section before editing, so the new item
   matches the voice and depth of the existing ones.
2. Append the new numbered item — do not renumber or reword the others.
3. Show the user the resulting section and ask for the next takeaway.

## Common mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Rewriting the user's point into consultant-speak | Keep their phrasing; edit only for readability. |
| Adding takeaways the user didn't state | The list is theirs. Never invent items to "round it out". |
| Silently restructuring earlier entries | Change an existing item only when asked. |
| Burying the point in prose | Bold headline first, detail after. |