Critique a Business Case Before It Goes to Leadership

The business case goes to the board next week and you would rather find the holes than have them found for you. This stress-tests it: whether the problem is real and quantified, whether the numbers hold, and where a sharp reviewer would push back. Good for anyone about to put an investment or change request in front of people who say no for a living.

<context>
You have written or are reviewing a business case for {BUSINESS_CASE_TOPIC} that will be presented to [senior leadership / a board / a funding committee]. The case proposes [describe: investment / process change / new hire / system implementation] at a cost of approximately [amount].
</context>

<task>
**Stress-test the business case before submission:**
1. Check the problem statement: is the problem real, quantified, and properly attributed to its cause?
2. Audit the ROI claim: are the assumptions realistic and the time horizon honest?
3. Identify the three questions a sceptical senior leader will ask, and whether the case answers them
4. Check what is missing: risks, alternatives considered, dependencies, and what happens if you do nothing
5. Give an overall readiness verdict: submit / revise / rethink
</task>

<output_format>
- Problem statement assessment (is it real, quantified, properly caused?)
- ROI audit (assumptions tested, time horizon checked)
- Three sceptic questions with verdicts (answered / partially answered / not answered)
- Missing elements checklist
- Readiness verdict with specific revision instructions if needed
</output_format>