Unblock a project that's been 'in progress' for months.
The diagnostic that separates the reported blocker from the actual one, then names the smallest move that changes the state.
A project has been 'in progress' for 3 months. Status updates rotate through the same three blockers. Everyone is busy but nothing ships. This prompt diagnoses what's actually happening and names the move that changes it.
THE PROMPT
A project is stalled. Paste the project's original goal, the most recent 3 status updates, and the team involved below. Return your diagnosis in this structure: **Reported blocker** What the status updates say is blocking. Verbatim if possible. **Actual blocker (my read)** What you think is actually blocking, distinct from the reported one. Common patterns: scope grew and no one said so; the owner changed but no one re-committed; a dependency team never actually agreed to their part; the original decision was never made and everyone's waiting for someone else to make it. **Evidence for that read** Specific things in the updates that support your diagnosis. If your read is a guess with weak evidence, say so. **Smallest move that changes state** Not "have a meeting to discuss". The specific artifact, decision, or removal that would let this project move by end of week. Examples: "cut scope explicitly to X and communicate it to Y", "kill the project and reassign the two engineers", "re-appoint the owner and give them the mandate to say no to Marketing's asks". **What NOT to do** The tempting-but-wrong move. Usually: another kickoff, another RACI, another status template. Name it, so I don't do it. Context: [PASTE PROJECT + STATUS UPDATES]
**Reported blocker**
"Waiting on design finals from Sam." (all 3 status updates say this.)
**Actual blocker (my read)**
Sam finished the design finals 6 weeks ago. Engineering pushed back on two components. Design revised. Engineering pushed back again. There's no forcing function that ends the design ↔ eng loop, so it loops.
**Evidence**
Status 1 says "Sam iterating on final designs". Status 3 (5 weeks later) says "Sam iterating on final designs". Nothing else changed. Either Sam is very slow (unlikely, given known velocity elsewhere) or the loop between design and eng is uncapped.
**Smallest move that changes state**
Rae (the tech lead) calls a 30-min meeting Wednesday with Sam. Two options: (a) accept the current design as-is and ship, or (b) cut the two contested components from launch scope and ship without them. No third option. Decision has to be in the room. Written up in a one-paragraph decision memo posted to the project channel by EOD Wednesday.
**What NOT to do**
Don't call a "project reset". Don't ask for a new PRD. Don't add a third designer or a design-eng liaison role. The problem isn't structural — it's an unresolved decision that everyone is waiting for someone else to make.