Using the Diagnostic
How to describe business challenges
Defining the challenge well is the most important input you provide. A sharp problem statement produces a sharp diagnosis; a vague one produces generic advice.
State the problem, not the symptom
Symptoms are what you observe; the challenge is what causes them. Push past the first observation to the mechanism underneath it.
- Symptom: "Churn is rising."
- Challenge: "We acquire customers who are a poor fit because sales targets reward volume over fit."
Make it specific and bounded
Name who is affected, where it shows up, and why it matters now. A bounded challenge is easier to diagnose than a sweeping one like "we need to grow."
Include what you have already tried
Telling Cogliva what has been attempted, and why it fell short, prevents recycled recommendations and sharpens the analysis.
Describe the outcome you need
Be explicit about what a good result looks like and the timeframe for it. This shapes the recommendations and the 90-day plan.
How to use this in Cogliva
- Write the challenge as one or two precise sentences before generating.
- Add the symptoms separately so the analysis can connect them to the cause.
- Regenerate if the diagnosis addresses the symptom rather than the cause.