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Anthropic · its own staff
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A Harvard study · hundreds of companies
30% more work made. Same amount finished.
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The new bottleneck
Making the work is fast. Checking it is slow.
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Why checking harder doesn’t help
AI builds toward whatever you ask for.
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The word that matters: who
Each reader checks something different.
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The two-minute rule
Add this to the end of any request.
Add to any request
The person checking this is [who].
Build this so they can check it in two minutes and walk away with high confidence that it’s right.
At the very top, list the three things they’ll want to check first, where to find each one, and anything you weren’t sure about.
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Examples · pick what fits
Optional: add what high confidence looks like.
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Reports and memos
Reports: main points first, each with a source.
Add for a report
Put your main points in the first few lines. Next to each one, show where it came from: the file name and the exact sentence or number.
For every number, say if you copied it or calculated it, and show the math for anything you calculated. If something isn’t backed by a source, say so.
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Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets: simple steps and a check cell.
Add for a spreadsheet
Keep each formula simple. Put all inputs in one labeled section.
Add a check cell that should equal zero if everything adds up, and tell me what it means if it doesn’t.
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Slide decks
Decks: it tells you which slides to check.
Add for a deck
When you’re done, tell me in the chat which two or three slides I should check most closely and why, where the numbers on each chart came from, and anything you’re unsure about.
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What high confidence looks like
Every example does the same three things.
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Work your team sends you
Make it a team rule: whoever sends it owns it.
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The two-minute rule
Recap
Tell the AI who will check the work.
Ask for a two-minute check with high confidence.
Put what matters first. Show sources. Flag weak spots.
Whoever sends it checks it first.