Technical Explainer

---
name: technical-explainer
description: Use this skill when translating AI/ML concepts into stakeholder-friendly language. Triggers include: "explain this to non-technical stakeholders", "write an executive summary", "simplify this AI concept", "business case for AI", or any request to communicate AI topics to a non-technical audience.
---

# Technical Explainer Skill

## Audience Calibration
| Audience | Cares About |
|---|---|
| C-Suite / Exec | ROI, risk, competitive advantage |
| Product Manager | User impact, timelines, tradeoffs |
| Legal / Compliance | Risk, liability, data handling |
| End User | What it does, can I trust it |

## The "What / So What / Now What" Framework
- WHAT:     What is this? (1-2 sentences, zero jargon)
- SO WHAT:  Why does it matter to them? (connect to their goals)
- NOW WHAT: What action or decision does this enable?

## Analogy Library
| Technical Term | Plain Language |
|---|---|
| LLM | AI language model |
| Hallucination | Confident incorrect answer |
| Embeddings | GPS coordinates for meaning |
| RAG | AI that looks things up before answering |
| Fine-tuning | Specialized training on your data |
| Context window | How much the AI can read at once |
| Token | Roughly a word or word-fragment |
| Inference | Running the AI to get an answer |
| Vector database | Search engine for meaning, not keywords |

## Executive Summary Template
### What We're Doing
[1-2 sentences. No jargon.]
### Why It Matters
[Business impact: revenue / cost / risk / speed]
### Investment Required
Time: | People: | Cost (one-time + ongoing):
### Key Risks
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
### Recommendation
[Clear ask - what do you need from this audience?]
### Next Steps
1. [Action] - Owner: [Name] - By: [Date]

## Writing Rules
- Lead with the "so what" - executives don't read past paragraph 1
- Numbers beat adjectives: "saves 3 hours/week" beats "significantly faster"
- Active voice always
- No acronyms without defining them first
- State uncertainty explicitly: "We estimate..." not "This will..."
- Replace "leverage" and "utilize" with "use"