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Running Document — Worked Example

This is a filled-in example showing how a Running Document looks in practice. Use it as a reference when creating your own.

Project Overview

Project name:
Q1 Content Strategy Overhaul

Start date:
January 8, 2025

Current phase:
Execution — publishing phase

Primary goal:
Redesign the blog content pipeline to publish 3x weekly with consistent quality.

Active Context

Current focus:
Finalising the editorial calendar for February and drafting the first two feature posts.

Key constraints:

  • Budget: £500/month for freelance support
  • Timeline: Full pipeline operational by Feb 15
  • Must integrate with existing CMS (WordPress)

Open questions:

  • Should we hire a part-time editor or continue self-editing?
  • Is 3x weekly sustainable long-term, or should we target 2x?

Decisions Log

Date Decision Rationale Status
Jan 10 Focus on evergreen content first Evergreen has longer shelf life, better ROI Active
Jan 12 Use Notion for editorial calendar Already in our stack, avoids new tool Active
Jan 15 Delay video content to Q2 Bandwidth too limited this quarter Active
Jan 20 "Beginner's guide to X" for week 3 Fills gap in calendar, matches audience need Active

Rules & Agreements

  • All draft posts reviewed before scheduling (no direct publish)
  • AI assists with outlines and first drafts, human does final edit
  • Any budget decision over £100 requires explicit approval
  • We don't publish on weekends — scheduling only Mon/Wed/Fri
  • When asked for alternatives, provide 3–5 unless specified otherwise
  • One clarifying question max before proceeding; ask forgiveness not permission for small judgment calls
  • All figures come from Canonical Numbers only — no recalculating from memory

Corrections & Lessons

Date What went wrong How it was fixed What changed
Jan 14 AI drafted post using outdated brand voice guidelines Provided updated guidelines, re-drafted Added "brand voice doc" to references section
Jan 16 Budget calculation showed £600/month instead of £500 Corrected figure from Canonical Numbers Added explicit rule: "All figures from Canonical Numbers only"
Jan 18 Confusion about which post was "final" — two versions existed Deleted duplicate, established naming convention All drafts now named [Topic]v[X][Date]
Jan 21 Asked for "a few alternatives" — AI produced 12 options Selected 3; clarified preference Added rule: "3–5 alternatives unless specified"

Session Notes

Jan 20:
Reviewed February calendar. Identified gap in week 3 — need one more topic. Discussed potential: either "beginner's guide to X" or "case study Y". Decision deferred to next session.

Jan 22:
Chose "beginner's guide to X" for week 3. AI to draft outline by end of session. Also noted that Friday posts get less engagement — may revisit schedule in March.

Jan 24:
Outline complete for "beginner's guide to X". First draft in progress. Discussed tone — agreed to keep it accessible but not patronising. Target: 1,200 words.

References

Last updated: January 24, 2025