The Polish Pass

Mechanical QA (overlap checks, content rules, render) tells you whether the document is structurally sound. The polish pass tells you whether it lands. Both are required before shipping.

Do the polish pass after verify.py --mode all has passed. Three reads, in order. Do not shortcut.

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Pass 1 — Does it land?

Read the full deck once, cold, start to finish. Do not stop to fix anything. Ask:

• Do you believe the thesis by page 5? If not, the opening is too slow or too hedged.
• Does the argument build, or does it restate? Each page should move the reader further, not repeat.
• Is there a moment the deck loses you? Note the page. That is where the narrative breaks.
• Do you feel any emotion? Conviction, curiosity, relief? A technically correct deck that produces no reaction will not close.

If Pass 1 fails, stop. Fix the structure before cleaning up copy.

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Pass 2 — Is every word pulling weight?

Read each page slowly. For every sentence:

• Cut 10% of words. There is almost always 10% you can remove without loss of meaning.
• Adjective audit. "Comprehensive," "robust," "best-in-class," "world-class," "cutting-edge." Strike them. If the noun needs an adjective to land, replace the noun.
• Buzzword audit. "Leverage," "utilize," "impactful," "synergies," "delta," "mission-critical." See content-rules.md for the full list.
• Intent check. Each module page in the YAML carries an intent: field — the page's "so what?" Re-read the rendered copy against the intent. Does the copy actually do what the intent claims? If not, rewrite the copy or rewrite the intent.

Pass 2 is about density. Dense writing reads fast and earns trust. Loose writing reads slow and signals a draft.

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Pass 3 — Would I hand this to the senior partner?

Read the page titles only, in sequence. Skip the body copy. Ask:

• Do the titles tell the story? Someone who only sees titles should get the thesis.
• Is there a dead page? A title that says "Our Approach" or "Overview" does not tell a story. Rewrite it to assert something.
• Does the opening assert the thesis? If the cover and first two titles do not land the argument, the document buries the lede.
• Does the closing earn the ask? The last three page titles should make the buyer ready to say yes.

Run python scripts/verify.py --print-titles <pdf> to extract the title list automatically.

If Pass 3 fails, the problem is structure, not copy. Fix the sketch, not the prose.

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Ship or iterate

• All three passes clean → ship.
• Any pass fails → fix the issue at its level (structure → Pass 1/3, copy → Pass 2) and re-run all three passes from the top. Do not partial-pass.

The polish pass is where a serviceable deck becomes a persuasive one. It is also where most consultants stop early. Do not stop early.