How to use Claude to revise proposals and adapt slides
The author sent both outputs: the proposal needed about ten minutes of polishing, while the slides required formatting fixes and replacement screenshots.
news.ycombinator.com
Prompt to try
Editorial adaptation, not the source author’s exact prompt. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Read [reference folder] and create a Markdown summary of [project] and [relevant background]. After I review it, revise and expand [proposal.docx] and adapt [presentation.pptx] for [audience]. Preserve the existing slide style and identify any screenshots or formatting that need my review.
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See placements →What happened
The author sent both outputs: the proposal needed about ten minutes of polishing, while the slides required formatting fixes and replacement screenshots.
Reported by tkgally on Hacker NewsHow the agent did it
- Created a Cowork folder and copied a couple of hundred related files into it.
- Asked Claude to summarize the work and personal background in Markdown.
- Reviewed the summary and assigned proposal revision and slide adaptation.
Where a person stepped in
The author reviewed the summary, polished the proposal, fixed slide formatting and replaced the screenshot before sending the outputs.
A person approved each step before the agent continued.
The author used Claude Cowork for two pending tasks: revising and expanding a Word project proposal and adapting an earlier PowerPoint presentation for a different audience. They created a Cowork folder, copied a couple of hundred related files into it and asked Claude to prepare a comprehensive Markdown summary of the work and some personal background for future reference.
After checking that the summary looked good, the author described the two tasks and asked Claude to begin. The proposal revision was described as almost perfect. About ten additional minutes of polishing were enough before the author sent it.
The slides required more intervention. The author used most of the text Claude created for additional slides, but adjusted formatting to match the earlier presentation. One slide included a Chrome screenshot of the author's website that did not illustrate the intended point well. The author replaced it with screenshots they took themselves, then sent the presentation too.
The account also reports an initial interruption: API errors after an app update. Using Clear Cache and Restart resolved it after starting over.
Who it's for: people adapting existing documents and presentations who can review both content and visual consistency.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · tkgally
Frequently asked questions
How did the author provide context?
They copied a couple of hundred related files into a Cowork folder and asked for a comprehensive Markdown summary of the work and some information about themselves.
What required manual correction?
The proposal needed about ten minutes of polishing. The slides needed formatting changes for consistency, and the author replaced an unsuitable website screenshot with their own screenshots.
More details
Remaining steps
- Polished the revised proposal for about ten minutes and sent it.
- Adjusted slide formatting, replaced an unsuitable screenshot and sent the presentation.
About this account
Cowork summarized reference files, revised the proposal and generated additional presentation content and a screenshot.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46596840. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: tkgally on Hacker News
Source published 13 Jan 2026
Source checked 14 Oct 2026
Tools and topics
Claude Cowork · Word documents · PowerPoint slides · Markdown · Chrome
Document editing · Presentations · Reference files
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.