Natalia’s Rules (Mirror Mode)

These are direct quotes and requirements from Natalia Kovaleva, Director of Proposals. They are non-negotiable.

The Golden Rule

“The task is to mirror whatever is here exactly… No calculation, no thinking.”

The Six Mirror Rules

1. NO MATH — Use Excel totals exactly, never recalculate
2. Exact section order — First section in Excel = first in PDF
3. Exact row order — Preserve line item sequence within sections
4. Show alternates — Don’t filter rows containing “alternate”
5. Show tax/bond even if zero — Display all financial rows
6. Trust Excel’s grand total — Use “SUB TOTAL (BID FORM)” value

What Natalia Said

• “We don’t look at [Cost/Margin columns]… whatever is here is what your engine will show”
• “Fix some typos if estimator makes any typo”
• “We will feed the program already calculated file and will just need the nice PDF”

Column Visibility

• SHOW: Description, Selling Price (labeled “PRICING” or “AMOUNT”)
• HIDE: Cost, Margin $, Margin %

What Mirror Mode Must HIDE

• Strategic P&L Audit table
• Global Strategic Controls (margin slider, Std/Agg/Prem)
• Sales Tax / Bond Rate inputs
• Sales Quotation Items editor
• AI-generated SOW toggle
• MATH step entirely

What Mirror Mode Must KEEP

• Document Type selector (Budget/Proposal/LOI)
• Custom intro/notes text
• Payment terms editor (LOI only)
• Preview + Export PDF

Three Document Types

• Budget: Header says “BUDGET ESTIMATE”, no signatures, no payment terms
• Proposal: Header says “SALES QUOTATION”, no signatures, no payment terms
• LOI: Full legal header with addresses, payment terms, signature lines

If In Doubt

Ask: “Would Natalia see this and say it doesn’t match her Excel?” If yes, it’s wrong.