Count it before you write it — “1,568 files” was not a fact
Our own product title said “224 words × 7 colours = 1,568 files”. The product file was missing, so we built it. The real number was 1,554.
That number had never been counted by anyone.
The same product, two numbers (measured)
Why 14 files matter
Where the claim and the fact separate
The fix: make counting part of the job
If you print a number, count that number by machine once.
Count the items themselves, not the lines that contain them.
If the plan and the output differ, change the title — not the truth.
How to handle printed numbers
A number is a stronger promise than you think. “Lots of files” is never checked. “1,568 files” is a checkable promise.
