diff --git a/tmp/leads/INSTRUCTIONS_competitor_pain.md b/tmp/leads/INSTRUCTIONS_competitor_pain.md
index f304c17..7414bb2 100644
--- a/tmp/leads/INSTRUCTIONS_competitor_pain.md
+++ b/tmp/leads/INSTRUCTIONS_competitor_pain.md
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ Fetch recent posts mentioning competitor frustrations. Try these searches via cu
 - https://www.reddit.com/search.json?q=Beaconstac+alternative&sort=new&limit=25
 - https://www.reddit.com/search.json?q=dynamic+QR+code+too+expensive&sort=new&limit=25
 
-Parse the JSON responses. Extract posts from the last 7 days only. For each post get: post title, username, subreddit, post URL, date.
+Parse the JSON responses. **Only include posts from the last 7 days — discard anything older.** Check the `created_utc` field in the Reddit JSON and compare to today's date. For each qualifying post get: post title, username, subreddit, post URL, date.
 
 ### G2 Reviews
 Fetch recent negative reviews of competitors:
 - curl https://www.g2.com/products/qr-tiger/reviews?sort=recent and similar pages for Beaconstac, Uniqode.
-Extract reviewer name, company, and specific complaint from recent reviews (last 30 days).
+Extract reviewer name, company, and specific complaint. **Only include reviews posted in the last 7 days** — check the review date and discard anything older.
 
 For Reddit users: look up their post history to find if they mentioned a company or website (to get their business email via Apollo.io enrichment).
 
@@ -70,5 +70,5 @@ Create tmp/send-review-competitor.mjs, run with node, delete after. Skip silentl
 ## Rules
 - DO NOT send cold emails to leads. Save and review only.
 - Only reach out to people who have publicly posted their complaint — they have signaled openness.
-- If fewer than 10 leads found, include all found with a note.
+- If fewer than 10 leads found, include all found with a note. Do not lower the 7-day threshold to fill the list — quality over quantity.
 - Do not fabricate. Only real people with real verified emails.