1Turn a vague request into an actionable plan
For when you have picked up a new task and the other side has not thought it through either
- Have the AI ask you 5 questions first, to fill in the blanks in the request (prompt: I need to [task]. Ask me the 5 most important questions first, and do not propose a solution yet.)
- Write your answers up as a single background paragraph, then have it produce three plans at different scopes (minimum viable / normal / full).
- Pick one plan and have it break that into steps that can each be verified on their own, with a definition of done for each.
- Have it name the step most likely to stall, and the fallback for when it does.
2Debug a new error
So you do not burn half an hour heading in the wrong direction
- Paste only the error and the stack trace at first, and have it rank the possible causes — hold the code back so it does not get anchored by it.
- For the top-ranked cause, ask for a way to verify it with a single command.
- Once you have verified it, paste the minimal reproduction and have it pinpoint the line.
- After the fix, have it summarize: what class of bug this was, how to prevent it next time, and whether the same pattern exists elsewhere.
3Writing a Document That Will Be Reviewed
Poke holes in it yourself before you hand it over
- Have it list the questions this document must answer, from the target reader's point of view
- Write your draft following the order of those questions
- Have it list objections as the harshest possible reviewer (prompt: assume you're going to reject this document — what are your reasons?)
- Add a paragraph addressing each objection, then cut all the defensive filler
4Getting Up to Speed in an Unfamiliar Field
Build enough understanding to hold a conversation within two hours
- Have it give the field's five core questions and three common misconceptions
- For each core question, have it explain why the question matters and what the current mainstream answer is
- Have it list five key terms in the field with their precise meanings (be careful to distinguish near-synonyms)
- Finally, have it produce a 10-question self-test — whatever you can't answer is your gap
5Turn a Failure into Reusable Lessons
Post-mortems easily turn into blame-shifting or self-congratulation
- Start with a bare timeline of facts, no judgments, and have it point out what is missing from the timeline
- Have it list 'what information was available at the time that we did not use'
- Classify the improvement items by 'can this be changed next time' (can change / cannot change)
- Keep only the changeable part, and write each item as one concrete action + a checkpoint
6Set Up Recurring Tasks for AI (Build a Prompt Template)
When you repeat the same kind of task, turn the prompt into a reusable asset
- Do the same kind of task manually 3 times, and record how you described the requirements each time
- Extract the parts that repeat across all 3 into fixed sections (role / constraints / output format)
- Mark the parts that change each time as variables (using [square brackets] as placeholders)
- Test the template on a 4th new task, filling in blanks without changing the structure; if results are unstable, add one more constraint