Prompting LLMs: Why Most People Get It Wrong (And How to Get It Right)
LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are incredibly powerful — but only if you know how to talk to them. This guide shows how to go from vague prompts to precision instructions with examples across domains.
Good vs Bad Prompt Examples
Product Management
Write a product spec for a new app.
Act as a product manager at a fintech startup. Write a one-page PRD for a feature that lets users set automated savings goals. Include: context, user stories, KPIs, and edge cases.
Education
Make a lesson plan for 7th grade.
Create a 40-minute interactive science lesson for 7th graders on Newton’s Laws. Include: learning objectives, group activity, real-life example, and 3 quiz questions.
Software Development
Write a Python script.
Write a Python script that parses a CSV of transactions, groups them by category, and outputs a JSON summary with totals per category. Use `pandas` and ensure it handles missing values gracefully.
Marketing Copy
Write an ad for my product.
Write a LinkedIn post promoting a new AI-based grammar checker for business emails. Audience: working professionals. Tone: polished and confident. Include a clear call-to-action.
Creative Writing
Write a story.
Write a short story (under 250 words) about a lonely robot on Mars that discovers a plant growing near its base. Use a hopeful tone and end with a poetic sentence.
Technical Documentation
Explain HTTP status codes.
Create a Markdown table summarizing the 10 most common HTTP status codes with code, category, and a 1-sentence real-world analogy for each (like “404 = lost tourist”).
Resume Writing
Write a resume.
You’re a career coach for software engineers. Write a 3-bullet resume summary for a backend developer with experience in Java, microservices, and AWS. Focus on impact and scale.
Interview Coaching
Help me prepare for interviews.
Simulate a mock behavioral interview for a senior engineering role at Google. Ask me one STAR-style question at a time and give feedback on my response after each.
Prompting Cheat Sheet
| Technique | Example |
|---|---|
| Set a role | “Act as a financial advisor.” |
| Specify format | “Give output as a Markdown table.” |
| Define audience | “For a 10-year-old / for a CTO.” |
| Set tone | “Write in a witty, informal tone.” |
| Add constraints | “Limit to 3 bullet points / under 150 words.” |
Why This Matters
Prompting is the new literacy. Knowing how to get the best out of AI tools can 10x your productivity in writing, coding, decision-making, and problem-solving. Learn it, refine it, and treat it like a skill worth mastering.
Need Help Prompting?
Drop a prompt you use often — I’ll help you make it 10x better. Or, if you’re building a team, consider creating a prompt library or training deck by role. Need help? Let’s chat.