Day 12: Level Up Your AI Prompt Game
Why writing clearer prompts is the secret to getting exactly what you need from AI.
image generated by AI
Hey Crew,
We’re officially in the home stretch of this challenge! And today we’re circling back to one of the most important skills when it comes to working with AI: learning how to write better prompts.
On day 11, we talked about how useful AI can be for getting an executive level briefing for your role/industry. Pretty cool, right? I’m going to use that one tomorrow morning!
If you’ve been following along, you know that a “prompt” is just the instruction you give an AI tool. Simple enough, right? But here’s the secret: the way you phrase your prompt can make or break the usefulness of the response.
Think of it like ordering at your favorite coffee shop. If you walk in and say, “coffee, please,” you’ll get some coffee (or maybe a bunch more questions from the barista). But if you ask for a double tall vanilla almond milk latte, with two pumps of vanilla, you’ll get exactly what you want. Yum.
Now that we are on day 12, you’ve probably learned that AI works the same way.
Why Better Prompts Matter
When you first start out, it’s tempting to ask AI really broad questions, like:
“Summarize trends in my industry.”
And AI will give you something. But often it’s generic, fluffy, or just not that useful.
Now watch what happens when you add clarity and context:
👉 “Summarize the 5 biggest emerging trends in [industry] from the past 6 months. For each, explain why it matters and give one real-world example.”
Suddenly, your AI is doing focused work for you. You’re not just getting information—you’re getting insight.
A Simple Framework for Writing Strong Prompts
If you’re new to this, here’s a no-fail formula to make your prompts better right away:
1. Add a Role
Pretend the AI has a job title. Example: “You are a compliance officer” or “You are my Chief of Staff.”
2. Add a Time Frame
“In the past 6 months” is very different from “all time.”
3. Add an Output Format
Want bullet points? A table? A one-paragraph summary? Say so.
Try This Yourself
Here’s a before-and-after you can test:
❌ Vague Prompt: “What are some leadership trends?”
✅ Better Prompt: “Act as an executive coach. Summarize the 3 most important leadership trends emerging in the past year, and explain one action a manager could take for each.”
See the difference? The second prompt is sharper, clearer, and much more useful.
Today’s Challenge
Pick something in your own work—maybe it’s industry news, content planning, or brainstorming fall goals—and write one “before” and one “better” prompt. Notice how much more specific and valuable the output feels when you frame it right.
✨ The more you practice, the easier this gets. By the end of this challenge, you’ll not only know how to use AI, but you’ll also know how to ask for what you really need. And that’s the real magic (in AI and other parts of your life, am I right?)
👉 Tomorrow, we’ll take it one step further: using AI to help you draft a 90-day roadmap for your fall goals. Stay tuned—this one’s a game-changer.