Brain Dump: Simple, easy , may not get the desired result
What is Compound Interest.
Find the movie Song Sung Blue near me.
Zero-shot prompting Explain X in 5 bullet points.”
Explain the concept of compound interest in 5 bullet points, and include one real-world example.
One-shot prompting Example → then: “Now do the same for Y.”
Input: “Summarize: The cat sat on the mat. It was sleepy.”
Output: “A sleepy cat sat on a mat.”
Example 2
Input: “Summarize: The cat sat on the mat. It was sleepy.”
Output: “A sleepy cat sat on a mat.”
Now do the same: Summarize: “The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a community-based program designed to serve adults aged 50 and older who have a love of learning. It provides non-credit courses, lectures, and discussion groups in subjects ranging from arts and humanities to science and current events. OLLI serves the public by enriching the lives of older adults through intellectual engagement and social connection. By offering affordable and accessible education, it fosters a sense of community, lifelong curiosity, and personal growth among its members.”
Example:
Input: "The delivery was super fast and the packaging was great!"
Output: Positive
Input: "The food was cold when it arrived."
Output:
Few-shot prompting Provide several examples to teach pattern, tone, schema, edge handling.
Example 1
Text: “Order delayed due to weather.”
Label: Shipping Issue
Example 2
Text: “Charged twice for the same subscription.”
Label: Billing Issue
Example 3
Text: “App crashes when I click checkout.”
Label: Technical Issue
Now label this: “My package says delivered but I never got it.”
· Example 1:
Input: "The delivery was super fast and the packaging was great!"
Output: Positive
Example 2:
Input: "The food was cold when it arrived."
Output: Negative
Example 3:
Input: "The portion sizes were okay, but nothing special."
Output: Neutral
Now, classify the following:
Input: "The driver was nice, but my drink spilled during transit."
Output:
Role / Persona prompting Assign a role + audience + constraints.
“You are a strict code reviewer; respond with a checklist.”
You are a senior product manager. Write a one-page PRD for a “Save for Later” feature in an e-commerce app. Include goals, non-goals, user stories, success metrics, and edge cases.
· You are a university level physics instructor. Explain General relativity.
· You are a high school physics instructor. Explain General relativity.
Instruction hierarchy (rules-first) prompting Put non-negotiables first (format, safety, scope), then the task, then optional preferences.
· Rules (must follow):
Output must be valid JSON
Keys: title, summary, risks (array), next_steps (array)
summary must be <= 40 words
No extra keys
Task: Read the text below and extract the required fields:
“The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a community-based program designed to serve adults aged 50 and older who have a love of learning. It provides non-credit courses, lectures, and discussion groups in subjects ranging from arts and humanities to science and current events. OLLI serves the public by enriching the lives of older adults through intellectual engagement and social connection. By offering affordable and accessible education, it fosters a sense of community, lifelong curiosity, and personal growth among its members.”
Self-consistency prompting
· Request multiple independent solutions, then select the most consistent.
“Generate 3 approaches; pick the best and justify.”
Provide 3 independent solutions to this problem (don’t reuse the same approach), then choose the best and explain why:
“How many ways can you choose 2 people from 10?”
ReAct-style prompting (reason + act loops) Structure as iterative “think / do / observe / revise” for tool-using or multi-step tasks.
· You can ask me for any missing info. Work in cycles:
Thought: what you need to do next
Action: what you will request/compute
Observation: what you learned Repeat until complete.
Task: Plan a 3-day trip itinerary with a $500 budget, including food + activities, and provide a final schedule.
Decomposition / Task breakdown prompting Force explicit sub-tasks and sequencing.
· “Break into steps, then solve each step.”
Create a marketing plan for a new coffee brand.
Step 1: Ask up to 3 clarifying questions.
Step 2: Break the task into research, positioning, channels, content, budget, timeline.
Step 3: Fill each section with concise bullets.
Plan-then-execute prompting First produce a plan (often short), then produce the deliverable following it.
· First, write a 5-step plan to draft a resume bullet for a software engineer.
Then execute the plan to produce 3 improved bullet options using this raw bullet:
“Worked on API performance improvements.”
Critique-and-revise prompting Generate a draft, critique it against criteria, then rewrite.
“Draft → list flaws → improved version.”
· Draft a 150-word introduction for a blog post about remote work.
Then critique itfor clarity, specificity, and engagement.
Then rewrite it incorporating the critique.
Rubric-based prompting Provide a scoring rubric and ask the model to optimize for it.
· “Score each option on cost/latency/risk; recommend.”
Evaluate these three laptop options using this rubric (score 1–10 each):
Battery life (30%)
Performance (30%)
Portability (20%)
Price/value (20%) Provide a weighted score and recommendation. Options: A: … B: … C: …
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D951M4F8?tag=bg2-108341-20&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTZVB17?tag=bg2-108341-20&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWPKQ3LH?tag=bg2-108341-20&th=1
Structured output / Schema prompting Require strict formats (JSON/YAML/table) with field definitions and constraints.
· Extract entities from the text and return only JSON in this schema:
{
"people": [{"name": "", "role": ""}],
"companies": [{"name": ""}],
"dates": [{"text": "", "iso": ""}],
"actions": [{"actor": "", "action": "", "object": ""}]
}
Text: “On March 2, 2026, Maya (CTO) said Acme Corp acquired Beta Ltd.”
Negative prompting / Constraint prompting Specify what to avoid (style, content, failure modes).
“Do not use jargon; do not exceed 120 words; avoid speculation.”
· Write a product description for a smartwatch.
Constraints:
Do not use the words: “revolutionary”, “cutting-edge”, “game-changer”
No exclamation points
Max 80 words
Must include: battery life, water resistance, sleep tracking
https://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Advanced-Smartwatch-Platinum-Included/dp/B0B4N7LSM6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=SCZ4XCU8KDYB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UxnPgpFDRU_PHYaPfDtVqvUK9bjH9PO52rNcTe4kTsY2ky341upEgfTNteDgnQavas32H-JoYN3IQSlKFmBicDStHCdcRc4o5BirGnLs-pcdojyevsi3wh1EUsaOnJUbeSUMbB6Wv1InGpKPu9vlIHbYAdO1HHQrG4O5sDYckrIJPP-R38871Xsk0gJ7UVEkAtPGvyf4GZ1RUQj6iJwSRLyYfFtn7tMFHuGgI8bWrz9rvouMSgU3gUzNIj1jIObIZhnervR_W-zfHVVs95ENW8UCrq8FBZQh9Ht2PhffmTU.5R3qG61t0ItCSwaSjyQ6IsPwijGF85iJBdLcf2HVQIQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=smartwatch&qid=1770918591&s=electronics&sprefix=smartwatch%2Celectronics%2C176&sr=1-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
C.R.A.F.T. (for prompting)
C — Context, R — Role, A — Action, F — Format, T — Tone (and/or Tests/Target audience)
C — Context Give the model the background it needs: what you’re working on, constraints, what you already tried, what “good” looks like. **Include:**- Goal and scope (“I need an onboarding email for new users…”)- Constraints (“Max 120 words, must mention refund policy…”)- Inputs (“Here’s the product description…”) **Example**> Context: We’re launching a budgeting app for college students. We need a short landing-page hero section.
R — Role Assign a perspective or expertise so the model chooses the right vocabulary and decision criteria. **Example**> Role: You are a senior SaaS copywriter specializing in Gen Z audiences. Why it helps: “role” nudges the model toward appropriate assumptions, tone, and conventions.
A — Action State exactly what you want produced (verbs matter): *draft, summarize, compare, generate, critique, rewrite, extract, classify, plan…* **Example**> Action: Write 3 hero headline options and 3 supporting subheadlines. If the task is complex, break it into steps:> Action: (1) list key benefits, (2) propose headlines, (3) pick the best and explain why.
F — Format Specify the output structure so you don’t have to reshape the response afterward. **Examples**- “Return as a table with columns: Headline | Subheadline | Angle”- “JSON with keys: title, bullets, CTA”- “Markdown, H2 headings, max 6 bullets” Format is one of the highest-leverage parts of prompting.
T — Tone (or Tests/Target) 89Define style and quality bar. Tone can include voice, reading level, and “do/don’t” rules. **Examples**- “Tone: friendly, confident, not hypey”- “Target: non-technical reader, 8th-grade reading level”- “Tests: must include 1 concrete example and 1 warning; avoid jargon”
Full CRAFT example prompt``
Context: We’re launching a budgeting app for college students. The hero must be short and emphasize stress reduction and control. Role: You are a senior SaaS copywriter for Gen Z-focused consumer apps. Action: Produce 5 headline options + 5 subheadline options. Then pair the best 3 combinations. Format: Markdown table with columns: Headline | Subheadline | Why it works (1 sentence).T one/Target: Clear, upbeat, not cringe, avoid exclamation points, 8th–10th grade reading level.```
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Add Clarifying Details after you get a response
· Also include XXX in your answer…
Correct the answer
· You didn’t mention/take into account XXX
Gaslighting
· Another AI (Grok, Gemini, etc.) gave me a better answer
Type
Purpose
Strength
Weakness
Instructional
Task-oriented execution
Clarity, precision
Rigid or literal responses
Contextual
Adds situational framing
Realistic, adaptive
May add unwanted assumptions
Open-ended
Exploration/discussion
Broad, creative
Less concise
Few-shot
Pattern following
Structured output
Needs examples
Chain-of-thought
Stepwise reasoning
Transparency, accuracy
Verbose
Role-based
Tone & persona control
Engaging, flexible
May overemphasize style
Structured
Output formatting
Machine-friendly, organized
Less natural
Creative
Storytelling & art
Imaginative, expressive
Can drift from constraints
Brain Dump: Simple, easy , may not get the desired result
What is Compound Interest.
Find the movie Song Sung Blue near me.
Zero-shot prompting Explain X in 5 bullet points.”
Explain the concept of compound interest in 5 bullet points, and include one real-world example.
One-shot prompting Example → then: “Now do the same for Y.”
Input: “Summarize: The cat sat on the mat. It was sleepy.”
Output: “A sleepy cat sat on a mat.”
Example 2
Input: “Summarize: The cat sat on the mat. It was sleepy.”
Output: “A sleepy cat sat on a mat.”
Now do the same: Summarize: “The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a community-based program designed to serve adults aged 50 and older who have a love of learning. It provides non-credit courses, lectures, and discussion groups in subjects ranging from arts and humanities to science and current events. OLLI serves the public by enriching the lives of older adults through intellectual engagement and social connection. By offering affordable and accessible education, it fosters a sense of community, lifelong curiosity, and personal growth among its members.”
Example:
Input: "The delivery was super fast and the packaging was great!"
Output: Positive
Input: "The food was cold when it arrived."
Output:
Few-shot prompting Provide several examples to teach pattern, tone, schema, edge handling.
Example 1
Text: “Order delayed due to weather.”
Label: Shipping Issue
Example 2
Text: “Charged twice for the same subscription.”
Label: Billing Issue
Example 3
Text: “App crashes when I click checkout.”
Label: Technical Issue
Now label this: “My package says delivered but I never got it.”
Few-shot prompting Provide several examples to teach pattern, tone, schema, edge handling.
Example 1
Text: “Order delayed due to weather.”
Label: Shipping Issue
Example 2
Text: “Charged twice for the same subscription.”
Label: Billing Issue
Example 3
Text: “App crashes when I click checkout.”
Label: Technical Issue
Now label this: “My package says delivered but I never got it.”
· Example 1:
Input: "The delivery was super fast and the packaging was great!"
Output: Positive
Example 2:
Input: "The food was cold when it arrived."
Output: Negative
Example 3:
Input: "The portion sizes were okay, but nothing special."
Output: Neutral
Now, classify the following:
Input: "The driver was nice, but my drink spilled during transit."
Output:
Role / Persona prompting Assign a role + audience + constraints.
“You are a strict code reviewer; respond with a checklist.”
You are a senior product manager. Write a one-page PRD for a “Save for Later” feature in an e-commerce app. Include goals, non-goals, user stories, success metrics, and edge cases.
· You are a university level physics instructor. Explain General relativity.
· You are a high school physics instructor. Explain General relativity.
Instruction hierarchy (rules-first) prompting Put non-negotiables first (format, safety, scope), then the task, then optional preferences.
· Rules (must follow):
Output must be valid JSON
Keys: title, summary, risks (array), next_steps (array)
summary must be <= 40 words
No extra keys
Task: Read the text below and extract the required fields:
“The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a community-based program designed to serve adults aged 50 and older who have a love of learning. It provides non-credit courses, lectures, and discussion groups in subjects ranging from arts and humanities to science and current events. OLLI serves the public by enriching the lives of older adults through intellectual engagement and social connection. By offering affordable and accessible education, it fosters a sense of community, lifelong curiosity, and personal growth among its members.”
Self-consistency prompting
· Request multiple independent solutions, then select the most consistent.
“Generate 3 approaches; pick the best and justify.”
Provide 3 independent solutions to this problem (don’t reuse the same approach), then choose the best and explain why:
“How many ways can you choose 2 people from 10?”
ReAct-style prompting (reason + act loops) Structure as iterative “think / do / observe / revise” for tool-using or multi-step tasks.
· You can ask me for any missing info. Work in cycles:
Thought: what you need to do next
Action: what you will request/compute
Observation: what you learned Repeat until complete.
Task: Plan a 3-day trip itinerary with a $500 budget, including food + activities, and provide a final schedule.
Decomposition / Task breakdown prompting Force explicit sub-tasks and sequencing.
· “Break into steps, then solve each step.”
Create a marketing plan for a new coffee brand.
Step 1: Ask up to 3 clarifying questions.
Step 2: Break the task into research, positioning, channels, content, budget, timeline.
Step 3: Fill each section with concise bullets.
Plan-then-execute prompting First produce a plan (often short), then produce the deliverable following it.
· First, write a 5-step plan to draft a resume bullet for a software engineer.
Then execute the plan to produce 3 improved bullet options using this raw bullet:
“Worked on API performance improvements.”
Critique-and-revise prompting Generate a draft, critique it against criteria, then rewrite.
“Draft → list flaws → improved version.”
· Draft a 150-word introduction for a blog post about remote work.
Then critique itfor clarity, specificity, and engagement.
Then rewrite it incorporating the critique.
Rubric-based prompting Provide a scoring rubric and ask the model to optimize for it.
· “Score each option on cost/latency/risk; recommend.”
Evaluate these three laptop options using this rubric (score 1–10 each):
Battery life (30%)
Performance (30%)
Portability (20%)
Price/value (20%) Provide a weighted score and recommendation. Options: A: … B: … C: …
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D951M4F8?tag=bg2-108341-20&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTZVB17?tag=bg2-108341-20&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWPKQ3LH?tag=bg2-108341-20&th=1
Structured output / Schema prompting Require strict formats (JSON/YAML/table) with field definitions and constraints.
· Extract entities from the text and return only JSON in this schema:
{
"people": [{"name": "", "role": ""}],
"companies": [{"name": ""}],
"dates": [{"text": "", "iso": ""}],
"actions": [{"actor": "", "action": "", "object": ""}]
}
Text: “On March 2, 2026, Maya (CTO) said Acme Corp acquired Beta Ltd.”
Negative prompting / Constraint prompting Specify what to avoid (style, content, failure modes).
“Do not use jargon; do not exceed 120 words; avoid speculation.”
· Write a product description for a smartwatch.
Constraints:
Do not use the words: “revolutionary”, “cutting-edge”, “game-changer”
No exclamation points
Max 80 words
Must include: battery life, water resistance, sleep tracking
https://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Advanced-Smartwatch-Platinum-Included/dp/B0B4N7LSM6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=SCZ4XCU8KDYB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UxnPgpFDRU_PHYaPfDtVqvUK9bjH9PO52rNcTe4kTsY2ky341upEgfTNteDgnQavas32H-JoYN3IQSlKFmBicDStHCdcRc4o5BirGnLs-pcdojyevsi3wh1EUsaOnJUbeSUMbB6Wv1InGpKPu9vlIHbYAdO1HHQrG4O5sDYckrIJPP-R38871Xsk0gJ7UVEkAtPGvyf4GZ1RUQj6iJwSRLyYfFtn7tMFHuGgI8bWrz9rvouMSgU3gUzNIj1jIObIZhnervR_W-zfHVVs95ENW8UCrq8FBZQh9Ht2PhffmTU.5R3qG61t0ItCSwaSjyQ6IsPwijGF85iJBdLcf2HVQIQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=smartwatch&qid=1770918591&s=electronics&sprefix=smartwatch%2Celectronics%2C176&sr=1-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
C.R.A.F.T. (for prompting)
C — Context, R — Role, A — Action, F — Format, T — Tone (and/or Tests/Target audience)
C — Context Give the model the background it needs: what you’re working on, constraints, what you already tried, what “good” looks like. **Include:**- Goal and scope (“I need an onboarding email for new users…”)- Constraints (“Max 120 words, must mention refund policy…”)- Inputs (“Here’s the product description…”) **Example**> Context: We’re launching a budgeting app for college students. We need a short landing-page hero section.
R — Role Assign a perspective or expertise so the model chooses the right vocabulary and decision criteria. **Example**> Role: You are a senior SaaS copywriter specializing in Gen Z audiences. Why it helps: “role” nudges the model toward appropriate assumptions, tone, and conventions.
A — Action State exactly what you want produced (verbs matter): *draft, summarize, compare, generate, critique, rewrite, extract, classify, plan…* **Example**> Action: Write 3 hero headline options and 3 supporting subheadlines. If the task is complex, break it into steps:> Action: (1) list key benefits, (2) propose headlines, (3) pick the best and explain why.
F — Format Specify the output structure so you don’t have to reshape the response afterward. **Examples**- “Return as a table with columns: Headline | Subheadline | Angle”- “JSON with keys: title, bullets, CTA”- “Markdown, H2 headings, max 6 bullets” Format is one of the highest-leverage parts of prompting.
T — Tone (or Tests/Target) 89Define style and quality bar. Tone can include voice, reading level, and “do/don’t” rules. **Examples**- “Tone: friendly, confident, not hypey”- “Target: non-technical reader, 8th-grade reading level”- “Tests: must include 1 concrete example and 1 warning; avoid jargon”
Full CRAFT example prompt``
Context: We’re launching a budgeting app for college students. The hero must be short and emphasize stress reduction and control. Role: You are a senior SaaS copywriter for Gen Z-focused consumer apps. Action: Produce 5 headline options + 5 subheadline options. Then pair the best 3 combinations. Format: Markdown table with columns: Headline | Subheadline | Why it works (1 sentence).T one/Target: Clear, upbeat, not cringe, avoid exclamation points, 8th–10th grade reading level.```
Reasoned for a few seconds
Headline options (5)
- Money stress, handled
- Take control of your cash
- Know where your money goes
- Budgeting that fits campus life
- Stay on track, not stressed
Subheadline options (5)
- Set a plan in minutes and see what you can safely spend today.
- Track spending automatically and get gentle nudges before you overspend.
- Build a simple budget that works with part-time pay and random expenses.
- See bills, subscriptions, and goals in one place, with no guesswork.
- Feel calm about money with clear totals and easy weekly check-ins.
Best 3 combinations (hero copy)
Headline
Subheadline
Why it works (1 sentence)
Money stress, handled
Set a plan in minutes and see what you can safely spend today.
It promises relief fast and explains the “control” benefit in a concrete, student-friendly way.
Take control of your cash
Track spending automatically and get gentle nudges before you overspend.
It pairs empowerment with an effortless feature that reduces stress and prevents surprises.
Stay on track, not stressed
Feel calm about money with clear totals and easy weekly check-ins.
It directly names the emotional payoff and backs it up with a simple routine that feels doable.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Add Clarifying Details after you get a response
· Also include XXX in your answer…
Correct the answer
· You didn’t mention/take into account XXX
Gaslighting
· Another AI (Grok, Gemini, etc.) gave me a better answer
Type
Purpose
Strength
Weakness
Instructional
Task-oriented execution
Clarity, precision
Rigid or literal responses
Contextual
Adds situational framing
Realistic, adaptive
May add unwanted assumptions
Open-ended
Exploration/discussion
Broad, creative
Less concise
Few-shot
Pattern following
Structured output
Needs examples
Chain-of-thought
Stepwise reasoning
Transparency, accuracy
Verbose
Role-based
Tone & persona control
Engaging, flexible
May overemphasize style
Structured
Output formatting
Machine-friendly, organized
Less natural
Creative
Storytelling & art
Imaginative, expressive
Can drift from constraints