Ultimate Guide to AI Prompt Engineering

My learnings from 652 days of using AI

Author

Iwo Szapar
August 28, 2024

In partnership with

Aloha friends,

Yesterday, I kicked off a 30-day video challenge to share my AI expertise and push my boundaries. Today, I'm dropping my first AI knowledge bomb: The Ultimate Guide to AI Prompt Engineering (part 1).

  • I've crafted a step-by-step manual on how to talk with AI effectively.

  • Please vote at the end of this post if you liked it- be honest 🙏 .

  • It took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to write today’s edition using 8 external articles/ebooks, with the help of my AI (Claude).

Enjoy! 🚀

🦾 Master AI & ChatGPT for FREE in just 3 hours 🤯

1 Million+ people have attended, and are RAVING about this AI Workshop.
Don’t believe us? Attend it for free and see it for yourself.

Highly Recommended: 🚀

Join this 3-hour Power-Packed Masterclass worth $399 for absolutely free and learn 20+ AI tools to become 10x better & faster at what you do

🗓️ Tomorrow | ⏱️ 10 AM EST

In this Masterclass, you’ll learn how to:

🚀 Do quick excel analysis & make AI-powered PPTs 
🚀 Build your own personal AI assistant to save 10+ hours
🚀 Become an expert at prompting & learn 20+ AI tools
🚀 Research faster & make your life a lot simpler & more…

The Ultimate Guide to AI Prompt Engineering (part 1)

Unlock the full potential of AI with this step-by-step checklist for crafting effective prompts. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, these hacks will help you maximize your AI interactions.

You can 'copy & paste' the text below, and ask AI to use it as a foundation to help you with task XYZ. That’s what I did. 👇️ 

Table of Contents

1. Define AI's Role and Persona

Frame the AI's perspective and expertise for the task.

Example: "Act as an expert product manager with 10 years of experience in SaaS startups."

2. Clearly State the Objective

Define what you want to achieve with this interaction.

Example: "Your task is to help me create a compelling product roadmap for Q3 2024."

3. Load Relevant Information

Provide background details to inform the AI's responses, incl. attaching files, graphics, and anything you can share to give more context.

Example: "Our company is a B2B SaaS platform with 500 enterprise clients. We're facing increased competition in the market. Please find attached information about us."

4. Structure the Interaction

Create a Step-by-Step Framework

Break down complex tasks into manageable steps. If you don’t have ideas for these tasks, ask AI to suggest them.

Example: "Let's approach this in 3 steps:

1. Analyze current product gaps
2. Identify market trends
3. Prioritize features based on impact and effort"

5. Request Desired Response Structure

Indicate how you want the information presented.

Example: "Present your recommendations in a bullet-point list, with each point containing a feature, its rationale, and estimated impact."

6. Prompt for Questions

Allow the AI to seek clarification when needed.

Example: "If you need any additional information to provide accurate recommendations, please ask."

7. Use CRAFT Framework

Apply Clarity, Robustness, Action, Forethought, and 10x thinking to prompts.

Example: "Transform our complex product data into a clear, coherent format that highlights key opportunities for 10x growth."

8. Iterate and Refine

Ask for multiple options to choose from.

Example: "Generate 3 different versions of this product roadmap, each with a unique strategic focus."

9. Incorporate Teaching Elements

Engage in a back-and-forth to deepen understanding.

Example: "After each feature recommendation, ask me a question to check my understanding and preferences."

10. Leverage Specific Techniques

Use methods like few-shot learning or chain-of-thought prompting.

Example: "Here are two examples of successful feature launches we've had. Using these as a guide, suggest three new features that follow a similar pattern of success."

11. Edit and Refine

Ask the AI to improve the quality of its output.

Example: "Take the roadmap we've created and make it more clear and concise. Use simple language and aim for maximum impact with fewer words."

12. Ask for a Critique

Get the AI to evaluate and improve the final product.

Example: "Review our completed product roadmap. Identify any weak points or areas for improvement, and suggest specific enhancements."

13. Create Scenarios for Testing

Use role-playing or hypothetical situations to validate ideas.

Example: "Imagine you're presenting this roadmap to our board of directors. What questions or objections might they raise, and how would you address them?"

14. Continuous Improvement

Regularly update and optimize your prompting techniques.

Example: "Based on the results we've gotten, what changes to our prompting strategy could make our future interactions even more productive?"

15. Bonus: 3 x Megaprompts

15.1 OKR Creation for a Company

Act as a seasoned Chief Strategy Officer with expertise in OKR implementation. 

Your task is to help me create OKRs for our tech startup for the upcoming quarter. 

Context: We're a B2B SaaS company with 50 employees, $5M ARR, and are aiming to scale rapidly in the next 12 months. 

Let's approach this in 4 steps: 
1. Analyze our current business state 
2. Identify key growth areas 
3. Draft 3-5 high-level objectives 
4. Propose 2-4 key results for each objective 

- Present the OKRs in a structured format with objectives as headers and key results as bullet points beneath. 

- Include a brief rationale for each objective. If you need any additional information about our business or industry, please ask. 

- After presenting each objective, ask me a question to gauge my thoughts and refine if necessary. 

Generate 2 variations of the OKR set - one focused on aggressive growth, and another on sustainable scaling. 

Once we've finalized the OKRs, please review them critically and suggest any potential improvements or areas we might have overlooked.

15.2 Project Planning for a Team

Assume the role of an experienced Project Manager with a track record of successful software deployments. 

Your objective is to help me create a comprehensive project plan for our team's upcoming software release. 

Context: 
- We have a team of 10 (4 developers, 2 designers, 2 QA specialists, 1 product manager, 1 project manager). 
- We're updating our main product with three major new features and aiming to launch in 3 months. 

Please structure our plan in the following steps: 
1. Outline main project phases 
2. Break down key tasks for each phase 
3. Suggest task owners based on roles 
4. Propose a timeline with milestones 
5. Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies 

- Present the plan in a clear, hierarchical format. 
- Use bullet points for tasks and include estimated durations. 
- Feel free to ask for any additional details about our team or project scope. 
- After each project phase, prompt me for feedback and any specific concerns I might have. 

Provide 3 different versions of the project timeline: optimistic, realistic, and conservative. 

Once the plan is complete, review it critically. 

Highlight any potential bottlenecks or resource 
conflicts, and suggest optimization strategies.

15.3 Idea Brainstorming for a New Business Venture

Embody the mindset of a serial entrepreneur with a history of successful startups across various industries. 

Your mission is to help me brainstorm innovative ideas for a new business venture in the sustainability sector. 

Background: I have a background in software engineering and a passion for environmental conservation. I have a seed funding of $500,000 and am looking for ideas that can scale globally. 

Let's approach this brainstorming session in the following manner: 
1. Identify 5 key trends in the sustainability sector 
2. Generate 10 business ideas based on these trends 
3. Evaluate each idea based on market potential, technical feasibility, and social impact 
4. Dive deeper into the top 3 ideas with rough business models. 

- Present each idea in a concise format: Name, One-sentence description, Key differentiator. 

- If you need any clarification about my skills, resources, or preferences, please ask. 

- After presenting each set of ideas, ask me a question to understand my thoughts and refine the direction. For each of the top 3 ideas, provide 2 variations - one as a B2C model and another as a B2B model. 

Once we've explored the ideas, play devil's advocate. Identify potential challenges or weaknesses for each of the top ideas and suggest how they might be addressed.

By following this step-by-step checklist, you can craft more effective AI prompts and maximize the value of your AI interactions. Remember to adapt these steps as needed for your specific use case and continuously refine your approach based on the results you achieve.

Wrap-up & Voting

That’s all for today. Let me know your thoughts 🙂 

How would you rate the richness of the content?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Sharing is caring

If you enjoyed it, feel free to share the link with your peers on company Slack/Teams, or socials to help more people use the powers of AI.

To work smarter, not harder :)

Until next time,

Iwo

Reply

or to participate.