Prompt Patterns: Solutions to Common Problems

You are a [SPECIFIC ROLE] with [EXPERTISE/EXPERIENCE].
Your audience is [WHO].
[TASK/QUESTION]

You are a [patient tutor / seasoned professional / curious beginner]
with expertise in [your field].

Your audience is [describe them: age, knowledge level, goals].

[Your specific task or question]

Tone: [friendly / professional / enthusiastic / etc.]

Create a [TYPE OF CONTENT] about [TOPIC] using this exact structure:

1. [Section 1 name]: [What it should contain]
2. [Section 2 name]: [What it should contain]
3. [Section 3 name]: [What it should contain]

Requirements:
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]

Create a blog post about "Getting Started with Python" using this structure:

1. Hook (1 sentence): A surprising fact or question
2. Problem (2-3 sentences): Why people struggle with this
3. Solution Overview (1 paragraph): What this post will teach
4. Main Content (3 sections):
   - Section A: [specific subtopic]
   - Section B: [specific subtopic]
   - Section C: [specific subtopic]
5. Call-to-Action (2 sentences): What to do next

Requirements:
- Total length: 400-500 words
- Tone: Encouraging and beginner-friendly
- Include one code example
- End with a question to readers

Summarize this meeting transcript using this format:

📌 KEY DECISIONS
- [Decision 1]
- [Decision 2]

✅ ACTION ITEMS
- [Person]: [Task] (Deadline: [Date])
- [Person]: [Task] (Deadline: [Date])

💡 IMPORTANT POINTS
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]

❓ OPEN QUESTIONS
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]

NEXT MEETING: [Date/Time/Topic]

Transcript: [paste transcript here]

Explain [TOPIC] to three different audiences:

Audience 1: [Description]
- Focus on: [What matters to them]
- Avoid: [What they don't care about]
- Tone: [Style]

Audience 2: [Description]
- Focus on: [What matters to them]
- Avoid: [What they don't care about]
- Tone: [Style]

Audience 3: [Description]
- Focus on: [What matters to them]
- Avoid: [What they don't care about]
- Tone: [Style]

Explain "Why we need to upgrade our database" to three audiences:

Audience 1: The CEO
- Focus on: Business impact, cost, risk, competitive advantage
- Avoid: Technical jargon, implementation details
- Tone: Strategic, ROI-focused
- Length: 3 bullet points

Audience 2: The Engineering Team
- Focus on: Technical benefits, new capabilities, migration plan
- Avoid: Business buzzwords, oversimplification
- Tone: Technical, collaborative
- Length: Detailed list

Audience 3: Customer Support Team
- Focus on: How it affects customers, what changes, when
- Avoid: Deep technical details, database internals
- Tone: Practical, reassuring
- Length: Short paragraph with bullet points

[TASK DESCRIPTION]

Examples:

Input: [Example 1 input]
Output: [Example 1 output]

Input: [Example 2 input]
Output: [Example 2 output]

Input: [Example 3 input]
Output: [Example 3 output]

Now do the same for:
Input: [Your actual input]

Convert formal business language to friendly, casual tone:

Examples:

Input: "We regret to inform you that your request has been denied."
Output: "Sorry, we can't approve this request right now."

Input: "Please be advised that the meeting has been rescheduled."
Output: "Hey! Quick heads up—we moved the meeting."

Input: "We are writing to confirm receipt of your application."
Output: "Got your application! Thanks for sending it over."

Now convert:
Input: "We kindly request that you submit the required documentation at your earliest convenience."

[TASK]

MUST INCLUDE:
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]

MUST AVOID:
- [Restriction 1]
- [Restriction 2]

CONSTRAINTS:
- Length: [Specific limit]
- Tone: [Style]
- Format: [Structure]

Write a product description for noise-canceling headphones

MUST INCLUDE:
- Main benefit (focus/concentration)
- One specific technical detail
- A use case scenario
- Price justification

MUST AVOID:
- Technical jargon (Hz, dB, etc.)
- Comparisons to competitors
- Hyperbole ("world's best," "revolutionary")
- More than 3 sentences

CONSTRAINTS:
- Length: 50-75 words
- Tone: Professional but warm
- Format: Single paragraph, no bullet points
- Target: Busy professionals working from home

Here's my [TYPE OF CONTENT]:
[Your draft]

Improve it by:
1. [Specific improvement area]
2. [Specific improvement area]
3. [Specific improvement area]

Keep: [What's working]
Change: [What needs work]
Target audience: [Who it's for]

Here's my email to a potential client:

"Hi, I saw your company and thought we could work together.
We do web development. Let me know if interested. Thanks."

Improve it by:
1. Making it more personal (reference something specific about their company)
2. Clearly stating the value proposition
3. Including a specific call-to-action
4. Making it more professional yet friendly

Keep: Brevity (don't make it longer than 100 words)
Change: Everything else
Target audience: Busy startup founder

Compare [OPTION A] vs [OPTION B] for [CONTEXT/USE CASE]

Evaluate based on:
1. [Criterion 1]
2. [Criterion 2]
3. [Criterion 3]

For each option, provide:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Best for (when to choose it)
- Deal-breakers (when NOT to choose it)

Then recommend which option for my situation:
[Your specific context]

Compare React vs Vue.js for a small team (3 developers) building a customer dashboard

Evaluate based on:
1. Learning curve (we're new to modern frameworks)
2. Community support and resources
3. Performance for data-heavy UIs
4. Long-term maintenance burden

For each framework, provide:
- Strengths (what it does best)
- Weaknesses (where it struggles)
- Best for (ideal use cases)
- Deal-breakers (when to avoid)

Then recommend which for our situation:
- Team: 1 senior, 2 junior developers
- Timeline: 3 months to MVP
- Requirements: Real-time data updates, complex tables, charts
- Long-term: Will need to scale and add features

Explain how to [TASK] step-by-step.

For each step, provide:
- What to do
- Why it matters
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Estimated time

Assumptions about user:
- [Knowledge level]
- [Available tools/resources]

Format: Numbered list with clear instructions

Explain how to set up a professional LinkedIn profile step-by-step.

For each step, provide:
- Exact action to take
- Why it increases profile visibility/impact
- Common mistake people make here
- Time needed

Assumptions:
- User has basic computer skills
- User has a resume ready
- User is a mid-career professional (5+ years experience)

Goal: Create a profile that attracts recruiter attention
Format: Numbered list, max 10 steps, each step 2-3 sentences

I want to understand [TOPIC] deeply.

Start with: [Initial question]

After answering, ask me 3 follow-up questions to explore further.
Based on my answer, continue asking questions until I fully understand.

Teaching style: [Socratic method / ELI5 / Technical / etc.]

I want to understand how APIs work deeply.

Start with: "What is an API in the simplest terms?"

After I confirm I understand, ask me 3 follow-up questions to deepen understanding.
Continue this pattern for 5 rounds.

Teaching style: Use analogies and real-world examples (like explaining to a smart teenager).
My goal: Be able to explain APIs to my team and understand API documentation.

I created [THING] for [PURPOSE].

Here it is:
[Your work]

Review it as if you were a [ROLE]:

1. What works well? (Be specific)
2. What could be improved? (With examples)
3. What's missing that [ROLE] would expect?
4. Rate it: [Criteria 1], [Criteria 2], [Criteria 3] (1-10 scale)
5. Give 3 concrete next steps to improve it

Context:
- Target audience: [Who]
- Current stage: [Draft / Final / etc.]
- Main goal: [What success looks like]

I created a landing page headline for my productivity app.

Headline: "Get More Done With Less Stress"
Subheadline: "The smart task manager that actually works"

Review it as if you were a conversion copywriter:

1. What works well about this headline?
2. What could be improved?
3. What's missing that would increase conversions?
4. Rate it:
   - Clarity (1-10)
   - Compelling-ness (1-10)
   - Differentiation (1-10)
5. Give 3 alternative headlines to test

Context:
- Target: Busy professionals feeling overwhelmed
- Goal: 30% click-through rate
- Competitors: Todoist, Asana, ClickUp

I wrote this prompt:
[Your prompt]

Analyze it and improve it.

Current goal: [What you want it to achieve]

Issues I'm facing:
- [Problem 1]
- [Problem 2]

Suggest:
1. What's unclear or missing?
2. What could be more specific?
3. How to structure it better?
4. The improved version

I wrote this prompt to generate social media posts:
"Write a post about our new feature"

Analyze and improve it.

Current goal: Get engaging LinkedIn posts that drive clicks

Issues I'm facing:
- Posts are generic and boring
- Don't match our brand voice
- Low engagement

Suggest:
1. What critical information is missing?
2. How to make it produce consistent quality?
3. How to capture our brand voice?
4. Write the improved prompt that solves these issues

Simulate a [SCENARIO] where you play [ROLE 1] and I play [ROLE 2].

Scenario context:
- [Detail 1]
- [Detail 2]

Your character:
- Personality: [Traits]
- Goals: [What they want]
- Challenges: [Objections/concerns]

Rules:
- [Rule 1]
- [Rule 2]

Start the simulation and respond to my actions.

Simulate a difficult customer conversation where you play an angry customer and I practice customer support.

Scenario: Customer's order arrived late and damaged.

Your character (angry customer):
- Personality: Frustrated, feels disrespected, but reasonable if heard
- Goals: Get a refund AND replacement, get apology
- Will escalate if: Blamed, given runarounds, not taken seriously

Rules:
- Stay in character but don't be abusive
- Give me feedback after each of my responses (break character to coach me)
- End simulation when issue is resolved or after 10 exchanges

Customer's opening line: "This is absolutely unacceptable! I paid $200 and you sent me garbage!"

I need to complete a multi-step project: [PROJECT]

Step 1: [First task]
- Deliverable: [What you'll create]

[Wait for completion]

Step 2: [Second task, building on Step 1]
- Input: [From Step 1]
- Deliverable: [What you'll create]

[Wait for completion]

Step 3: [Third task]
...

After each step, pause for my review before proceeding.

I need to create a complete blog post workflow.

Step 1: Brainstorm 5 blog post ideas about "AI for small businesses"
- Deliverable: 5 headlines with brief descriptions

[I'll choose one]

Step 2: Create a detailed outline for the chosen topic
- Deliverable: Intro, 5 main sections with bullet points, conclusion

[I'll review and approve]

Step 3: Write the introduction (150 words)
- Deliverable: Hook, problem, solution overview, transition

[I'll review]

Step 4: Write Section 1
...

Tone: Practical, encouraging, no hype
Audience: Small business owners, non-technical
Goal: Position ourselves as helpful experts

[TASK]

REQUIRED:
- [Must-have 1]
- [Must-have 2]

FORBIDDEN (Do NOT include):
- [Avoid 1] because [reason]
- [Avoid 2] because [reason]
- [Avoid 3] because [reason]

This is important because: [Why avoiding these matters]

Write a product description for our financial planning software aimed at millennials

REQUIRED:
- Focus on financial freedom and goals (not retirement)
- Mention mobile app
- Include pricing ($12/month)

FORBIDDEN:
- Do NOT use "budget" (negative connotation for our audience)
- Do NOT mention "retirement planning" (they're 25-35, not thinking about it)
- Do NOT use jargon (401k, portfolio allocation, etc.)
- Do NOT sound like a bank (stuffy, corporate)

This matters because our audience has been turned off by traditional financial services.
We need to sound like a friend, not a financial advisor.

[TASK/QUESTION]

Provide your answer, then verify it using:

1. Logic Check: Does this make logical sense?
2. Fact Check: Are there any factual claims to verify?
3. Math Check: Are calculations correct?
4. Bias Check: Are there assumptions to question?
5. Completeness Check: What might be missing?

Final confidence level: Low / Medium / High
If Medium or Low, explain what's uncertain.

Calculate the ROI of hiring a content marketing manager

Context:
- Salary: $85,000/year
- Currently spending: $30,000/year on freelancers
- Average customer lifetime value: $12,000
- Typical conversion rate from blog: 2%

Provide ROI calculation, then verify:

1. Logic Check: Does the business case make sense?
2. Math Check: Are all calculations correct? Show your work.
3. Assumptions Check: What assumptions am I making? Are they reasonable?
4. Missing Data Check: What info would make this more accurate?
5. Risk Check: What could make this ROI not materialize?

Final confidence in this ROI estimate: [Low/Medium/High] because [reason]

[PERSONA PATTERN]
You are a conversion copywriter who's written $10M+ in sales copy.

[AUDIENCE PATTERN]
Target: Tech-savvy millennials (25-35) who value sustainability

[EXAMPLE PATTERN]
Write in this style:

Example 1: "Not just fast. Instant. We're talking blink-and-you-miss-it fast."
Example 2: "Your phone's not just protected. It's fortified. Drop it, kick it, we dare you."

[CONSTRAINT PATTERN]
Product: Sustainable phone case made from recycled ocean plastic

Requirements:
- 50-75 words
- Focus on sustainability + protection (not "just" eco-friendly)
- Include price ($29) but make it feel justified
- Mention lifetime warranty

Avoid:
- Greenwashing language ("save the planet")
- Being preachy
- Boring feature lists