🏴‍☠️ Why Your Prompts are Boring

Most people are getting mediocre results simply because they are inputting mediocre requests. It sounds harsh, but the reality is that the quality of your output is entirely dependent on the quality of your input.

I was nodding along while reading a recent guide by a LinkedIn user who breaks down exactly how to fix this common mistake.

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The core mechanism described by the author revolves around taking control. An AI model is essentially a super-powerful prediction engine, but without specific guardrails, it tends to regress to the mean.

The original poster argues that you must stop treating the chat interface like a Google search bar. Instead, you have to engineer the request. By layering specific instructions, you force the model to narrow its focus, effectively turning off the generic noise and amplifying the specific signal you actually need.

Assigning a Specific Persona

The first major insight from this industry pro is the power of role-playing. If you ask a generic question, you get a generic answer. However, the author suggests telling the model to “Act as a particular expert.” For instance, rather than simply asking for investment tips, the expert recommends using a prompt like: “Act as a financial advisor. Suggest ways to diversify my portfolio.”

This simple shift primes the model to access specific terminology and reasoning patterns associated with that profession, instantly upgrading the depth of the response.

Context and Audience Targeting

Another crucial element highlighted by the creator is the necessity of background information. The AI does not know who you are or who you are writing for unless you explicitly tell it. The post’s author uses a brilliant example: “I’m a biology teacher; explain photosynthesis for 10th graders.” Without this context, the model might give you a PhD-level abstract or a definition suited for a toddler.

By defining the user (teacher) and the audience (10th graders), the expert shows how you can lock in the appropriate tone and complexity level immediately.

Strict Formatting and Instructions

Finally, this savvy professional emphasizes the need for rigid output control. You should never leave the final structure up to chance. The author points out that using direct action verbs and defining the format yields superior results.

For example, instead of vaguely asking about electric vehicles, the creator advises saying: “List the pros and cons of electric cars in a table.” Combining clear commands like “Summarize this article in three sentences” with specific format requests ensures you get usable data right away, rather than a wall of text you have to edit manually!

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Nuances to Consider

While these strategies are powerful, they do require a shift in habit. The challenge is that it takes more time upfront to write a detailed prompt than to type a quick question. You might feel like you are over-explaining things at first.

However, the expert suggests that this initial investment prevents the need for endless follow-up prompts to fix bad answers.

To see the full list of 30 hacks mentioned by the author, make sure to check the original post.

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