Probably the best prompts in the world

It's 9pm on a Tuesday and I'm staring at the most disappointingly bland respond from ChatGPT that I've ever received. I'd asked for help thinking through a problem, and it read like it was written by a committee of the creatively inept.

The majority of the problems we experience with the quality of LLM output relate to our prompt quality.  This edition of the blog seeks to share some practices that work well to get consistently great results that I have learned over the last couple of years and some of the resources I dip into to source prompt examples that can be adjusted to most needs.

Today I'm sharing the core of what I've learned - a core framework to get consistent results, my three favourite prompts that have become daily tools, and practical instructions for setting these up as reusable projects in Claude and ChatGPT.

If you've ever felt like you're not getting the most out of AI, this one's for you.

With that, let's dive in.

The Framework That Applies Everywhere

After the last couple of blogs dealt with some fairly weighty and meaningful topics I thought it was time to get a little more tactical around the tools that I have found useful.  Prompting now for me is vital in my daily work.  I use AI as a strategic thought partner constantly.  I use it in two modes - voice mode for a more natural language discussion on any topic and then a structured, written prompt to go deeper and get the best outcome.  This blog focuses on how I do the latter.

My tactics evolve over time but currently I’m finding the prompt framework from Greg Brockman at OpenAI works really well.

Brockman has outlined the “GRWC framework” - Goal, Return Format, Warnings, and Context Dump. It's deceptively simple, but it transforms the way the LLM understands the problem and frames the result.  GRWC sounds intimidating but can be packed into a surprisingly short prompt as well as more detailed instructions depending on the need.

# Goal: Tell the AI Exactly What You Want

This isn't "write me something about risk." This is "Create a 3-email sequence for risk managers who just signed up for our control assessment tool, focusing on quick wins they can achieve in their first week."

The difference? Specificity. The AI isn't guessing what you want - it knows.

# Return Format: Shape Your Output

Want a table? Say so. Need bullet points? Specify. Looking for a step-by-step guide? Make it clear.

In the past I’ve spent 20 minutes reformatting AI output before I realised I could just ask for it in the format I needed from the start. Face, meet palm.

Example: "Format this as a markdown table with columns for Feature, Benefit, and Implementation Difficulty (Easy/Medium/Hard)."

# Warnings: Set the Boundaries

This is where you prevent the AI from going off the rails. Think of it as guardrails on a mountain road - they keep you from careening into the valley below.

"Do not include any pricing information" or "Avoid technical jargon - my audience is non-technical executives" or "Keep each section under 100 words."

# Context Dump: Give the AI Your Brain (Well, Part of It)

This is the game-changer many people miss. Don't make the AI guess your situation - spell it out. Industry context, company size, target audience, previous attempts, constraints, goals - dump it all.

The more context you provide, the more the AI can tailor its response to your actual needs rather than generic assumptions.

Three Prompts That Changed My Life (No, Really)

I've developed a collection of prompts that I return to again and again. These aren't just clever word combinations, they’re “strategic thinking” tools that have fundamentally changed how I approach problems.

# 1. The Strategic Advisory Board

I discovered this prompt courtesy of @nicksadler.io on Instagram. He mentioned it in a post, I tried it out and I was blown away with the results.  I since have adapted who is appointed to the board and changed the framing of the panel discussion to suit my needs but it is very effective.

```

Your Very Own Board of Strategic Advisors

"Act as a five-person expert panel to guide me through key business decisions. This panel consists of:

Steve Jobs - innovation and product vision

Alex Hormozi - monetisation and media scaling

Seth Godin - brand and audience building

Brené Brown - emotional intelligence, vulnerability and leadership

Simon Sinek - mission, purpose and long-term vision

Each persona should collaborate, challenge one another, and push my assumptions

and ideas to pressure-test the best path forward. I want robust disagreement

where useful, not consensus for its own sake.

Instructions:

Work through the following in strict order. Do not continue until each step is

complete and I've responded.

Step 1 - Clarify

Ask me any questions you need to fully understand my context, goals,

challenges and any other facts deemed useful. Do not begin the discussion until

I've answered.

Step 2 - Panel Discussion

Stage a discussion among the five panellists in-character. Each should respond in

their own voice with minimal fluff. Challenge both each other and my assumptions.

Debate product, positioning, marketing, vision, business model and whatever

emerges. Include me in the dialogue as needed.

Step 3 - Strategic Output

Based on the discussion, present a concise, formatted plan or insight. Then ask me:

'Is this aligned with what you need, or do we need to go deeper?'

If I say it's not quite right, go back to the panel and adjust the response accordingly

until the plan lands."

```

With some tweaks this can be used for everything from how to land a single key communication through to development of an overall strategy. Having diverse perspectives prevent me from falling into my usual thinking patterns and very often there will be a genuine inspiration that comes from some of the debate that follows among the virtual board.

# 2. The Meta-Prompt Engineer

This one is great for when you are stuck - it's a prompt that helps you write better prompts. Think of it as teaching the AI to teach you how to talk to it better AND it still adheres to our GRWC requirements.

```

“You are “Prompt-Smith,” an expert prompt engineer whose sole job is to craft the clearest, most complete prompt for my needs.

🔹 Phase 1 – Quick Interview

Ask me exactly these five questions one by one, and wait for my replies before moving on:

1. Outcome – What specific result or deliverable do you want?

2. Preferred format – In what form would you like the answer? (e.g., bullet list, table, JSON, step-by-step guide, diagram, code)

3. Context & constraints – What background, assumptions, limits, or must-follow rules should the AI know?

4. Depth – How much detail (high-level summary → exhaustive breakdown) do you need?

5. “Looks-like” examples – Share any examples that capture the quality or style you’re after.

If I reply “not sure” (or give no answer) to any question, respond with 2-4 practical options plus a brief illustration for each, then prompt me to choose or tweak.

🔹 Phase 2 – Prompt Draft

Once you have answers (or chosen defaults), assemble a final prompt with these clearly labeled sections:

Role & Goal

> Define who the AI is and what it must achieve.

Instructions

> Step-by-step guidance, written as imperatives. Include mini-examples where helpful.

Output Format

> Exact structure to follow (markdown, table schema, JSON keys, etc.).

Context & Constraints

> Concise bullet list of every piece of background or rule provided.

Warnings / Boundaries

> “Don’t do X” safeguards (e.g., no private data, avoid speculation).

Quality Checklist

> 3-5 bullet criteria the AI should self-verify before answering.

🔹 Phase 3 – Why It Works

Briefly explain (100–150 words) how the structure above maximises clarity, reduces ambiguity, and forces useful follow-up.

🔹 Phase 4 – Refinement Offer

Ask: “Would you like me to revise or expand any part of the prompt?”

⬇ Your task now: Begin Phase 1 by asking question 1 only.”

```

This prompt has the potential to save countless hours of trial and error. Instead of fumbling around trying to get the right output.  This prompt is particularly good where you want precision guided output that get results on the first try.  This is useful for creating or refining the system prompts that sit behind projects or custom GPTs.

# 3. The Learning Accelerator

This prompt turns AI into a personalised learning system that adapts to your pace and style. As with having an AI advisory board, having AI be your learning partner is a big force multiplier.

```

"You are an expert educator specialising in [TOPIC]. Your task is to help me

master this subject using the Feynman Technique combined with spaced repetition.

Start by:

1. Assessing my current knowledge level with 3 targeted questions

2. Based on my responses, create a personalised learning path

3. For each concept, follow this pattern:

   - Explain it simply (like I'm 12 years old)

   - Give me a real-world analogy

   - Provide a practical example I can relate to

   - Test my understanding with a question

   - If I struggle, break it down further

After each concept, ask: 'Does this click for you, or should we approach it

differently?'

Keep a running list of:

- Concepts I've mastered

- Areas where I'm struggling

- Questions I should revisit later

End each session by:

- Summarising what I've learned

- Identifying my next learning priorities

- Suggesting how I can apply this knowledge immediately"

```

The adaptive nature means the AI will be calibrated so you’re learning at exactly the right level - not too easy, not too overwhelming.

Making These Prompts Your Daily Companions

Here's the thing about great prompts - they're only useful if you actually use them. That's why I recommend setting them up as saved projects in your AI tools of choice. Here's how:

# In Claude (My Current Favourite)

1. (If on desktop app) Go to the Projects area: Click on the “folder” icon in the sidebar (it shows as “Projects”)

2. Create new project: Click on the “+ New Project Button” (desktop) or “Create Project” button on the mobile app once you are Home

3. Name your project: Name the project and give a brief description on the goals.

4. Add Your Prompt as a "Project Instruction": This tells Claude how to behave for every conversation in this project

5. Include Relevant Documents: Upload any context documents (your business plan, knowledge base, examples, etc.)

How I use these: I have projects for “AI Tutor Maker," “Prompt writer,”, “Strategic advisory board”, “Requirements generator”, “Operational, Technology and Cyber risk weekly report” (obviously) and “Master Prompt” (I may write a dedicated blog on the latter) - each with their own specialised prompts and context.

# In ChatGPT

1. Create new project: in the sidebar of the app find the projects area and press “+” (desktop app) or “create new project” (mobile)

2. Use Custom Instructions: Add your system prompt with the relevant details

3. Use Memory: ChatGPT now remembers things across conversations. Tell it your preferences once, and it'll apply them going forward

Technically some use cases in ChatGPT will be better suited to custom GPTs but I won’t stray into that territory today (custom GPTs are more for customising a specific AI assistant use case where projects are for things you want to track over time, remembering work across sessions).

# Pro Tips for Both Platforms

- Start Simple: Don't try to implement all these at once. Pick one prompt and use it for a week

- Iterate Ruthlessly: Your first version won't be perfect. Refine based on what works for your specific circumstances

- Document What Works: Keep a note of prompts that produce great results.  This can be in a spreadsheet, word doc, folders in development tools like Cursor or GitHub if you’re feeling brave.

- Share and Steal: The prompt engineering community is incredibly generous. Share what works and borrow liberally from others

The Bottom Line: Your Prompts Are Your Superpower

With prompting it is all too easy to get the AI equivalent of elevator music - pleasant but forgettable outputs that could have come from anywhere. Today, my AI interactions feel like collaborations with a brilliant colleague who knows exactly what I need.

The difference? I stopped treating AI like a magic 8-ball and started treating it like a sophisticated tool that rewards precision.  Reflecting on my previous blog on the future of work this human-AI collaboration is a core skillset for success in an AI-augmented future.

These frameworks and prompts aren't just about getting better outputs - they're about augmenting your thinking. When you use the Strategic Advisory Board, you're not just getting advice; you're training yourself to consider multiple perspectives. When you use the Meta-Prompt Engineer, you're learning to communicate more clearly in all contexts.  Speaking of contexts, context engineering is a subject for another blog which goes beyond crafting the instructions we use with LLMs (prompt engineering) but its about architecting the entire information payload the model receives to supercharge the way you interact with the tools.

Your challenge this week: Pick one of these prompts and use it. Refine it. Make it yours. Then come back and tell me what happened.

Because here's what is increasingly apparent - in the age of AI, your ability to prompt well isn't just a nice-to-have skill.  Whilst there is some debate as models continue to improve, my strong impression is that our ability to craft a good prompt is getting more important, not less.

Until next time, you'll find me sipping coffee, having strategic discussions with my AI board of advisors about whether to pivot my blog format...

Resources & Further Reading

Essential Frameworks:

• Greg Brockman's GRWC Framework (Goal, Return Format, Warnings, Context)

• Anthropic's Prompt Engineering Guide

• OpenAI's Best Practices for Prompt Engineering

Community Resources:

• r/PromptEngineering on Reddit (just enter that into Google)