Compound Leverage

Issue #012

A common question in my AI training classes pops up: "Are you going to share the prompts?"

My answer often surprises attendees. You can ditch prompt courses, templates, and examples from my webinars. If you've ever given instructions, you already have the skills to craft high-quality prompts.

The secret is simple: let ChatGPT write prompts for you. Here's a straightforward framework to make it happen:

1. Tell ChatGPT what type of prompt to write

2. Specify the constraints for the prompt

3. Explain the outcome you're seeking

4. Ask it to pose follow-up questions for clarity

5. Define the conditions for the output

Let's see this in action. Say you want to create a sample customer data file for AI training. Open ChatGPT and type:

"Write an instruction prompt to create a sample customer file for AI training. The file needs seven columns and 100 rows. I sell AI strategy and agent services to business leaders aiming for faster strategic revenue goals. Ask follow-up questions for more details. The output should be a clear, step-by-step prompt I can use with AI tools."

ChatGPT will respond with a prompt and likely some questions. You can then answer these, ask for changes, or use the prompt as-is.

For complex tasks, try prompt instruction stacking:

1. Break the task into categories

2. Follow the framework for each category

3. Stitch the prompts one after the other for a mega prompt

4. Ask ChatGPT to rewrite the mega prompt concisely

This method tackles intricate projects while maintaining clarity and precision.

The hidden benefit? You'll naturally improve your prompting skills as you see how ChatGPT writes prompts. As you edit ChatGPT’s output, refine the language, and gradually move towards advanced techniques like Few Shot or Chain of Thought prompts.

Here's a list of prompt instruction types:

1. Zero-shot prompts

2. Few-shot prompts

3. Chain of Thought (CoT) prompts

4. Tree of Thoughts prompts

5. Role-based prompts

6. Task-specific prompts

7. Context-enriched prompts

8. Retrieval-augmented prompts

9. Multi-turn conversation prompts

10. Constrained output prompts

11. Exemplar-based prompts

12. Self-consistency prompts

13. Step-by-step reasoning prompts

14. Emotion-guided prompts

15. Metacognitive prompts

Don't worry if you have no idea what they mean or when to use one.

Here's another pro tip: Copy and paste this list into ChatGPT and ask it to explain each one. Say something like:

"Please explain each of these prompt types. For each one, give a brief description, an example, and when to use it:"

This approach helps you learn about different techniques, shows you how ChatGPT explains complex concepts and gives you examples to tweak.

The goal is to use something other than your natural abilities and talents to get things done faster. It's to develop an understanding of how to communicate with AI. By engaging with ChatGPT in this way, you're doing just that.

You already have instruction skills the next time you're tempted by a prompt course or template set. Use ChatGPT as your prompt-writing partner, and watch your AI responses improve. Start creating better prompts today; no course or templates are required – just your instruction skills with the help of ChatGPT.

Try it and let me know how it goes.

Marvin

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