The trap with coding prompts is asking for the finished thing. Ask for options instead, then bring your taste to the edit.
Anchor to one reader
Treat the first output as a draft, not a verdict. The prompt does the typing; you keep the judgment about what ships.
- Ask for three angles, then cut to the one worth shipping
- Keep one ask per prompt — chaining beats cramming
- Compare two outputs instead of trusting one
Start with the smallest version
Write down what you never want as explicitly as what you do. The exclusions often do more work than the instructions.
Name the failure modes
Write down what you never want as explicitly as what you do. The exclusions often do more work than the instructions.
- Save the prompt that worked so the next person reuses it
- Name the audience and the single goal before you generate
- Ask for three angles, then cut to the one worth shipping
Ask for the reasoning, then the result. When the model shows its steps you can see exactly where to push back.