Thinking & Decision-Making

1. The Automated Core Architect
Role : Systems Automation Architect
Context : I am a solopreneur running a [Your Business Type] . I need to design an autonomous

2. The Convex Strategy Designer
Role : Business Growth Strategist & Context Engineer
Context : My domain of professional expertise is [Your Domain] . I need to 

3. The Middle-Task Eliminator
Role : Fractional COO & Operations Consultant
Context : Below is a raw list of my current weekly operational tasks: [List Tasks]
T

5. The Premium Sponsor & Partner Framework
Role : Senior Sponsorship & Brand Partnerships Advisor
Context : I operate a premium, high-influence digital asset/me

4. The Autopilot RAG Loop Configurator
Role : AI Systems Architect
Context : I want to configure a local-first Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) content engi

Skill 1. The Signal Scanner
Most “AI news” is noise. A signal is something that, if true, would change a decision. The Signal Scanner reads the week’s inputs ag

Skill 2. The Scenario Mapper
A signal is a branch point. The Scenario Mapper takes one signal and returns three or four plausible three-year futures, each with 

Skill 3. The Position Stress-Tester
The Position Stress-Tester takes what you already have in motion and tests it against the futures the Mapper produced. It re

Prefer to stay in chat? Start with a prompt
Some readers want to use this without building skills or wiring up an agent. Skills and agents are a real step up in

Try this prompt
Help me define and articulate what "good" means for a type of work I do repeatedly.
Start by asking me what kind of work I want to evaluate.
The

5. Create reusable context blocks
The better way to think
Context is leverage. Every AI tool performs better when it understands the background, the goal, the c

6. Review the thinking behind the output
The better way to think
The deeper question to ask after an AI session is whether your thinking was good enough to prod

7. Build a thought-to-tool workflow
The better way to think
Start with the cognitive job before you reach for the tool. Strategy, research, synthesis, drafting,

8. Turn repeated thinking into assets
The better way to think
A repeated problem should eventually become an asset. If you solve the same kind of problem more t

I am building a practical guide on creating a thinking practice that makes every AI tool sharper.
Start by asking me which section I want to develop.
For that s

Try this prompt
Help me build a personal operating system for thought.
Start by asking me to describe the kinds of problems, decisions, and projects I handle re

Try this prompt
Help me separate this work into clear thinking stages.
Start by asking me to describe the project, decision, or problem.
Do not solve it immedia

Try this prompt
Act as a rigorous thinking partner.
Start by asking me to describe my current idea, plan, or decision.
Do not agree with me by default.
Analyze 

9. Hold a weekly AI thinking review
The better way to think
A thinking practice needs a cadence. Without review, AI use stays scattered. With review, every week

CONTEXT:
I'm a [solopreneur / portfolio careerist / independent professional] trying to build deeper AI capabilities into my work. Here are the obstacles I keep

CONTEXT:
I'm a [solopreneur / portfolio careerist] who uses AI tools daily for business. Here is every AI tool I use and what I typically put into each one.
1. 

CONTEXT:
I'm a [solopreneur / portfolio careerist / independent professional] who started using AI [timeframe] ago. Here is an honest inventory of my current AI

CONTEXT:
I build AI systems as part of my work. Here is what I do: [describe your business: client projects, internal tools, products, content systems, consulti

7. The Recombination Lab
Here are three ideas I’ve already considered for [YOUR GOAL]. None of them feel original enough on their own:
[IDEA A]
[IDEA B]
[IDEA C

8. The Source Escape
I’m researching [YOUR TOPIC]. But I don’t want the usual sources. Every AI defaults to the same high-traffic, English-language publications

2. The Domain Collision
I’m working on [YOUR PROBLEM]. I want solutions that do NOT come from [YOUR FIELD].
Pick 3 of the following domains at random and use ON

3. The Constraint Box
I need ideas for [YOUR GOAL]. But there are rules.
You CANNOT suggest anything that:
Has been done by a well-known company in [YOUR INDUST

4. The Inversion Drill
Step 1: I want to [YOUR GOAL]. Give me 10 ways to absolutely guarantee this fails. Be specific and creative about the failure modes. Don’

1. The Divergence Engine
I need ideas for [YOUR PROBLEM/GOAL]. We’re going to work in two separate phases. Do NOT skip ahead.
PHASE 1: DIVERGENT EXPLORATION (do

5. The Perspective Fracture
I’m trying to solve [YOUR PROBLEM]. Give me a response from each of these five perspectives. Each response must directly contradict 

6. The Assumption Autopsy
I want to [YOUR GOAL].
Before you suggest anything, do this first:
List 10 assumptions that are embedded in my request. Things I’m tre

Prompt 4: The Pre-Mortem Partner (Claude)
THE PURPOSE: The pre-mortem is a technique from decision science: you imagine your plan has already failed, then work 

Prompt 10: The Talk-It-Out Coach (Claude)
This one takes more setup. It's worth it.
THE PURPOSE: You can read about something, write about it, even pass a test 

Prompt 1: The Knowledge Gap Finder (Claude)
An expanded version of my popular Substack Note:
THE PURPOSE: Most people think they understand something until they

Prompt 5: The Socratic Interrogator (Claude)
THE PURPOSE: The Socratic method replaces answers with questions, the right questions, in the right order, that for

Prompt 6: The Steel Man Builder (Claude)
THE PURPOSE: Steelmanning is the opposite of strawmanning: instead of arguing against the weakest version of an opposin

Prompt 8: The Belief Auditor (Perplexity)
THE PURPOSE: You have things you believe that you’ve never actually checked. Not your values, those aren’t subject to 

Prompt 7: The Second-Order Mapper (Claude)
THE PURPOSE: First-order thinking asks “what happens next?” Second-order thinking asks “and then what?” Most decision

Prompt 9: The Thinking Cartographer (NotebookLM)
THE PURPOSE: Every other prompt in this issue uses AI to evaluate an idea you describe to it. This one is diffe

Prompt 2: The Assumption Excavator (Claude)
THE PURPOSE: Every position you hold is built on a stack of assumptions you’ve probably never examined. This prompt 

Prompt 3: The Decision Pressure-Tester (Claude)
THE PURPOSE: You’ve made up your mind about something and you’re looking for confirmation. Here, you lay out you

Prompt 1: The Idea Pressure-Tester (Claude)
THE PURPOSE : You have a rough idea for a project, pitch, article, or strategy, but you’re not sure if it’s actually

Prompt 2: The Voice Fingerprint Extractor (Claude)
THE PURPOSE : You’ve noticed your AI-assisted work is starting to sound like everyone else’s AI-assisted work

Prompt 3: The Creative Sparring Ring (Claude)
THE PURPOSE : Brainstorming alone with AI usually means you type a vague request and accept whatever comes back. Y

Prompt 4: The Originality Scout (Perplexity)
THE PURPOSE : You have an idea you think is original, but you’re not sure if you’re reinventing what already exists

Prompt 5: The Daily Creative Warm-Up (Claude)
THE PURPOSE : You open AI as the first thing every morning, and your creative thinking never gets a chance to acti

Prompt 1: Define Your “More”
Pattern: Intentional Design
Before anything else, you need to know what you’re actually building toward. This prompt forces that cl

Prompt 4: The Income Ownership Map
Pattern: Asset Mapping
This one is specifically for solopreneurs and creators. It maps your current income against how much o

Prompt 6: The Burnout-Proof Output System
Pattern: Sustainable Systems Design
Doing more is only a good idea if you can sustain it. This prompt builds a system 

Prompt 1: The AI Liability Exposure Audit
Pattern: Structured Decomposition Architecture: B (Structuralist) | Format: XML
Start here. This maps every point wher

Prompt 5: The Blast Radius Stress Test
Pattern: Root Cause Analysis Architecture: A (Reasoning Architect) | Format: Text
The final step: testing what happens wh

Prompt 4: The Contract AI Liability Scanner
Pattern: Hypothesis-Driven Inquiry Architecture: B (Structuralist) | Format: XML
Your existing contracts almost cert

Prompt 3: The Client Disclosure Framework
Pattern: Multi-Criteria Evaluation Architecture: C (Stylist) | Format: Text with examples
When should you tell clients

Prompt 2: The AI Decision Log Template
Pattern: Constraint-Based Design Architecture: A (Reasoning Architect) | Format: Text
Documentation is the difference bet

Prompt 1: The Contrastive Analysis Engine
Architecture: Stylist | Format: Text with Examples
Use this when you can tell one piece is better than another but can

Prompt 2: The 30-Minute Calibration
Architecture: Reasoning Architect | Format: Text
A single exercise you can run today to test and sharpen your quality judgme

Prompt 3: The Articulation Engine
Architecture: Structuralist | Format: XML
You already know which work you admire. You just can’t say why. This prompt takes ex

Prompt 4: The Vocabulary Builder
Architecture: Reasoning Architect | Format: Text
Use this when you keep reaching for words that don’t exist. Build a personal l

Prompt 5: The Quality Marker Identifier
Architecture: Structuralist | Format: XML
Use this to build a checklist of what to look for when evaluating work in your

Prompt 2: The Brand Positioning Constraint Engine
Architecture: B (Structuralist) | Format: XML
Use this when you’re drowning in possibilities and need to force

Prompt 3: The “Anti-Ad” Copy Generator
Architecture: C (Stylist) | Format: Text with examples
Use this to write copy that builds trust by rejecting the tactics 

Prompt 5: The Audience Empathy Mapper
Architecture: B (Structuralist) | Format: XML
Use this before any creative work to map the emotional landscape of your aud

Prompt 1: The Ogilvy “Big Idea” Stress Test
Architecture: A (Reasoning Architect) | Format: Text
Use this to pressure-test any creative concept, campaign idea, 

Prompt 4: The Creative Brief Reverse-Engineer
Architecture: A (Reasoning Architect) | Format: Text
Use this when you see a campaign, ad, or piece of content you

Prompt 5: The Constraint Collision
Pattern: Paradox forcing to break binary thinking
I'm stuck choosing between [OPTION A] and [OPTION B], or I'm stuck because 

Prompt 3: The Uncomfortable Persona
Pattern: Borrowed thinking from people who’d approach this differently
I've been stuck on [YOUR CHALLENGE] for [HOW LONG], a

Prompt 4: The Assumption Excavator
Pattern: Inversion to surface hidden constraints
I need to [YOUR GOAL], and I'm stuck.
Help me find what I'm assuming without

Prompt 1: The Diagnostic
Pattern: Guided self-inquiry to surface hidden constraints
I'm stuck on [DESCRIBE YOUR CHALLENGE IN ONE SENTENCE].
Before generating so

Prompt 2: The Exit Blocker
Pattern: Constraint stacking to eliminate familiar solutions
I'm stuck on [DESCRIBE YOUR CHALLENGE — be specific about what you're tr

Prompt 5: The pre-mortem
THE PURPOSE : It’s easier to prevent failure than to recover from it. This prompt forces you to write the honest autopsy of your busine

Prompt 6: The jealousy map
THE PURPOSE : Jealousy reveals what you actually want but aren’t admitting. When you look at others in your space and feel envy, you’

Prompt 8: The avoidance revealer
THE PURPOSE : The decision you’re avoiding is often the one that would change everything. Fear disguises itself as prudence, ma

Prompt 2: Concentration risk audit
THE PURPOSE : Revenue concentration is invisible until a single departure creates a crisis. This prompt maps where your incom

Prompt 3: The gut-check expansion filter
THE PURPOSE : Every decision either opens doors or closes them. This prompt forces you to think beyond the immediate ou

Prompt 4: The safety architecture prompt
THE PURPOSE : Most business owners have a vague sense that they need “more security” without knowing what that means in

Prompt 7: The disappearance test
THE PURPOSE : Your business is fragile if it can’t survive without you. This prompt reveals which parts of your operation depen

Prompt 1: The desperation detector
THE PURPOSE : You cannot evaluate an opportunity objectively when scarcity is driving your analysis. This prompt separates ge

Prompt 5: Red team destruction - attack your preferred choice
THE PURPOSE : You’ve done the analysis. You’re leaning toward an option. This prompt is your final

Prompt 4: Conditions for validity - when would each option be right?
THE PURPOSE : Instead of asking “which option is correct?” you ask “under what circumstance

Prompt 2: Pre-mortem analysis - imagine failure before it happens
THE PURPOSE : This prompt uses Gary Klein’s pre-mortem technique, which Kahneman calls the bes

Prompt 3: Adversarial case construction - steel-man every option
THE PURPOSE : Most “pros and cons” analysis is weak because you unconsciously weight evidence t

Prompt 1: Decision decomposition - clarify before you consult
THE PURPOSE : Most bad decisions aren’t wrong answers to good questions. They’re good answers to w

1. The Porter-Inspired Position Analyzer
Learn to identify actual competitive advantages instead of operational improvements
You are a strategic positioning exp

2. The OODA Loop Trainer
Develop the rapid decision-making framework used by military strategists and top executives
You are a decision-making strategist teachi

3. The Trade-Off Identifier
Master the strategic capability that separates executives from managers: knowing what NOT to do
You are a strategic trade-off expert

4. The Strategic Choice Cascade
Learn Roger Martin’s framework that P&G used to create billion-dollar brands
You are a strategic choice architect who teaches th

5. The Competitive Advantage Architect
Develop the strategic thinking that creates defensible market positions
You are a competitive strategy expert who teaches

I've been avoiding this decision: [SPECIFIC DECISION]. In the reality where I made the right choice and it turned out perfectly:
- What information did I actual

I'm stuck on [CREATIVE PROJECT/PROBLEM]. In the timeline where I had the breakthrough that solved everything:
- What was the "aha moment" that changed my entire

Prompt 1: The Claim Decomposition Engine
Break down complex statements into verifiable facts for systematic analysis
You are a professional fact-checker who spe

Prompt 2: The Source Credibility Evaluator
Assess the reliability and trustworthiness of information sources systematically
You are an information literacy expe

Prompt 3: The Bias Detection Framework
Identify potential bias, manipulation, and motivational factors in information sources
You are a media literacy analyst s

Prompt 4: The Information Verification Dashboard
Create comprehensive verification reports for important claims or decisions
You are a professional information 

Prompt 1: Cognitive Pattern Scanner
Expose the emotional architecture beneath your rational facade
Guide me through a forensic analysis of my thinking patterns.

Prompt 4: Authority Deconstruction Framework
Dismantle deference without destroying discernment
Select any expert, thought leader, or algorithm whose output I r

Prompt 5: Independence Metrics Dashboard
Quantify your cognitive sovereignty
Create a diagnostic assessment of my intellectual autonomy:
MEASUREMENT CRITERIA (R

Prompt 3: Social Pressure Resistance Training
Build immunity to consensus through progressive exposure
Design a personalized program to build my intellectual co

Prompt 2: Belief Archaeology Protocol
Excavate original thought from social sediment
Help me perform intellectual archaeology on one of my strongest convictions

1. The Battlefield Observer (Weekly Intelligence Gathering)
You are my strategic intelligence analyst for content planning. I need a Colonel John Boyd-level sit

2. The Pattern Synthesizer (Orientation Framework)
You are my strategic orientation advisor. Take this raw intelligence and help me understand what it actually 

3. The Decision Matrix Generator (Content Prioritization)
Based on my current orientation, help me decide which content to create for maximum impact this week.

4. The Rapid Deployment System (Action Accelerator)
I've decided on my content piece. Now help me execute it faster and better than my competition.
CONTENT DECI

5. The Loop Optimizer (Continuous Improvement)
Help me analyze this content cycle and optimize my OODA Loop for the next iteration.
CYCLE REVIEW DATA:
- Content

1. The Munger Inversion Method
Apply Charlie Munger's core mental model to any major decision
You are deeply inspired by Charlie Munger analyzing a potential de

2. The Hidden Cost Excavator
Uncover expenses that only appear after commitment
You're a forensic analyst specializing in finding hidden costs that emerge after

3. The Assumption Assassin
Systematically destroy every assumption to find the fragile ones
You systematically destroy assumptions to reveal which ones are fant

4. The Opposition Predictor
Map all resistance before it mobilizes against you
You identify and analyze opposition to decisions before that opposition organizes

5. The Exit Strategy Analyzer
Plan your escape before you need it
You're trapped in this commitment and need to exit urgently. Map all escape routes and their c

# MISSION: SOLVING PROBLEMS VIA BIOMIMICRY & ANALOGICAL THINKING
## PERSONA
You are a systems thinking expert and innovation consultant. You specialize in apply

# MISSION: REVERSE-ENGINEERING STRATEGY VIA NARRATIVE PROTOTYPING
## PERSONA
You are a strategic communications consultant and futurist. Your primary tool is "N

# MISSION: STRATEGIC CONCEPTUAL BLENDING
## PERSONA
You are an expert in lateral thinking and innovation, specializing in a technique called "Conceptual Blendin

I need to generate novel venture ideas by blending two unrelated concepts.
Core concept (A): [IDEA]
Inspiration concept (B): [CONVENTION TO BLEND WITH]
Step 1 —

# MISSION: REBUILDING STRATEGY FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES
## PERSONA
You are a master strategist who emulates the thinking styles of Aristotle and Elon Musk. You sol

# MISSION: GUERRILLA STRATEGY FROM CREATIVE CONSTRAINTS
## PERSONA
You are a "Guerilla Marketing" genius, a master strategist known for creating high-impact, lo

2. The Assumption Hunter
My current strategy for [insert domain, e.g., "marketing our software"] is based on [describe your current strategy]. Act as a "red tea

3. The "Zero-Based" Solution Builder
We have deconstructed the problem of [insert problem] to its first principles, which are: [List the 3-5 fundamental truths 

5. The Analogy Inverter
In the [insert your industry, e.g., "online education"] industry, people often use the analogy of a [e.g., "school" or "course"] to desc

1. The Problem Deconstructor
I want to solve the problem of [insert your problem, e.g., "high customer churn"]. Using First Principles Thinking, help me deconst

4. The "Five Whys" Amplifier
I want to find the root cause of [insert a specific issue, e.g., "our sales team missing its quota"]. Guide me through the "Five Wh

3. The Experimental Design Scaffolder
Prompt: My goal is to test this hypothesis: [State your hypothesis]. I have access to [list your available resources, e.g.

2. The Contradictory Evidence Finder
Prompt: I am developing a project based on the following idea: [State your idea]. Act as a world-class research assistant. 

4. The Second-Order Effects Simulator
Prompt: Assume my new initiative, [describe your project or idea], is wildly successful. Act as a futurist and systems thi

5. The "Pre-Mortem" Facilitator
Prompt: We are about to launch a project based on this idea: [State your idea]. Act as a project manager facilitating a "pre-mor

Prompt: Act as a panel of deeply skeptical experts in [your field]. My hypothesis is: [Clearly state your hypothesis or core idea]. Your collective goal is to "

Prompt: I'm feeling blocked on my [Type of Project]. The central theme is [Your Theme]. I'm stuck on [Specific Problem]. Generate 5 unconventional ideas or star

Prompt: Act as a futurist for the [Your Industry] industry. Project forward 10 years. What are the 3-5 biggest technological, cultural, and economic trends that

Prompt 2: Inversion Analysis Generator
You're a strategic advisor specializing in inversion thinking. Help me analyze decisions by working backward from failure

Prompt 4: First Principles Deconstructor
You're a first principles thinking coach. Help me deconstruct my challenge by questioning every assumption until we rea

Prompt 7: Mental Models Integration Coach
You're a master strategist who integrates multiple mental models for superior decision-making. Help me apply 3-5 diffe

Prompt 3: Probabilistic Scenario Planner
As a probabilistic thinking specialist, help me develop scenario plans using Bayesian reasoning.
FRAMEWORK:
1. BASE RAT

Prompt 5: Competitive Dynamics Simulator
Act as a game theory strategist running competitive simulations. You'll help me analyze strategic decisions by modeling

Prompt 6: Optionality Framework Designer
You're an optionality strategist helping me design decisions that preserve maximum future flexibility.
OPTIONALITY PRIN

Prompt 1: Systems Thinking Architecture
Role: systems thinking expert.
Trigger/Action: I'll describe a business challenge, and you'll guide me through a compreh

Based on my core values: [insert your top 3], help me audit my current commitments.
List my weekly activities in three categories:
1. ALIGNED: Activities that h

HELL YES OR HELL NO ANALYZER:
I'm considering: [SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITY/COMMITMENT]
Before I decide, help me get brutally honest about this. Walk me through:
1. EN

"I'm facing this challenge: [YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION]
Before you give me any solutions, I want to think through this properly.
Help me by:
1. Asking me 3-4 ques

Advanced move: Create a "thinking council" by asking AI to analyze your problem from three different expert perspectives. "Look at this decision like a financia

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE PROTOCOL:
"I have this view/opinion/decision: [YOUR POSITION]
Before validating or supporting my thinking, I want you to:
1. STEEL-MAN THE OPPO

ANTI-ECHO CHAMBER PROTOCOL:
Before agreeing with or validating my opinions, always:
1. Present the strongest counterargument to my position
2. Point out assumpt

Discipline 2. The Feynman Sprint.
CONTEXT
The text below is a handwritten essay I produced in a 20-minute Feynman Sprint on the topic above. I wrote without loo

Discipline 3. Mind Map Your Tangled Problems.
CONTEXT
The image below is a hand-drawn mind map of a problem in my work. The branches reflect my current thinking

Discipline 1. Think on Paper, Every Day.
Keep a single physical notebook. Spend five or ten minutes writing, by hand, what you actually think about whatever is 

Discipline 4. Read Outside Your Field.
The frameworks in your industry’s books, blogs, and newsletters are the same ones every professional in your field is rea

Discipline 5. Sacred Inefficiency.
You let AI optimize every hour of your day. The calendar fills with productive blocks, the to-do list shrinks, the output ris

Prompt: `I am providing you with summaries of three different sources:
Source 1: [Paste summary of first article/book]
Source 2: [Paste summary of second articl

Prompt: `You are an expert project manager. I need to plan a project to [Project Goal, e.g., "launch a new 6-module online course"].
The key constraints are:
Ti

Prompt: You are a Socratic Tutor. Your goal is to help me understand [Complex Topic, e.g., "General Relativity"] from first principles. Do not give me direct an

Prompt: `I am facing a business challenge: [Describe your challenge, e.g., "Our user growth has stalled for our productivity app"].
I want you to analyze this p

Prompt: `You are a "Red Team" strategist. Your sole purpose is to find the weaknesses in my plan. My plan is: [Clearly and concisely describe your plan, idea, o