Insight 1 of 10
What does a prompt actually do?
A is the request you give an agent: the job, the facts to use, and the limits the result must obey. Its work is elimination: every detail you add rules out answers that would not fit, and every detail you leave out invites a guess.
“Write my weekly client update” leaves the agent guessing which client, which week, and whether you want an email, a report, or a list. Dana's update has a specific job: help her judge whether Thursday's launch is on track, as a short email based on this week's project notes.
Notice what does not help: a prestige label such as “act as a world-class analyst” adds words without settling any choice about the message.
Practice
Question stem
Two requests ask for a project update. One adds the audience, the decision the update must support, and the required length. The other adds several flattering roles for the agent. Which set helps the agent decide what belongs in the update?
Answer
Ask which additions settle a real choice.