Why Most Prompts Fail

Most people write prompts like they're texting a friend: vague, incomplete, and hoping the AI just "gets it." The result? Generic responses that miss the mark.

The Three Deadly Sins of Prompting

1. Vague Instructions

Bad: "Write something about marketing."

Better: "Write a 200-word blog introduction about email marketing strategies for small e-commerce businesses."

2. No Context

Bad: "Summarize this article."

Better: "Summarize this article for a marketing manager who needs to present key findings to their team in a 5-minute meeting."

3. Unclear Output Format

Bad: "Give me ideas for my presentation."

Better: "Give me 5 presentation slide titles about climate change, each with a one-sentence description of what that slide should cover."

See the Difference

Try analyzing these prompts in the playground below:

Now try this improved version:

Key Takeaway

The difference between a mediocre prompt and a great one is specificity. Great prompts tell the AI:

• Who it should be (role)
• What you want (task)
• How to deliver it (format)
• Why it matters (context)

In the next lesson, you'll learn a simple framework that ensures you never write a vague prompt again.