Starter Prompts

|⌾| I need to think through a decision.

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[Describe the decision — the options, what matters, what you're uncertain about.]
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|?| What is the decision I'm actually trying to make? What am I avoiding?
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|⌾| I need to get oriented on a project.

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[Describe the project — what it is, where it stands, what's unresolved.]
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|+| Give me the three things I need to focus on first.
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|⌾| I want to think through an idea.

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[Describe the idea as it currently exists — even if incomplete.]
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|?| What is the strongest version of this idea? What assumption is it resting on?
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|⌾| I want to understand something properly.

|+| Explain [topic] in three levels: one sentence, one paragraph, one page.
|×| No jargon in the first two levels.

|⌾| I have a meeting coming up.

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[Who it's with, what it's about, and what you want from it.]
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|?| What does the other person want? Where will we disagree? What is the one thing I need to say?
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|⌾| I want to improve something I've written.

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[Paste the text here.]
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|?| What is this text actually saying? Is that what I intended?
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|+| Rewrite the opening sentence.
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|?| Looking back at our exchange: where did the AXIS signals make the most difference? Where could the structure have been cleaner?
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|⌾| I need to give someone feedback.

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[Describe the situation — who it is, what happened, and what you want them to understand.]
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|?| What is the most important thing for them to hear? How do I say it clearly without being unkind?
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|⌾| I want to turn something into a plan.

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[Describe the goal or project — what it is and what outcome you're aiming for.]
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|+| Give me five concrete next steps in the right order.
|×| No vague actions. Each step should be specific enough to do tomorrow.
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|⌾| I'm trying to understand a disagreement.

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[Describe the two positions as fairly as you can — what each side believes and why.]
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|?| What is each side actually trying to protect or achieve? Where is there more common ground than it appears?
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