AI isn’t a magician. It’s an eager intern that says yes to everything. To get real results, you need to coach it. Use context, examples, reverse prompting, and role assignment. Push it with harsh feedback. Iterate until it’s useful.
Why AI Feels Polite but Useless
AI is designed to be helpful. It rarely says no. That’s why you keep getting “Absolutely” followed by average results.
Think of it as a tireless intern: full of energy, but bad at pushing back. Without coaching, it fills gaps with guesses.
The Coaching Stack
1. Context Engineering
A prompt is just a request. Context is the real brief. Without it, AI imitates the internet.
Weak prompt:
“Write a sales email.”
Strong prompt:
“Write a sales email in my brand voice. Use pain points from this customer call transcript. Only cite the product specs attached. Keep it under 150 words. Add one clear CTA.”
Checklist:
Brand voice + banned phrases
Audience + stage of awareness
Real docs + data to ground facts
Format, length, CTA
Clear constraints
2. Chain of Thought (Kept Private)
Thinking out loud helps humans solve problems. It works for AI too.
Ask it to reason step by step in private, then deliver a clean answer.
Snippet:
You will reason privately step by step.
Do not reveal the reasoning.
If inputs are missing, ask me.
Return only a clean final answer. 3. Few-Shot Examples Beat Adjectives
AI imitates patterns. Show it what good looks like. Add one bad example so it knows what to avoid.
Snippet:
GOOD EXAMPLES: [Example A], [Example B]
BAD EXAMPLE: [Short opposite with why it fails]
Write a new piece that mirrors GOOD traits and avoids BAD traits. 4. Reverse Prompting
Stop AI from guessing. Tell it to ask questions first.
Snippet:
Before you start, list any inputs you need to do this well.
Ask me now. Wait for answers.
Then proceed. 5. Role Assignment
Roles activate different parts of the model’s “brain.” Teacher. Reporter. Negotiation coach. Choose one that matches your task.
Snippet:
Act as a senior [role].
Optimize for [goal].
Use these principles: [list].
If tradeoffs appear, prefer [priority]. Brutal Feedback Makes It Useful
Most models flatter you. Don’t accept that. Ask for sharp, ranked critique.
Snippet:
Evaluate my draft with maximum rigor.
Score it out of 100.
List 5 fixes ranked by impact.
Show the line, the issue, and a stronger rewrite. Tough Conversation Simulator
You can rehearse conversations with three mini agents:
Profiler → traits, triggers, goals.
Roleplayer → play the other person with pushback.
Grader → score your performance and suggest better lines.
One-sheet setup:
[1] Profiler: Summarize style, objections, goals.
[2] Roleplayer: Stay in character. Push back.
[3] Grader: Score clarity, empathy, outcomes. Give 5 replacement lines. Keep Your Own Thinking Sharp
Add one instruction so AI doesn’t weaken your judgment.
Snippet:
I am training my analytical discipline.
Challenge me when my reasoning is weak.
Pause and ask before filling gaps. Quick-Start Prompt Kit
Context packer
Task:
Audience:
Voice + banned phrases:
Sources:
Format + length:
Must include:
Must avoid:
Finish with: “Before you start, ask me for missing inputs.” De-genericifier
Rewrite in my voice.
Remove filler.
Replace vague claims with specifics from the source.
Keep only what adds value. Fact guardrails
Cite only from the pasted sources.
If data is missing, ask me.
Flag uncertainty. Do not invent. Outline gate
First produce an outline with H2 and H3.
Wait for my approval.
Then write the draft. Key Takeaways
AI agrees by default. Coach it to the right yes.
Context beats clever wording.
Reason privately, show logic when needed.
Few-shot examples set the standard.
Reverse prompting prevents guessing.
Roles sharpen focus.
Brutal feedback creates progress.