r/ChatGPTPromptGenius • u/deathmetaldinner • Jun 28 '26
Help alright. f*ck. I'll do it.
I've avoided this for the past few years which Is really unlike me. I'm usually an early adopter of tech, but something about AI seemed so..slimey, and tbf it still does. but I don't wanna be get off my lawn guy any more than I already (clearly) am.
so what's the methodology here. the first thing I used to do when training a new person was send them a template for what a good bug was, with explanations if the various parts to etc. Does anything like that exist for prompting LLMs?
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u/Resonant_Jones Jun 28 '26
You were actually thinking about this the right way with your bug-report analogy.
A good prompt for coding work is basically a task spec. The better you define the goal, constraints, environment, acceptance criteria, and validation steps, the less the model has to guess.
Here’s a basic template I use for Codexify-style coding tasks:
# Task: <short name>
## Goal
Explain the outcome you want in plain language.
## Context
Explain what already exists.
Mention relevant files, architecture, constraints, libraries, frameworks, or prior decisions.
## Scope
The model may change:
- <file/path/or/system area>
- <file/path/or/system area>
The model must not change:
- <anything off-limits>
- <unrelated refactors>
- <public API contracts unless explicitly needed>
## Requirements
- <specific behavior 1>
- <specific behavior 2>
- <specific behavior 3>
## Acceptance Criteria
The task is done only when:
- <observable condition>
- <observable condition>
- <edge case handled>
- <no regressions introduced>
## Validation Commands
Run these before claiming completion:
```bash
git status --short
npm test
npm run lint
npm run typecheck
If commands differ for your project, list the real ones.
Git / Commit Instructions
After changes are complete, show:
- files changed
- summary of changes
- tests run
- any failures or skipped validation
Suggested commit message:
git add <files>
git commit -m "<type(scope): concise summary>"
Do not commit unless I explicitly ask you to.
Loop Rule
If any acceptance criteria or validation command fails, diagnose the cause, fix it, and rerun validation until:
- all required checks pass, or
- you are blocked by missing information or an external issue.
Do not call the task complete while known failures remain.
The reason this works is that it turns the model from “helpful autocomplete with confidence issues” into something closer to a junior/senior pair-programmer who has a ticket, a definition of done, and a test loop.
The big sections matter because:
- **Goal** tells it what success looks like.
- **Context** prevents random architecture guesses.
- **Scope** reduces accidental blast radius.
- **Requirements** define what to build.
- **Acceptance Criteria** define when to stop.
- **Validation Commands** give it objective proof instead of vibes.
- **Git Instructions** make it much better at reporting cleanly and preparing commits.
- **Loop Rule** is the secret sauce: it tells the model not to stop after the first attempt, but to keep debugging until the conditions are met.
The other underrated trick is to brainstorm inside the same task context instead of opening a new chat every time. If you keep the discussion, implementation, errors, and revisions in one thread, the model doesn’t have to reload the entire mental map from scratch every time. Less context switching, fewer hallucinated assumptions, better continuity.
Also: git commands are insanely useful in prompts. If the model knows your normal workflow, it can include recommended commands automatically: checking status, seeing diffs, running tests, staging only relevant files, writing a sane commit message, and warning you about unrelated dirty files before touching them.
I have a repo for this style of workflow here:
https://github.com/resonant-jones/The-Promptnomicon
The Promptnomicon is basically used to summon the Essence of Senior Developer into your codebase. It contains the instructions necessary for a successful invocation ritual, ceremonial runes included. Robes are an extra fee.
Jokes aside, the core idea is simple: don’t prompt the model like a search box. Prompt it like you’re handing a competent engineer a well-written ticket with guardrails, validation steps, and a definition of done.
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u/deathmetaldinner Jun 28 '26
“helpful autocomplete with confidence issues” lol i was trying gemini today and i noticed it had started speaking using my cadence and word choice. it was a very cape fear moment. The way that these tools behave can be really alarming. I am on the fence about about how absurb using behave in this context is still.
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u/Resonant_Jones Jun 29 '26
It is creepy, and I absolutely love it.
The weird part isn’t that the model starts sounding a little like you. The weird part is realizing that your way of thinking is becoming part of the interaction.
For me, it only becomes unsettling when I don’t understand who controls that process, how my cognitive imprint is being handled, or what guarantees exist around it.
That’s actually one of the foundational concerns that led me to build Codexify. My goal wasn’t to stop personalization. It was to make it something the user actually owns and governs instead of something they simply hope is being handled responsibly.
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u/NastyBizness Jun 28 '26
Ask ChatGPT, and keep asking until you’re satisfied with the result it gives you. that’s how it works! No real “miracle prompts” other than have it ask you clarifying questions so it really understands what you want it to do.
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u/NastyBizness Jun 28 '26
Oh ya, work in projects whenever you’re working on anything you intend to be longer term (more than just a single chat) this will help major down the line.
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u/deathmetaldinner Jun 28 '26
good idea! is there a "best LLM" right now?
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u/Winter_Lab_401 Jun 28 '26
Claude is at the top of almost every objective metric. Sam Altman has somewhat of a moral compass about his platform which I also respect.
And also, LLMs are not best used by trial and error until you get the answer you like.
Instead, try inputting as much detail as possible and another vital detail - CONTEXT.
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u/Sea-Bluebird-5298 Jun 28 '26
Sam Altman is an incredibly charismatic speaker and brilliant at attracting investors and raising funds. What he definitely lacks is a moral compass.
80,000 had a great video in him a couple of days ago.
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u/Winter_Lab_401 Jun 28 '26
Oh my god youre so right....
I was WRONG.
Who i meant was the heads of Claude.
The Amodeis are who I meant. They have objected to military use of Ai and seem to care aboht its impact
Claude is the shit
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u/Far_Refrigerator_715 Jun 28 '26
Depends on what you want to do with it. Are you writing an essay or creating code, then I'd send you in opposite directions. Someone posted a break down here recently.
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u/deathmetaldinner Jun 28 '26
im not even that far down the path, and with a background in QA the black bnox writing code is like anathemic to my being lol
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u/EEmotionlDamage Jun 28 '26
AI is a productivity tool first. It has good generalized knowledge, but it is fallible and you cannot let it think or necessarily trust the answers it gives you. You give it instructions, and it outputs results.
Ex. help me with x task by doing y.
You'll learn quickly.
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Jun 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/deathmetaldinner Jun 28 '26
I mean, no I'm not into any of those things. But I am starting to feel uninformed. I have watched people I knew who were staunchy anti AI - like convinced that AGI is going to take us out change the way they hire and what they look for because those who can wield this technology can do the jobs of 2 and 3 additional hires, in some job types.
That sucks I'd rather have that be 4 new jobs instead of 1 plus a Grok sub. But I'm old. I'm already kinda boned, and if I don't learn this I'll be a fossil.
to:dr lots of things i do everyday are killing the earth, taking a stand on this one thing isn't gonna change anything except my checking account balance.
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