Practical Examples
Templates and workflows you can copy, paste, and adapt today. Each one is a prompt; treat them as starting points and rewrite them for your context.
Email Templates
Professional Decline
Draft a professional email declining [invitation/request]:
Context: [What you're declining]
Reason: [Why you must decline]
Relationship: [Who you're writing to]
Tone: Polite but firm
Include:
- Appreciation for the opportunity
- Clear but brief reason
- Alternative if appropriate
- Positive close
Example Output:
Subject: Re: [Original Subject]
Hi [Name],
Thank you so much for thinking of me for [opportunity]. I appreciate
the invitation.
Unfortunately, I need to decline due to [brief reason - time
constraints/other commitments/etc.].
I'd love to stay connected and perhaps explore opportunities to work
together in the future.
Best regards,
[Your name]
Follow-Up After No Response
Write a follow-up email for [previous request]:
Original ask: [What you requested]
Days since sent: [Number]
Relationship: [Context]
Tone: Friendly reminder, not pushy
Length: 3-4 sentences
Include: Easy way to respond
Thank You + Next Steps
Write a thank you email after [meeting/interview/event]:
Event: [What it was]
Key takeaways: [What you learned]
Next steps: [What you agreed to]
Include:
- Specific appreciation (not generic)
- Reference to discussion points
- Clear action items
- Timeline
Meeting Templates
Meeting Agenda
Create an agenda for [meeting type]:
Purpose: [Why meeting]
Attendees: [Who + roles]
Duration: [Time allotted]
Goals: [What we need to accomplish]
Format:
- Pre-read materials
- Agenda items with time allocations
- Expected outcomes
- Action item capture method
Meeting Notes Structure
I attended a meeting about [topic]. Format my notes:
Raw notes: [Your unstructured notes]
Structure as:
1. Key Decisions Made
2. Action Items (Person | Task | Due Date)
3. Important Information
4. Questions/Concerns
5. Next Meeting Date
Make it scannable and action-oriented.
Meeting Summary Email
Create a meeting summary email:
Meeting: [Purpose]
Date: [When]
Attendees: [Who]
Notes: [Meeting notes]
Format:
- Brief context (1-2 sentences)
- Decisions made (bullet list)
- Action items table (Owner, Action, Due Date)
- Next steps
- Next meeting info
Tone: Clear, professional, action-oriented
Writing Templates
Blog Post Outline
Create a blog post outline:
Topic: [Your topic]
Target audience: [Who]
Goal: [Inform/persuade/entertain]
Keywords: [SEO terms]
Length: [Word count]
Structure:
- Compelling title (3 options)
- Hook opening
- 3-5 main sections with H2s
- Key points under each section
- Conclusion with CTA
- Meta description
LinkedIn Post
Write a LinkedIn post about [topic]:
Key message: [Main point]
Goal: [Engagement/shares/leads]
Tone: [Professional/conversational/thought-leadership]
Format:
- Hook (first line matters)
- Short paragraphs (mobile-friendly)
- Bullet points if listing
- Question or CTA at end
- Length: 150-300 words
Product Description
Write a product description:
Product: [Name]
Features: [List key features]
Benefits: [How it helps]
Target customer: [Who it's for]
Price: $[Amount]
Format:
- Attention-grabbing headline
- Brief overview (2-3 sentences)
- Key benefits (3-5 bullets, benefit-focused not feature-focused)
- Social proof element
- Strong CTA
Length: 150-200 words
Tone: [Your brand voice]
Analysis Templates
SWOT Analysis
Conduct SWOT analysis for [business/product/decision]:
Context: [Current situation]
Analyze:
STRENGTHS (internal, positive):
- [List 3-5 with specifics]
WEAKNESSES (internal, negative):
- [List 3-5 with specifics]
OPPORTUNITIES (external, positive):
- [List 3-5 with specifics]
THREATS (external, negative):
- [List 3-5 with specifics]
Then provide strategic recommendations:
- How to use strengths to capture opportunities
- How to address weaknesses
- How to mitigate threats
Competitive Analysis
Compare [Your Product] with competitors:
Our product: [Description]
Competitors: [List 2-4]
Create comparison table:
| Feature | Us | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|---------|----|--------------| -------------|
| [Feature 1] | | | |
| [Feature 2] | | | |
| [Feature 3] | | | |
| Price | | | |
Then analyze:
- Our competitive advantages
- Gaps we need to fill
- Market positioning recommendation
- Messaging strategy
Decision Matrix
Help me decide between options using a weighted matrix:
Decision: [What you're deciding]
Options: [List options]
Criteria (with importance weight 1-10):
1. [Criterion 1] - Weight: [X]
2. [Criterion 2] - Weight: [Y]
3. [Criterion 3] - Weight: [Z]
Score each option on each criterion (1-10)
Calculate weighted scores
Provide recommendation with reasoning
Technical Templates
Code Review Checklist
Review this [language] code:
```[language]
[Your code]
```text
Check for:
1. Bugs and logical errors
2. Security vulnerabilities
3. Performance issues
4. Code style and conventions
5. Readability and maintainability
6. Test coverage needs
7. Documentation needs
For each issue:
- Severity (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
- Location (line numbers)
- Description
- Suggested fix
- Explanation
API Documentation
Document this API endpoint:
Endpoint: [URL]
Method: [GET/POST/PUT/DELETE]
Purpose: [What it does]
Include:
- Description (what it does, when to use)
- Authentication requirements
- Request parameters (name, type, required/optional, description)
- Request body schema (JSON example)
- Success response (status code, body example)
- Error responses (status codes, error messages)
- Rate limiting info
- Code examples (curl, Python, JavaScript)
Bug Report
Create a bug report for:
Issue: [Brief description]
Environment: [OS, browser, version, etc.]
Steps to reproduce: [Detailed steps]
Expected result: [What should happen]
Actual result: [What actually happens]
Frequency: [Always/sometimes/rare]
Format:
- Title (clear, specific)
- Priority/Severity assessment
- Reproduction steps (numbered)
- Screenshots/error messages if applicable
- System information
- Workaround if known
Learning Templates
Study Plan
Create a study plan for [subject]:
Current level: [Beginner/intermediate/advanced]
Goal: [Specific objective]
Timeline: [Duration]
Available time: [Hours per week]
Include:
- Week-by-week breakdown
- Topics to cover
- Resources for each topic
- Practice exercises
- Checkpoints/milestones
- Assessment methods
Concept Explanation
Explain [complex concept]:
Audience: [Who/level]
Prior knowledge: [What they know]
Goal: [What they should understand after]
Structure:
1. Simple definition (one sentence)
2. Why it matters (relevance)
3. Core components (break it down)
4. Simple example
5. More complex example
6. Common mistakes/misconceptions
7. How to apply it
8. What to learn next
Use analogies and concrete examples.
Quiz Generation
Create a quiz on [topic]:
Content covered: [Summary or full content]
Difficulty: [Level]
Number of questions: [X]
Question types:
- Multiple choice (40%)
- True/False (20%)
- Short answer (30%)
- Explain-your-reasoning (10%)
Include:
- Questions
- Answer choices (for MC)
- Correct answers
- Explanations for answers
- Point values
Business Templates
Project Brief
Create a project brief for [project]:
Goal: [What we're trying to achieve]
Background: [Why this project]
Stakeholders: [Who's involved]
Timeline: [Start to end]
Budget: $[Amount]
Include:
1. Project Overview
2. Objectives (specific, measurable)
3. Scope (in-scope, out-of-scope)
4. Deliverables
5. Timeline and milestones
6. Budget breakdown
7. Team and roles
8. Success criteria
9. Risks and mitigation
10. Approval process
Weekly Status Report
Create a status report for [project/team]:
Time period: [Week of X]
Include:
1. Executive Summary (2-3 sentences)
2. Progress This Week (what was completed)
3. Plans for Next Week
4. Blockers/Risks (what needs attention)
5. Key Metrics (with targets and actuals)
6. Help Needed (if any)
Format: Scannable, data-driven, action-oriented
Audience: [Leadership/team/stakeholders]
Proposal Template
Write a proposal for [client/stakeholder]:
Client: [Name/company]
Need: [Their problem]
Our solution: [What we're proposing]
Budget: $[Range]
Timeline: [Duration]
Structure:
1. Executive Summary
2. Understanding the Problem
3. Proposed Solution (detailed)
4. Deliverables and Timeline
5. Pricing (with options if applicable)
6. Why Us (credentials, case studies)
7. Next Steps
8. Terms and Conditions
Tone: Professional, confident, client-focused
Complex Workflows
Content Creation Pipeline
STEP 1: Research
Prompt: Research [topic] for [audience]. Find:
- Key pain points
- Common questions
- Existing content gaps
- Trending discussions
STEP 2: Outline
Prompt: Based on research, create detailed outline for [content type]:
[Paste research results]
STEP 3: Draft
Prompt: Write [section] using this outline:
[Paste relevant outline section]
Tone: [X]
Length: [Y words]
STEP 4: Edit
Prompt: Edit for:
- Clarity (remove jargon)
- Conciseness (cut 20%)
- Flow (transitions)
- Engagement (stronger hooks and close)
[Paste draft]
STEP 5: SEO Optimize
Prompt: Optimize for [target keyword]:
- Add keyword naturally
- Create meta title and description
- Suggest internal links
- Add relevant headers
[Paste edited draft]
STEP 6: Final Review
Manual: Check facts, test links, read aloud, get feedback
Market Research Workflow
STEP 1: Define Scope
Prompt: Help me scope market research for [product/service]:
- Target market definition
- Key questions to answer
- Data sources to explore
- Success metrics
STEP 2: Competitor Analysis
Prompt: Research these competitors: [list]
For each:
- Product offerings
- Pricing
- Target market
- Positioning
- Strengths/weaknesses
STEP 3: Customer Insights
Prompt: Analyze these customer reviews/feedback:
[Paste reviews]
Extract:
- Common pain points
- Feature requests
- Sentiment
- Themes
STEP 4: Market Sizing
Prompt: Help me estimate market size for [product]:
- TAM (Total Addressable Market)
- SAM (Serviceable Available Market)
- SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)
Context: [Industry, geography, etc.]
STEP 5: Synthesis
Prompt: Synthesize findings into strategic recommendations:
Research: [All previous outputs]
Provide:
- Market opportunity assessment
- Competitive positioning
- Target customer profile
- Go-to-market strategy outline
- Key risks and mitigation
Hiring Workflow
STEP 1: Job Description
Prompt: Create job description for [role]:
[Use template from earlier in this chapter]
STEP 2: Screening Questions
Prompt: Create 5 screening questions for [role]:
- Must identify deal-breakers
- Quick to evaluate
- Objective criteria
STEP 3: Interview Guide
Prompt: Create interview guide with:
- Behavioral questions
- Technical assessment
- Culture fit questions
- Scoring rubric
STEP 4: Evaluation Matrix
Prompt: Create candidate evaluation spreadsheet:
- Key competencies
- Scoring scale (1-5 with definitions)
- Weights
- Decision formula
STEP 5: Offer Letter
Prompt: Draft offer letter:
- Role and responsibilities
- Compensation package
- Start date
- Contingencies
- Next steps
Prompt Debugging
When Output is Too Generic
BAD: "Tell me about marketing"
BETTER: "Explain email marketing for SaaS companies with <1000 customers.
Focus on retention campaigns. Include 3 specific tactics with examples."
When Output is Too Long
BAD: "Explain blockchain"
BETTER: "Explain blockchain in 100 words. Cover: what it is, why it matters,
one use case. Audience: non-technical business person."
When Output is Off-Topic
BAD: [Vague context, unclear goal]
BETTER: "Context: I'm a [role] working on [project].
Goal: [Specific outcome needed]
Constraints: [Limitations]
Format: [How to structure output]
[Your specific request]"
When You Need Higher Quality
BASIC: "Write code to [task]"
BETTER: "Write production-quality [language] code to [task].
Requirements:
- Follow [style guide]
- Include error handling
- Add docstrings
- Write unit tests
- Handle edge cases: [list]
- Performance target: [specific]"
Reusable Prompt Components
Context Setting
Context: I'm a [role] at a [company type]. We [what you do].
Our customers are [description]. My goal is [objective].
Constraints
Constraints:
- Length: [specific]
- Tone: [specific]
- Format: [specific]
- Must include: [requirements]
- Must avoid: [things to avoid]
- Deadline: [if relevant]
Examples (Few-Shot)
Here are examples of what I want:
Example 1:
Input: [X]
Output: [Y]
Example 2:
Input: [X]
Output: [Y]
Now do the same for:
Input: [Your actual input]
Quality Criteria
Evaluate your output against:
1. [Criterion 1] - [How to measure]
2. [Criterion 2] - [How to measure]
3. [Criterion 3] - [How to measure]
If it doesn't meet these criteria, revise.
Quick Reference
Use these templates
- Copy and customize for your needs
- Build your own library over time
- Share the ones that work with your team
- Iterate based on results
Remember
- Templates are starting points, not final answers
- Customize context, constraints, and format
- Test and refine for your specific use cases
- Measure what works and lean into it
Next Steps
Continue to 10-reference.md for the cheat sheet to keep at hand. Pick three templates from this chapter and run them on real tasks today. Save the ones that work.