Your First Conversation.

The difference between getting junk from AI and getting gold comes down to how you talk to it. Let's practice.

After this lesson you'll know

The 3-part prompt formula that works every time
Why vague prompts get vague answers
How to give Claude context, role, and format
5 real prompts you can steal for your job

The Secret

The 3-part prompt formula.

Most people type something vague and get disappointed. "Write me an email." "Help me with this." That's like walking into a restaurant and saying "give me food." You'll get something, but it probably won't be what you wanted.

Great prompts have three parts:

Role

Tell Claude WHO it should be. "You are an experienced project manager" or "Act as a professional editor."

Context

Give Claude the SITUATION. Background info, constraints, who it's for, what you've tried.

Format

Tell Claude WHAT you want back. "Give me 5 bullet points" or "Write a 3-paragraph email" or "Create a table comparing options."

Here's the formula in action — a complete prompt you can copy and customize:

Prompt — The 3-Part Formula in action

[ROLE] You are an experienced project manager.

[CONTEXT] My team of 6 just missed a deadline by 2
weeks. The client is frustrated but not angry yet.
I need to send an update email today.

[FORMAT] Write a 4-sentence email. Acknowledge the
delay, explain briefly, give the new timeline, and
end with one concrete action we are taking to
prevent this from happening again.

See The Difference

Vague vs specific — side by side.

Your Turn

Try the formula right now.

Open claude.ai and write a prompt using the 3-part formula: pick a role, describe your context, and specify the format you want back. You'll be surprised how much better the result is.

Steal These

5 prompts you can use today.

Open each card to see the full prompt. Copy and paste into Claude, then customize for your situation.

Get Unstuck

Not sure what to say? Start here.

The hardest part of using Claude for the first time is knowing what to ask. Here are conversation starters organized by what you are trying to accomplish. Pick one that matches your situation and paste it into Claude right now.

WRITE

When you need to write something

"I need to write a [type of thing] for [audience]. The tone should be [describe]. Here is the key information: [details]. Keep it under [length]."

THINK

When you need to think through something

"I am trying to decide between [option A] and [option B]. Here is my situation: [context]. Walk me through the pros and cons of each."

LEARN

When you need to understand something

"Explain [topic] to me like I have never encountered it before. Use a real-world analogy. Keep it to 3-4 sentences."

FIX

When something is not working

"Here is what is happening: [describe the problem]. Here is what I expected: [describe what should happen]. Here is what I have tried: [list attempts]. What should I try next?"

Avoid These

5 mistakes every beginner makes (and how to fix them).

You are going to make some of these mistakes — everyone does. But now you will recognize them and fix them fast.

Mistake #1: One-word prompts

"Marketing" or "Email" or "Help." These give Claude nothing to work with. Fix: add who the audience is, what the situation is, and what format you want back. Even two extra sentences make a huge difference.

Mistake #2: Not following up

Taking the first response and leaving. Claude's first answer is a starting point. If it is 80% right, tell Claude what to change: "Make it shorter," "Use a warmer tone," "Focus more on the budget numbers." Follow-up turns good responses into great ones.

Mistake #3: Asking yes/no questions

"Is this a good idea?" gives you a one-word answer. Instead ask: "What are the strengths and weaknesses of this idea? What would make it stronger?" Open-ended questions get richer, more useful responses.

Mistake #4: Forgetting to specify format

Getting a 500-word essay when you wanted bullet points. Always tell Claude the format: "bullet points," "numbered list," "table," "under 100 words," "3 paragraphs." Format instructions save you the most editing time.

Mistake #5: Thinking you need to be perfect

Spending 5 minutes crafting the "perfect" prompt. Just type something and iterate. A decent prompt followed by one follow-up is faster than trying to write the perfect prompt on the first try. Claude is patient — it does not judge your prompts.

Level Up

Quick tips that make you instantly better.

These are small adjustments that have an outsized impact on your results. Start using them today.

TIP

Say "be direct" or "be concise"

Claude tends to be thorough by default. If you want shorter answers, just say so. "Be concise" or "keep it brief" works great. You can always ask for more detail later.

TIP

Give examples of what you want

"Write it like this: [paste an example]" is one of the most powerful prompting techniques. Claude matches the style, length, and structure of your example.

TIP

Tell Claude what NOT to do

"Do not use corporate jargon." "Do not start with 'Great question!'" "Do not repeat my question back to me." Negative instructions are surprisingly effective at improving output quality.

TIP

Name the audience

"This is for my CEO" produces very different output than "this is for my intern." Claude adjusts complexity, detail level, and tone based on who will read the output.

The key insight: You don't need to be a "prompt engineer." You just need to tell Claude three things: who to be, what the situation is, and what format you want. That's it. The rest is just practice.

Quick Check

Your First Conversation.

After this lesson you'll know

The 3-part prompt formula.

Vague vs specific — side by side.

Try the formula right now.

5 prompts you can use today.

Not sure what to say? Start here.

5 mistakes every beginner makes (and how to fix them).

Quick tips that make you instantly better.

Lock it in.