Be specific and give context

The two most powerful prompting skills — the ones that fix most bad results — are being specific and giving context. Master these two and you're most of the way there.

Be specific: say exactly what you want. Vague prompts get vague answers. The AI can't read your mind, so spell it out — the outcome you want, the length, the tone, the audience, the level of detail. Compare:

• Vague: "Write an email to my boss."
• Specific: "Write a short, polite email to my boss asking to work from home next Tuesday because I have a plumber coming. Keep it to three sentences and a friendly-professional tone."

The specific version gives the AI everything it needs to nail it on the first try. Whenever you're disappointed with an answer, ask: did I actually tell it what I wanted?

Give context: tell it what it needs to know. The AI only knows what you tell it in the conversation. So give it the relevant background and materials:

• Replying to something? Paste in what you're replying to.
• Working on a specific situation? Describe the situation, who's involved, the constraints.
• Want it tailored to you? Tell it about yourself and your goal.
• Have relevant material (a document, notes, an example)? Paste it in so the AI works from your real information, not generic guesses.

Missing context is a top reason AI gives generic or wrong answers — it fills the gaps with assumptions. More relevant context = a better, more tailored result. (One caution: don't paste in truly sensitive information like passwords or financial details — but normal context is exactly what makes prompts work.)

Together, specific + context is the core skill. Tell the AI precisely what you want (specific) and give it what it needs to know (context), and you've eliminated the biggest causes of bad results. It's simple, it requires no tricks, and it works on every AI tool.

The mindset: the two highest-leverage prompting skills are being specific (say exactly what you want — outcome, length, tone, audience — rather than making the AI guess) and giving context (paste in the relevant background and materials so it works from your real situation, not generic assumptions). Missing one of these causes most disappointing AI answers. Together they're the core of good prompting: tell it precisely what you want, and give it what it needs to know. No tricks required — just clear, complete communication.