Prompt Engineering
Ready Reckoner
Techniques, Examples & Visuals to Unlock AI's Power
Transform your AI conversations from good to exceptional
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Why Prompts Matter
The Power of Words in AI
• Your translator to AI language
• The steering wheel for AI responses
• The key to unlocking AI's full potential
• Vague prompt = Vague response
• Clear prompt = Precise, useful output
Example:
The Difference: Weak: "Write about marketing" Strong: "Act as a digital marketing
expert. Write a 5-step social media strategy for a tech startup targeting
millennials"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Role-Based Prompting
Give Your AI a Job Title
Magic Phrase → Magic Phrase: "Act as a [ROLE]" or "You
are a [PROFESSION]"
Why It Works::
→ Activates relevant knowledge domains
→ Sets appropriate tone and expertise level
→ Focuses responses on role-specific insights
→ Business: consultant, CEO, marketing manager
→ Education: teacher, tutor, professor
→ Health: fitness coach, nutritionist
→ Tech: developer, data analyst, cybersecurity
expert
"Act as a personal finance advisor. I have $10,000 to invest and want moderate
risk.
Provide 3 specific investment options with pros and cons for each."
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Step-by-Step (Chain of
Thought) Prompting
Show Your AI How to Think
Magic Phrase → Magic Phrase: "Let's think step-by-step" or "Walk me
through this process"
Why It Works::
→ Reduces calculation errors
→ Makes reasoning transparent
→ Helps you verify the logic
→ Better handles complex problems
Perfect For::
→ Mathematical calculations
→ Data analysis
→ Problem-solving
→ Multi-step processes
"I need to calculate ROI for a marketing campaign that cost $5,000 and generated
$15,000 in sales. Walk me through the calculation step-by-step and explain what
this ROI means for future decisions."
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Context + Goal Clarity
Prompting
Set the Stage for Success
Formula → Context + Specific Goal + Format
Requirements
Essential Elements::
→ Who: Your audience or situation
→ What: Specific task or outcome needed
→ How: Format, length, style requirements
→ When: Deadlines or timing constraints
"Context: I'm launching a SaaS product for small businesses next month.
Goal: Create a launch announcement email.
Requirements: Keep it under 150 words, include a clear call-to-action,
and use an enthusiastic but professional tone."
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Output Formatting Prompts
Get Exactly What You Need
Format Options::
→ Lists: Numbered, bulleted, prioritized
→ Tables: Comparison charts, data grids
→ Documents: Reports, emails, summaries
→ Conversations: Dialogues, Q&A format
→ Creative: Stories, scripts, social posts
"Create a comparison of iPhone vs. Android phones. Present as:
- Table format with 5 key features as rows
- Pros/cons for each in bullet points
- Final recommendation in one sentence
- Keep technical jargon to minimum"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Few-Shot Prompting (Examples-Based)
Show, Don't Just Tell
Formula → Example 1 → Example 2 → Your actual
request
When to Use::
→ Specific formatting requirements
→ Consistent style/tone needed
→ Complex transformation tasks
→ Brand voice matching
"Convert these product descriptions to social media posts:
Input: 'Professional wireless headphones with noise cancellation'
Output: ' Block out distractions and dive deep into your work! New wireless
headphones with crystal-clear sound. #ProductivityBoost'
Input: 'Organic coffee beans from Colombia'
Output: ' Start your morning right with authentic Colombian coffee beans.
100% organic, 100% delicious! #MorningMotivation'
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Now convert: 'Ergonomic office chair with lumbar support'"
Iterative Prompting (Refining)
Perfect Through Conversation
Formula → Draft → Feedback → Refine → Perfect
Refinement Techniques::
→ "Make it more specific to..."
→ "Adjust the length to..."
→ "Change the tone to be more..."
→ "Add details about..."
→ "Remove the section on..."
First prompt: "Write a LinkedIn post about AI in business"
After reviewing response: "Good start! Now make it more specific to small
businesses,
add 2 practical examples, and end with a question to encourage comments.
Keep the professional but approachable tone."
Author: ManishNow
Follow-up: "Perfect! Shrivastava
create 3 alternative versions with different hooks."
Domain-Specific Prompts -
Productivity
Supercharge Your Daily Tasks
Step 1 → Email Management: "Transform this meeting summary into a professional follow-up email:
- Thank participants for their time
- Summarize 3 key decisions made
- List action items with owners
- Set expectation for next steps
Keep it concise and actionable."
Step 2 → Meeting Prep: "I'm meeting with a potential client in the fintech industry tomorrow.
Create 8 thoughtful questions that show I understand their challenges
and can position our services effectively. Mix strategic and tactical questions."
Step 3 → Task Planning: "Break down 'Launch product marketing campaign' into a detailed project plan:
- 15-20 specific tasks
- Estimated time for each
- Logical sequencing
- Key milestones
- Present as a table with columns: Task, Duration, Dependencies, Owner"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Example: 1
"Transform this meeting summary into a professional follow-up email:
- Thank participants for their time
- Summarize 3 key decisions made
- List action items with owners
- Set expectation for next steps
Keep it concise and actionable."
Example: 2
"I'm meeting with a potential client in the fintech industry tomorrow.
Create 8 thoughtful questions that show I understand their challenges
and can position our services effectively. Mix strategic and tactical questions."
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Domain-Specific Prompts -
Investing & Finance
Smart Money Decisions
Step 1 → Stock Comparison: "Act as a financial analyst. Compare Tesla (TSLA) vs Ford (F) stocks:
- Create table with: P/E ratio, market cap, recent performance
- List 3 key risks for each
- Provide neutral analysis of growth prospects
- No investment advice, just factual comparison"
Step 2 → Portfolio Review: "I'm 32 years old with moderate risk tolerance. Review this portfolio
allocation:
60% stocks, 25% bonds, 10% REITs, 5% crypto
- Assess if appropriate for my age/risk level
- Suggest adjustments with reasoning
- Include emergency fund guidance"
Step 3 → Market Analysis: "Explain the recent tech stock volatility in simple terms:
- What's driving the changes
- How it affects different types of investors
- 3 practical takeaways for long-term investors
- Use analogies to make concepts clear"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Example: 1
"Act as a financial analyst. Compare Tesla (TSLA) vs Ford (F) stocks:
- Create table with: P/E ratio, market cap, recent performance
- List 3 key risks for each
- Provide neutral analysis of growth prospects
- No investment advice, just factual comparison"
Example: 2
"I'm 32 years old with moderate risk tolerance. Review this portfolio allocation:
60% stocks, 25% bonds, 10% REITs, 5% crypto
- Assess if appropriate for my age/risk level
- Suggest adjustments with reasoning
- Include emergency fund guidance"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Domain-Specific Prompts -
Learning/Education
Accelerate Your Knowledge
Step 1 → Concept Explanation: "Explain blockchain technology as if I'm a smart 12-year-old:
- Use simple analogies and examples
- Cover what it is, how it works, why it matters
- Include 2-3 real-world applications
- Avoid technical jargon
- Make it engaging and memorable"
Step 2 → Study Planning: "I need to learn Python programming in 3 months for a career change.
Create a week-by-week study plan:
- Progressive skill building
- Practical projects to reinforce learning
- Time commitment per week
- Milestone checkpoints
- Resource recommendations"
Step 3 → Quiz Generation: "Create 10 multiple-choice questions on digital marketing fundamentals:
- Mix difficulty levels (6 medium, 4 challenging)
- Include practical scenario-based questions
- Provide correct answers with brief explanations
- Focus on actionable knowledge, not just theory"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Example: 1
"Explain blockchain technology as if I'm a smart 12-year-old:
- Use simple analogies and examples
- Cover what it is, how it works, why it matters
- Include 2-3 real-world applications
- Avoid technical jargon
- Make it engaging and memorable"
Example: 2
"I need to learn Python programming in 3 months for a career change.
Create a week-by-week study plan:
- Progressive skill building
- Practical projects to reinforce learning
- Time commitment per week
- Milestone checkpoints
- Resource recommendations"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Domain-Specific Prompts -
Coding
Developer's AI Assistant
Step 1 → Code Generation: "Write a Python function that:
- Takes a list of dictionaries (employee records)
- Filters employees by department and experience level
- Returns sorted list by salary (highest first)
- Include error handling and clear comments
- Make it readable and efficient"
Step 2 → Debugging Help: "I'm getting a 'KeyError' in this Python code: [paste code]
- Identify the likely cause of the error
- Explain why it's happening in simple terms
- Provide 2 different solutions
- Show the corrected code with comments explaining the fix"
Step 3 → Code Review: "Review this JavaScript function for best practices:
[paste code]
- Check for performance issues
- Identify security concerns
- Suggest improvements for readability
- Point out any potential bugs
- Provide refactored version if needed"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Example: 1
"Write a Python function that:
- Takes a list of dictionaries (employee records)
- Filters employees by department and experience level
- Returns sorted list by salary (highest first)
- Include error handling and clear comments
- Make it readable and efficient"
Example: 2
"I'm getting a 'KeyError' in this Python code: [paste code]
- Identify the likely cause of the error
- Explain why it's happening in simple terms
- Provide 2 different solutions
- Show the corrected code with comments explaining the fix"
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Prompt Refinement
Framework
Your 4-Step Improvement Process
Formula → Basic Need → Add Context → Get Output → Evaluate →
Refine Request → Perfect Output
Step 1 → DRAFT: Start with a basic prompt stating your need
Example: "Help me with social media marketing"
Step 2 → SPECIFY: Add role, context, and format requirements
Example: "Act as a social media manager. Create a content
calendar for a fitness brand targeting young professionals.
Include post types and timing."
Step 3 → REFINE: Based on initial output, add specific adjustments
Example: "Great! Now focus on Instagram and LinkedIn only. Add
hashtag suggestions and include video content ideas for 30% of
posts."
Step 4 → PERFECT: Fine-tune tone, style, and missing elements
Example: "Perfect structure! Adjust tone to be more motivational,
add engagement tactics for each post type, and include
monthly theme suggestions."
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Key Takeaways
Master These 4 Golden Rules
Formula → Role + Context + Specific Goal + Format + Examples (if
needed) = AI Excellence
Rule: Be Specific, Not Generic
→ Replace "Help me write" with "Act as [role]. Create a
[format] for [audience] that [specific goal]."
Rule: Iterate and Improve
→ Don't expect perfection on the first try. Refine through
conversation to get exactly what you need.
Rule: Show Examples
→ When you need consistent formatting or style, provide 2-3
examples to train the AI on your preferences.
Rule: Use Roles Strategically
→ Assign relevant expertise roles to get specialized
knowledge and appropriate tone for your context.
Author: Manish Shrivastava
Your Next Steps & Quick
Reference
Transform Your AI Conversations Today
Formula → Your Prompt Engineering Journey Starts
Now. Make every AI conversation count.
• Pick one technique from this guide
• Apply it to a task you're working on today
• Compare results with your usual prompting style
• Notice the difference in quality and usefulness
Technique Use When Key Phrase
Role-Based Need expertise "Act as a..."
Chain of Thought Complex problems "Step-by-step..."
Context + Goal Specific outcomes Context + Goal + Format
Output Formatting Structured results "Present as..."
Few-Shot Author: Manish Shrivastava Consistent style Show 2-3 examples
Iterative Perfect results "Now refine..."
