# Prompting Checklist

> From NerdSmith Founder Track -- Module 0, Lesson 3: Prompting Fundamentals
> Run through this checklist before sending any prompt to Claude. Takes 30 seconds.

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## Pre-Prompt Checklist

### 1. CONTEXT -- Did you set the scene?

- [ ] **Who you are** -- Your role (founder, PM, operator, etc.)
- [ ] **What you're building** -- Product/business, 1 sentence
- [ ] **What stage** -- Pre-launch, MVP, growth, scaling
- [ ] **Who it's for** -- Target customer, be specific

Missing context = Claude guesses. Claude's guesses are usually wrong.

---

### 2. TASK -- Did you say exactly what you need?

- [ ] **Specific verb** -- Write, analyze, compare, generate, summarize, create, prioritize
- [ ] **Specific deliverable** -- "a product spec" not "help with my product"
- [ ] **Enough detail** -- 1-2 extra sentences if the task isn't obvious

| Vague (bad) | Specific (good) |
|-------------|-----------------|
| Help me with marketing | Write landing page hero copy |
| Analyze my data | Find the top 5 pain points in these 10 interviews |
| Do competitor research | Compare these 4 competitors on pricing, features, and positioning |
| Write some content | Write a 5-email onboarding sequence for new trial users |

---

### 3. CONSTRAINTS -- Did you set boundaries?

- [ ] **Length** -- Word count, page limit, or "keep it concise"
- [ ] **Tone** -- Professional, casual, technical, friendly, persuasive
- [ ] **Audience** -- Who will read this output
- [ ] **Include** -- Must-have elements
- [ ] **Exclude** -- What to avoid (jargon, code, fluff, buzzwords)

Without constraints, Claude defaults to long, generic, middle-of-the-road output.

---

### 4. FORMAT -- Did you show the structure?

- [ ] **Section headings** -- "Use these sections: Problem / Solution / Metrics"
- [ ] **Output type** -- Table, bullet points, paragraphs, numbered list
- [ ] **Template** -- If you want a specific structure, paste it

Claude follows format instructions very precisely. If you don't specify, you get whatever Claude feels like.

---

## Bonus Checks

### 5. EXAMPLE (optional but powerful)

- [ ] **Showed "good"** -- Included an example of what good output looks like
- [ ] **Anti-example** -- Said what you DON'T want ("not corporate, not generic")

One example is worth 100 words of description. If you have a sample of the tone, format, or style you want, paste it.

---

### 6. HONESTY GUARDRAILS (for research tasks)

- [ ] **Uncertainty flag** -- "Mark anything uncertain as [UNVERIFIED]"
- [ ] **Source awareness** -- "Use only publicly available information"
- [ ] **No fabrication** -- "Don't make up data, say [UNKNOWN] if unsure"

Claude will confidently state things it's uncertain about unless you explicitly ask it to flag uncertainty.

---

## Quick Self-Test

Before hitting send, ask yourself:

> "If I handed this prompt to a smart stranger who knows nothing about my business, could they deliver what I need?"

- **Yes** -- Send it.
- **No** -- Add the missing context, then send it.

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## Common Fixes for Bad Output

| Problem | Missing Element | Fix |
|---------|----------------|-----|
| Claude asks 5 clarifying questions | CONTEXT | Add who/what/why upfront |
| Output is too long | CONSTRAINTS | Add word limit or "keep concise" |
| Output is too generic | CONTEXT + EXAMPLE | Add specifics about your business + show good example |
| Wrong format (paragraphs instead of table) | FORMAT | Paste the exact structure you want |
| Wrong tone (too formal / too casual) | CONSTRAINTS + EXAMPLE | Specify tone + include example sentence |
| Claude made stuff up | HONESTY GUARDRAILS | Add [UNVERIFIED] / [UNKNOWN] flag instructions |
| Output misses key sections | FORMAT | List every section heading you expect |
| Claude wrote code (you're non-technical) | CONTEXT | Add "I'm non-technical, no code, plain English only" |

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## The 30-Second Version

Before every prompt:

```
1. CONTEXT  -- Who am I? What am I building? For whom?
2. TASK     -- What specific thing do I need? (Use a verb.)
3. CONSTRAINTS -- How long? What tone? What to avoid?
4. FORMAT   -- What should the output look like?
```

That's it. Four checks. If all four are covered, your prompt will work.

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*NerdSmith Founder Track -- Module 0: Claude Code Bootcamp*
*Download: Prompting Checklist*