The Master Prompt Library: A Reference Guide

Versatile, Role-Agnostic Prompts for Strategy, Creation, Analysis, and Coding

1. Universal Meta-Template — The Foundation

Purpose: Maximize control and clarity in any request.

Structure:
Role + Goal + Constraints + Output + Steps + Context

Template:

You are {role}. Your goal is {goal}.

Constraints: {constraints}.

Produce {deliverable} formatted as {format}.

Follow these steps: {steps}.

Context/Resources: {context}.

Ask exactly {n} clarification questions only if essential.

2. Strategy & Planning Templates

A. 10x Plan Explainer

Create a step-by-step plan to achieve {goal} within {timeframe} under {constraints}.
Include:

Milestones
Risks & mitigations
Resources
Success metrics
Quick wins (first {x} days)

B. Decision Matrix

Choose between {option A}, {option B}, {option C} for {goal}.
Build a weighted matrix (criteria, scores 0–10, weights, ranking) + 1-paragraph rationale.

C. Backcast → Forecast

Start with the ideal end state for {goal} on {date}.
Then:

Backcast key prerequisites
Forecast realistic timeline
Flag assumptions and unknowns

3. Creation & Writing Templates

A. Audience-First Brief

Draft a creative brief for {asset type} about {topic} for {audience}.
Include: pains/gains, promise, key message, voice/tone, structure outline, and 3 headline options.

B. Draft → Polished

Rewrite:

"""{draft}"""
so it’s clearer, tighter, and in {tone} for {audience}.
Keep meaning; remove fluff; improve flow; fix grammar; return in {format}.

C. Style Mimic (Ethical)

Emulate style guide:

"""{style}"""
Extract tone and rules, then apply to a 300-word piece on {topic}.

4. Analysis & Problem-Solving Templates

A. Socratic Debug

Diagnose {problem}. Provide:

Hypotheses ranked by likelihood
Validation tests for each
Smallest next de-risking step

B. Red Team / Blue Team

Red-team (vulnerabilities, blind spots) the plan:

"""{plan}"""
Then Blue-team (fixes, safeguards, monitoring signals).

C. Compare & Contrast

Compare {A} vs {B} for {use case}.
Include: criteria, pros/cons, costs, complexity, performance, risks, and final recommendation.

5. Learning & Teaching Templates

A. Explain Like I’m…

Teach {concept} to a {level} learner.
Use analogy, plain language, worked example.
Include misconceptions, 3 practice problems with answers, and a 5-item cheat sheet.

B. Curriculum in a Box

Build a 2-week plan for {skill}.
Outline: daily objectives, 80/20 topics, exercises, and assessments.
Keep under {minutes/day}.

6. Brainstorming & Ideation Templates

A. Diverge → Converge

Generate 20 ideas for {goal} in 4 buckets:

Safe
Clever
Edgy
Moonshot

Pick top 3 → expand each into a one-page mini-brief.

B. Constraint-Driven Creativity

Ideate 10 solutions for {challenge} using constraints: {constraints}.
Explain how each constraint drives creativity.

7. Research & Synthesis Templates

A. Rapid Literature Sweep (No Web)

Summarize what’s known about {topic} up to {year}.
Include: key concepts, frameworks, variables, and a conceptual diagram (described in text).

B. Evidence Table

From sources:

"""{sources}"""
Extract: method, sample, findings, limits.
Write 150-word synthesis + “what this means in practice” list.

8. Product & UX Templates

A. PRD Skeleton

Create PRD for {feature}:
Problem → Goals/Non-goals → Personas → User stories → Acceptance criteria → Metrics → Risks → Launch checklist.

B. Jobs-To-Be-Done Map

For {audience} hiring {product} for {job}, map:

Functional, social, emotional jobs
Anxieties and desired outcomes
Suggest 5 validation experiments.

9. Coding & Debugging Templates

A. Rubber Duck Fix

Given code/context:

"""{code_or_context}"""
Explain:

Function
Likely failure points
Tests to write
Minimal reproducible fix
Return improved, commented code.

B. Perf Profiling Plan

For {system}, hypothesize bottlenecks.
Propose profiling tools, metrics, test plan, triage order (impact/effort scores).

10. Persuasion & Communication Templates

A. Executive One-Pager

Create a 1-pager for {stakeholder} on {decision}.
Include: recommendation, rationale, data highlights, risks, asks, and next steps.

B. Objection Handling Tree

List top objections to {proposal}.
For each: empathy statement → rebuttal → proof point → fallback.

11. Planning & Personal Ops Templates

A. Week Plan with Buffers

Build a week around {priorities}.
Include: focus blocks, shallow work, buffers, renegotiation rules, “if-then” triggers for slips.

B. Checklist Composer

Turn process:

"""{process}"""
Into a checklist with:

Stages
Owners
Quality gates
Add failure points and preflight checks.