assumption-auditSurface the hidden assumptions a plan or belief rests on, then test what happens when each one is wrong. Use when asked what am I assuming here, check my assumptions, what if I'm wrong about, or stress-test my thinking. Produces the unstated assumptions your conclusion depends on (ranked by how load
cross-examine-meStress-test a decision or claim through a sharp, fair Q&A — the questions a good lawyer or skeptical friend would ask before you commit. Use when asked to cross-examine me, ask me hard questions about this, interrogate my plan, or make me defend this. Produces a sequenced line of probing questions (
decision-panelRun a decision past a panel of clashing advisors — an optimist, a pessimist, a numbers person, an ethicist, and future-you — then get a chair's verdict. Use when asked to help me decide, weigh this decision, what should I do about, or run this by different advisors. Produces each advisor's honest ta
devils-advocate-on-demandArgue hard against whatever you just concluded — so your decision has to survive a real challenge instead of an echo chamber. Use when asked to play devil's advocate, argue against this, challenge my conclusion, or talk me out of it. Produces the strongest case against your position, the uncomfortab
disagreeing-expertsPut one situation in front of three professionals chosen to disagree — the lawyer, the accountant, and the therapist read the same divorce — each ruling independently, with the conflicts surfaced in a disagreement table instead of blended into mush. Use when asked for different professional perspect
explain-my-decision-to-meTalk through a decision out loud with a patient thinking partner that reflects your reasoning back, so the answer you already half-know becomes clear. Use when asked help me think this through, I need to talk this out, be my sounding board, or I don't know what I actually think. Produces a structure
five-mindsAnswer a question five completely different ways — as five independent minds with clashing worldviews — then converge on what survives. Use when asked for multiple perspectives, look at this from every angle, what would different people think, or give me a range of views not one answer. Produces fiv
from-first-principlesStrip a problem down to what's actually true — the physics, economics, and human basics — and rebuild the answer from there, ignoring 'how it's normally done'. Use when asked to think from first principles, why is this done this way, challenge the assumptions here, or rebuild this from scratch. Prod
future-selves-councilBring three versions of future-you into a decision — you in a week, in a year, and in ten years — because they each want different things. Use when asked what would future me want, will I regret this, think long-term about this choice, or help me decide for the long run. Produces each future self's
generate-then-executeSeparate raw idea-generation from judgment so creativity isn't strangled by your inner critic — diverge with zero evaluation, then switch to hard critique. Use when asked to brainstorm properly, help me come up with ideas without shutting them down, I keep censoring my own ideas, or separate creatin
idea-stormGenerate a big, wide spread of ideas for anything by running the prompt through many different lenses at once, then clustering and picking. Use when asked to brainstorm ideas for, give me lots of options, help me come up with, or I need ideas for. Produces a high-volume, deliberately varied idea lis
inversion-thinkingSolve a problem backwards — ask how to guarantee the worst outcome, then avoid all of it. Use when asked to help me not fail at, what could go wrong with, how do I avoid messing up, or think about this in reverse. Produces the inverted question (how to guarantee failure), the specific ways you'd cau
is-this-actually-goodGet an honest verdict on whether something you made is actually good — not the reflexive 'this is great!' but a real, criteria-based judgment. Use when asked is this actually any good, be honest is this good enough, rate this honestly, or don't just say it's great. Produces a grounded assessment aga
panel-of-expertsGet the take of the specific experts a situation actually needs — a lawyer, a therapist, an accountant, a doctor-minded thinker, whoever fits — each in their own voice. Use when asked what would a [profession] say, get expert perspectives on this, who should I be thinking like here, or what am I mis
poke-holes-in-thisGet only the weaknesses in something you made — no praise, no encouragement padding, just the holes and how to fix them. Use when asked to poke holes in this, tell me what's wrong with this, critique this honestly, or don't be nice about it. Produces a focused list of the real problems in your draft
pre-mortem-panelImagine your plan already failed, then get five independent 'here's why it died' stories — before you commit. Use when asked to pre-mortem this, why might this fail, what are the risks before I start, or imagine this went wrong. Produces five distinct failure narratives (each from a different cause
red-team-my-planAttack your own plan the way a smart adversary would — find the weakest point, the thing you're hoping nobody notices, and where it breaks under pressure. Use when asked to red-team this, attack my plan, find the holes, or where does this break. Produces an adversarial breakdown of the plan's weakes
steelman-the-weird-optionTake the option you dismissed in two seconds and build the strongest possible case for it — to check whether your fast 'no' was wisdom or just bias. Use when asked to steelman this, make the case for the option I rejected, argue the other side properly, or why might the weird choice be right. Produc
the-boring-answer-detectorScan a plan, draft, or idea for the generic, textbook, everyone-would-say-that lines — and push each toward something sharper and more specific. Use when asked is this too generic, make this less boring, why does my plan feel bland, or spot the clichés in my thinking. Produces a line-by-line flag of
the-second-opinionDeliberately take the opposite position from your leaning and make you defend yours — a forced second opinion that isn't just an echo. Use when asked give me a real second opinion, don't just agree with me, argue the other way, or I need a fresh take not a yes-man. Produces a committed alternative p
the-skeptic-and-the-believerSee an idea through two committed extremes — a true believer and a hard skeptic — so you get the full range before settling in the middle. Use when asked should I believe this, is this hype or real, give me both sides, or how excited should I be about. Produces the believer's fullest bull case and t
the-strong-noFind the real reason to NOT do the exciting thing you're about to commit to — the honest case against, before the excitement carries you in. Use when asked talk me out of this, should I really do this, what's the case against, or I'm excited but is this a mistake. Produces the strongest honest argum
the-third-answerPush past the first few obvious answers to a question and surface the non-obvious idea worth having. Use when asked to give me a non-obvious idea, don't give me the generic answer, think outside the box on, or what's the answer nobody else would give. Produces the obvious answers named and set aside
think-from-another-angleGet unstuck on a problem by deliberately re-framing it through a different lens — a child's, an outsider's, another industry's, the reverse, the extreme. Use when asked I'm stuck on this, look at this differently, reframe this problem, or how else could I think about this. Produces the same problem
what-am-i-not-seeingSurface the blind spot — the missing stakeholder, the ignored option, the risk outside your frame, the thing you're too close to notice. Use when asked what am I missing, what's my blind spot, what haven't I considered, or is there something I'm not seeing here. Produces the considerations outside y