Start with the work, not a persona
“Act as an expert” does not tell an assistant what you need. Begin with the task and the material it should use. For a customer reply, provide the redacted question, your actual policy, and the decision already made. For a tutorial, provide your verified notes and the result you can demonstrate.
Give the reader a place in the brief
Name an audience and its knowledge level. “First-time founders choosing their first website tool” is more useful than “everyone.” Explain the one thing they should understand or do after reading. This helps you evaluate whether the answer is relevant.
Define boundaries and a usable output
State what must remain unchanged and what must not be invented. Specify the deliverable: a 70-word narration, a table, or three alternative headlines. Add “mark missing facts as [CHECK]” when the input is incomplete. Do not mistake this instruction for a guarantee of accuracy.
Revise against the goal
Read the result as your audience would. Check facts, remove generic phrasing, and ask for a targeted revision: “Keep the example, shorten the introduction, and remove claims not supported by the notes.” Save the revised brief when it works; record the input needed to use it again.
Try it on your own work
Rewrite “Write a social post” into a five-part brief using an actual question from your audience.
Written by Axiom Prompt · 2026-09-26 · Editorial policy