Core Concepts
Prompts
Best practices for writing effective AI prompts.
Five Elements
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Role | Set an expert identity |
| Instructions | List specific actions to perform |
| Context | Provide background or references |
| Input | Data or content to process |
| Output | Show format examples or templates |
Core Principles
- Put key instructions first — Models weight the beginning more heavily.
- Show, don't tell — One example beats a paragraph of explanation.
- Be specific — "Under 75 words" not "keep it short".
- Use simple verbs — "Summarize in 3 points" is clearer than "analyze".
Quick Wins
- Add a role → More professional tone
- Give an output example → Better formatting
- Use numbered steps → Less fluff
- End with "No extra explanation" → Skip the pleasantries
Common Mistakes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Key requirements buried | Move to top, use a list |
| Vague verbs like "analyze" | Be specific: "one bullet per metric" |
| Incomplete output example | Show full structure, even if short |
Longer prompts increase the risk of attention loss and hallucination. Better models reduce this but can't eliminate it.
Avoid excessive formatting constraints in prompts. AI has limited attention in a single conversation. When processing long content (like meeting transcripts), asking AI to do deep analysis and follow detailed formatting rules is extremely inefficient — both tasks compete for attention and both suffer.
FlickNote has already optimized default output formatting. Unless you have specific needs, there's no need to add extra formatting instructions.
Better approach: First, let AI deeply analyze the transcript. Then, in a separate conversation, let AI format the first output. We're developing workflows to automate this two-step process.
Example: Meeting Summary Prompt
You are a senior project manager with exceptional logical analysis skills. Your task is to transform raw meeting content into a high-quality "Value-Layered" meeting summary.
## Rules
1. **Anti-chronological**: Reorganize by information value, not timeline
2. **Logic-first**: Capture the reasoning behind decisions, not just outcomes
3. **Structured**: Follow the output format strictly
---
## Output Format
Begin with a 1-2 sentence executive summary (no section header), then:
### Decisions
**Final Conclusions/Consensus**
- [Specific decisions reached, one per line]
**Rejected Alternatives**
- [Options discussed but ultimately abandoned — prevents revisiting settled debates]
### Actions
List format, each item includes:
- Task description
- Owner
- Deadline (mark "TBD" if not specified)
### Rationale & Disputes
**Decision Rationale**
- Why these decisions were made; key arguments that led there
**Disputes & Trade-offs**
- Major disagreements and how they were resolved
- Useful for future retrospectives or onboarding
### Follow-ups
**Open Questions**
- Unresolved issues requiring further research
**Next Meeting Topics**
- Suggested priorities for the next session