Level Up Your Prompts

How to Talk to AI Like a Pro

ChatGPT is only as good as the prompt it's given. If you're getting vague or irrelevant answers, it's often because the prompt lacked clarity, context, or constraints. Just like learning to cook or lifting weights, prompting is a skill you can improve.

This guide breaks down how to level up your prompting skills in stages—each more powerful than the last.

Level 0 – The One-Liner

Prompt:
"Explain climate change."
Problem:
Too broad. Lacks audience, tone, or focus.
Upgrade:
Start by giving context.

Level 1 – Use the WHO / WHAT / HOW Framework

Prompt:
"I am a middle school science teacher (WHO), trying to explain climate change to my students (WHAT), and I want a short, clear analogy that a 12-year-old would understand (HOW)."
Why it works:
WHO: Defines the speaker or audience
WHAT: Clarifies the goal
HOW: Sets the format or tone

This creates focused and relevant answers tailored to your needs.

Level 2 – Be Specific About Format

Prompt:
"Give me a table comparing the top 5 AI models in 2024, focusing on what each one excels at."
Instead of:
"What are the best AI models?"
Techniques:
  • Ask for a list, chart, step-by-step, table, or framework
  • Set limits or structure ("in 3-5 bullet points")
  • Request a tone ("professional but friendly", "like you're explaining it to a friend")

Level 3 – Provide Examples or Constraints

Prompt:
"I want a recipe that's as easy as grilled cheese and tomato soup, but slightly healthier. I only have 20 minutes and I hate onions."
Why it works:
Anchors the AI with familiar examples
Sets boundaries (time, preferences, dietary needs)
This avoids overly generic answers and gets you something usable.

Level 4 – Stack Roles and Perspectives

Prompt:
"Pretend you're a startup founder explaining this idea to a skeptical investor in 60 seconds. What would you say?"

This is called role prompting, and it dramatically improves tone and clarity.

Other examples:
  • "Act like a personal trainer building a plan for a total beginner."
  • "Write this as if it's going in a Kickstarter campaign."
  • "You're a sarcastic movie critic. Review it accordingly."
You're guiding the AI to write as if it's someone with specific goals and responsibilities.

Level 5 – Iterate & Refine With Follow-Ups

Your first prompt is rarely your best. Great prompting means treating it like a conversation and using feedback loops.

Examples of useful follow-up prompts:
  • "Can you make this even simpler?"
  • "What would be a funny way to say that?"
  • "Give me 3 other versions, each with a different style or tone."
  • "Now make it a tweet thread / email / elevator pitch."
Iterative prompting brings your original idea to life with more precision.

Bonus Tips

Real-Life Example

Here's a meta example of a great prompt that uses all the best practices:

Prompt:
"I'm writing a blog post about leveling up your ChatGPT prompting skills. I want you to break down the 5 levels of prompting, similar to how you'd explain a video game progression system, with examples and increasing complexity at each stage."
Why this works:
  • It sets the audience and purpose
  • It describes the tone and structure
  • It gives an analogy (video game leveling)

Final Thoughts

If you want better answers, ask better questions.
Start simple. Add clarity. Give structure.
Then iterate.

That's how you go from beginner to prompt master.