25 Cheat-Code Prompts
A free guide by Kamran Imam — Instagram · TikTok · YouTube
Prompts work better when they have names — you remember them, reuse them, and combine them. These 25 are the ones I actually paste, organized by job. Save the whole page to your prompt library (/r/setup, step 4).
Think better
1. THE INTERROGATOR
Before answering, interview me one question at a time until you have enough context to give a genuinely useful answer. Then answer.2. THE SECOND OPINION
Here's an answer another AI gave me: [paste]. Critique it: what's wrong, missing, or overconfident? Then give your version.3. THE STEELMAN
I believe [position]. Make the strongest possible case AGAINST it — the version a smart person who disagrees with me would actually make.4. THE 5 WHYS
Problem: [describe]. Ask why five times, going one level deeper each time. Then name the root cause and the fix at that level.5. THE ODDS SETTER
Given everything I've told you, what's your honest probability estimate that [outcome]? Show your reasoning, then tell me what would move the number most.Decide faster
6. THE DECISION JUDGE
Decision: [A vs B]. Build the comparison table on the factors that actually matter, weight them from what I've told you, and give a recommendation with the condition that would flip it.7. THE REGRET MINIMIZER
I'm choosing between [options]. For each: what will I most likely regret in 5 years if I pick it? Which regret is more survivable?8. THE REVERSIBILITY CHECK
For [decision]: is it a one-way door or a two-way door? If two-way, what's the cheapest fastest test? If one-way, what information is worth waiting for?9. THE TRADE-OFF TABLE
I want [goal] but also [conflicting goal]. Lay out the honest trade-off: what each 10% more of one costs in the other, and where the sensible middle is.10. THE PREMORTEM
Plan: [describe]. It's a year later and it failed. Write the 5 most likely causes of death and the cheapest prevention for each.Write better
11. THE REWRITE
Rewrite this in my voice — [3 adjectives] — same meaning, half the length: [paste].12. THE HEADLINE MACHINE
Here's my piece: [paste]. Give me 10 titles: 3 clear, 3 curious, 3 bold, 1 weird. No clickbait that the piece can't cash.13. THE SIMPLIFIER
Explain this so a smart 12-year-old gets it, without losing the important nuance: [paste]. Flag anything that genuinely can't be simplified.14. THE STRUCTURE DOCTOR
Here's my draft: [paste]. Don't rewrite it — fix the skeleton: what's the real lead, what order should the points go, what should be cut entirely?15. THE TONE SHIFTER
Take this message and give me 3 versions: warmer, firmer, shorter: [paste].Learn faster
16. THE 80/20 TUTOR
Teach me [topic] by the 80/20 rule: the 20% of concepts that explain 80% of it. Then quiz me with 5 questions to find my gaps, and teach to the gaps.17. THE ANALOGY ENGINE
Explain [new concept] using an analogy to [field I know well]. Then tell me where the analogy breaks — that's usually the interesting part.18. THE SYLLABUS
I want to get functional at [skill] in [timeframe] with [hours/week]. Build the week-by-week plan: what to learn, what to build, and the checkpoint that proves each week stuck.19. THE FEYNMAN TEST
I'll explain [topic] as I understand it: [explain]. Grade my understanding, find the fuzzy spots, and correct the biggest misconception.20. THE JARGON DECODER
Here's a paragraph full of jargon from [field]: [paste]. Translate to plain English, then give me a mini-glossary of the 5 terms worth actually remembering.Fix your day
21. THE UNBLOCKER
I've been stuck on [task] for [time]. Ask me 3 questions to find out why, then give me the smallest possible next physical action — something under 5 minutes.22. THE PRIORITIZER
Here's my list: [paste]. Sort it: do now (moves something forward today), schedule (matters, not today), delegate (someone else can), delete (be honest). Defend the deletes.23. THE EMAIL SURGEON
Reply to this saying [intent — e.g., no, but warmly]: [paste]. Three versions: 2 sentences, 5 sentences, and one that buys me a week.24. THE MONDAY CEO
Here's my to-do list: [paste] and my actual goals: [list]. Rebuild my week so the goal-moving work gets the best hours and the busywork gets batched or cut.25. THE DAY-ONE RESET
I've been [doing habit / running project] for a while. If I were starting fresh today, knowing what I know, what would I do differently? What am I only continuing because I already started?How to make these compound
Every time one of these produces something great, save your filled-in version with its output notes. You’re not collecting prompts — you’re building your own operating system.
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