Prompt Engineering for Founders: 5 Templates That Actually Work

Good prompts get good results. Here are 5 templates I use constantly:

Template 1: The Context + Task + Format

"You are [role]. [Context]. [Task]. Format: [structure]"

Example: "You are a customer support agent for a SaaS product. A user is asking about password resets. Explain the process clearly. Format: 3-step numbered list."

Template 2: The Few-Shot Example

"Here are examples: [2-3 examples]. Now do this: [your task]"

Example: "Here are good product descriptions: 1) [example]. 2) [example]. Now write one for: [your product]."

Template 3: The Chain of Thought

"Think step by step: 1) [step] 2) [step] 3) [final answer]"

Works great for complex reasoning, calculations, or multi-step processes.

Template 4: The Constraints

"[Task]. Requirements: [list]. Avoid: [list]."

Example: "Write an email. Requirements: friendly tone, under 100 words, include call-to-action. Avoid: jargon, exclamation marks."

Template 5: The Persona + Audience

"Write as [persona] for [audience]. [Task]."

Example: "Write as a senior developer for junior engineers. Explain API authentication."

Pro Tips

• Be specific about format (JSON, markdown, bullet points)
• Give examples of good and bad outputs
• Use "Let's think step by step" for complex tasks
• Test with edge cases
• Iterate—first prompt is never perfect