TutorialPart 2 of 3, A first week of deliberate AI use
Write a reusable task brief
A short template that states the goal, the inputs, the limits and what a finished answer looks like, so the same task gets the same quality twice.
SampleWritten to demonstrate the format. It does not describe the owner’s experience, results or recommendations.
A brief is the written instruction you give a model. A reusable brief is one you can paste again next week and get an answer of the same shape. The difference is mostly about saying what done looks like.
The four parts of a brief
- Goal: one sentence on the outcome, not the activity.
- Inputs: what is attached or pasted, and what to ignore.
- Limits: length, tone, sources that may or may not be used.
- Done when: a checklist the answer must satisfy.
A template to copy
Save this in briefs/ from the working folder and fill in the brackets each time.
Goal: [the outcome in one sentence]
Inputs: [what is pasted below; what to ignore]
Limits: [length, tone, what not to do]
Done when:
- [a check the answer must pass]
- [another check]
If something is missing or unclear, ask before answering.Make the "done when" list testable
Vague checks cannot fail, so they do not help. Compare:
| Vague | Testable |
|---|---|
| Keep it short | At most 150 words |
| Be accurate | Every figure appears in the pasted source |
| Cover the main points | Mentions each of the three decisions in the notes |
Each line under "Done when" could be answered yes or no by someone who has not read the task. If not, rewrite it before saving the brief.
Revising a brief
When an answer misses, change one line of the brief at a time and keep the old version. The note Blind-compare two drafts shows a way to judge whether a change helped.