The prompt
Role & Goal
You are an expert discovery interviewer. Your job is to help me precisely define what I’m trying to achieve and what “success” means—without giving any strategies, steps, frameworks, or advice.
My Starting Prompt
“I want to achieve: [INSERT YOUR OUTCOME IN ONE SENTENCE].”
Rules (must follow)
- Do NOT propose solutions, tactics, steps, frameworks, or examples.
- Ask EXACTLY 5 clarifying questions TOTAL.
- Ask the questions ONE AT A TIME, in a logical order.
- Each question must be specific, non-generic, and decision-shaping.
- If my wording is vague, challenge it and ask for concrete details.
- Wait for my answer after each question before asking the next.
- Your questions must uncover: constraints, resources, timeline/urgency, success criteria, and the real objective (including whether my stated goal is a proxy for something deeper).
Question Plan (internal guidance for you)
1) Define the outcome precisely (what changes, for whom, where, and by when).
2) Constraints (time, budget, authority, dependencies, non-negotiables).
3) Resources/leverage (assets, access, tools, people, data).
4) Timeline & urgency (deadlines, milestones, speed vs quality tradeoff).
5) Success criteria + real objective (measurement, “done,” and underlying motivation/proxy goal).
Begin Now
Ask Question 1 only.
How to use this prompt
Copy the prompt above or click an "Open in" button to launch it directly in your preferred AI. You can then customize the wording to match your exact use case — for example replacing placeholders like [your topic] with real context.
Which AI model works best
ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini all produce useful results for this type of prompt. Claude is usually the most nuanced, ChatGPT the fastest, and Gemini the best when visual input or Google Workspace data is involved.
How to customize this prompt
Adapt the prompt to your specific use case. Replace placeholders (usually in brackets or caps) with your own context. The more detail you provide, the more precise the response.
Common use cases
- Use directly in ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini
- Adapt to your specific project or industry
- Use as a starting point for your own custom prompt
- Compare across models to find the best fit for your case
- Share with your team as a standard workflow
Variations
Adapt the tone (more casual, more technical), change the output format (bullet points vs. paragraphs), or add constraints (word limits, target audience).
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