[Zero Two]

Separating what genuinely works from the cargo culting.

Actually useful:

• Show the format you want. Instead of "write in a concise style" give it two examples. Consistent every time.
  
• Constrain output format explicitly. If you want JSON, say return only valid JSON with no preamble. Models will still add preamble unless told not to.
  
• Tell it what NOT to do. "Do not add comments to the code" is more reliable than hoping "write clean code" is interpreted correctly.
  
• Break long chains into steps. A single prompt asking for 5 things produces worse results than 5 prompts doing one thing each.
  

Mostly noise:

• "Take a deep breath and think step by step" - this was real for older models, much less relevant now
  
• Telling it it is an expert - model capability is fixed, role-playing does not change it
  
• Tipping or threatening the model
  

What patterns have you found that consistently move the needle?