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A systematic method for improving prompts from first draft to production-grade.
Read through the lesson, mark it complete when the concept is clear, then move to the next lesson in the sequence or jump back to the module map.
Prompting is a loop
Great prompts aren't written — they're refined. Like software, they start rough and improve through testing, feedback, and iteration. Treat prompt development like product development: version control, testing, and continuous improvement.
This is the most important rule: change one thing per iteration. If you change the role definition, the instructions, and the output format simultaneously and results improve, you don't know what helped.
Isolate variables. Move fast, but systematically.
| Failure | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too verbose | No length constraint | Add "In X sentences" |
| Wrong format | No format example | Add example output |
| Misses edge cases | Implicit assumptions | Make assumptions explicit |
| Inconsistent tone | Vague voice guidance | Add voice examples |
| Hallucinations | Insufficient grounding | Add source constraints |
Store prompts in version control alongside code. Every significant change should be a commit. Include: the prompt text, test results before/after, and what changed.
This creates an audit trail and makes it possible to roll back regressions.