🪄 5 Principles of Prompting

PLUS: Create 1,000 split screened videos in a fraction of time

Hey,

The Spells Master is back!

Welcome to the 145th issue.

Today's topics:

  1. 5 Principles of Prompting

  2. A tool to Create 1,000 split screened videos in a fraction of the time

  3. One recommended video on Ghostwriting LIVE

5 Principles of Prompting

Mike Taylor and James Phoenix wrote a book on AI titled Prompt Engineering for Generative AI: Future-Proof Inputs for Reliable AI Outputs.

It teaches timeless principles on prompt engineering. These principles previously worked with GPT-3. Now the same principles work with GPT-4, and they will continue to work for GPT-5.

The end goal is to come up with a few domain names for a B2B TikTok Influencer Database SaaS.

STARTING PROMPT: Brainstorm a list of domain names for a B2B TikTok Influencer Database.

It came up with 15 different names.

Starting Prompt ChatGPT

1. Give Direction

In this step, we will describe the desired style in detail or reference a relevant persona.

She loves inventing new words because made-up words are better brand names than real words.

"The best brand names had at most two syllables and at least one “exotic” letter, like an “X” or a “K."

~ Jeff Johnson

Sara Blakely has 2 startups with memorable names:

  1. Spanx: A shapewear that smooths and sculpts the body to create a seamless base and help clothes fit better

  2. Sneex: A luxury shoe that blends the style of a traditional high heel with the performance and comfort of a sneaker.

So we will use in the style of Sara Blakely in our prompt.

NEW PROMPT: Brainstorm a list of domain names for a B2B TikTok Influencer Database in the style of Sara Blakely

Give Direction ChatGPT

You can even narrow down the list or expand it by specifying a number like Brainstorm a list of 5 domain names for a B2B TikTok Influencer Database in the style of Sara Blakely.

2. Specify Format

In this step, you can define what rules to follow, and the required structure of the response.

So we will use as a comma-separated list in our prompt.

NEW PROMPT: Brainstorm a list of 5 domain names for a B2B TikTok Influencer Database in the style of Sara Blakely. Return the list as a comma-separated list.

Specify Format ChatGPT

You can specify a complex format too.

Specify Format Complex ChatGPT

3. Provide Examples

In this step, you need to insert a diverse set of test cases where the task was done correctly.

You have to cherry-pick your best results as examples to get the best output.

Provide Examples ChatGPT

Remember, as with humans and as with AI, garbage in, garbage out.

4. Evaluate Quality

In this step, identify errors and rate responses to test what drives performance.

NEW PROMPT: Please rate the product names based on their catchiness, uniqueness, and simplicity. Rate them on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being the highest score. Respond only with a table containing the results.

Evaluate Quality ChatGPT

This is where you keep pressing the Regenerate button to test the results.

You need to create a prompt that gets consistently good outputs.

5. Divide Labor

In this step, you need to split tasks into multiple steps, chained together for complex goals.

This is where you connect the domain name to a real API to see if the domain name is available and only return the value if its available.

LLMs are a conversation. Give it too big a task and it will fail. Divide it into chunks and it will succeed. Just like a human.

That's Prompt Engineering 101! Highly recommend reading the book to get good with LLMs and to find more in-depth examples.

A tool to Create 1,000 split screened videos in a fraction of the time

Viralbuilder generates split-screen videos in seconds, a format currently trending on TikTok.

By changing only the bottom video (often a game), you can create 100s of variations from a single clip.

This video covers the live behind-the-scene process of writing tweets, offering unique insights into ghostwriting techniques from a former ghostwriter.

Top Tweets of the day

1/

My 40 minute blogs get more views than my 4 hour blogs.

2/

Great ads don't look like ads.

3/

Real alpha is in private groups. More often these groups are invite-only.

Rabbit Holes

  1. How to self-host your app in 2024, the right way - Self host for peace of mind. Not every big company waves off bills even though many do.

  2. I created 6 (six) side-projects over this weekend 😮‍💨 - Developers using AI can do quick project launches now.

  3. Zapier: The $7B Netflix of Productivity - Zapier's Growth Playbook is pretty damn good. With AI, you can create Zapier in <6 months with a team of motivated engineers. But the main MOAT is creating a new Zapier based on AI. Clay and Gumloop look great contenders.

Until next time,

Your Spells Master!

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  2. The Bullseye Framework (LINK)

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