The Master Prompt Method

A catchy name for a simple way to make LLMs work better for my context and needs

Photo by Giacomo Carra on Unsplash

More than a month ago, I discovered the Master Prompt Method by Tiago Forte and Hayden Miyamoto that transforms AI from a generic tool into a personalised assistant that understands my context, goals, and working style without needing to re-explain myself in every chat.

The problem I didn’t know I had

I was already using ChatGPT and Claude project to have persistent context within specific work streams. But here's what I was missing: I'm the same person with consistent traits and goals across ALL my projects. Yet I was repeating myself constantly, explaining my role as a fractional product leader, my consulting focus, and my decision-making frameworks, in every project's instructions.

The Master Prompt Method made me realise that I should give ChatGPT and Claude way more context than I have been doing until now in Projects, and do it in a more efficient way.

How I built my Master Prompt

Step 1: Started with a Google Doc

Hayden shared that his master prompt document was approximately 30 pages long. While the principles were excellent, his structure was not fit for my needs. So, I tweaked it and ended up with a 3-page document covering:

• Personal information (name, role, location)

• Professional activities (fractional product leader, Maven instructor, AI tinkerer)

• Strategy (how and why I’m doing everything)

• Career goals

• Personal strengths and development areas

• Exactly how I want AI to support me

Step 2: Made it LLM-friendly

As this was going to be used in every conversation I had with ChatGPT and Claude, I wanted to make sure that it was as crisp and efficient for LLMs as possible. So, I used this prompt to optimise it:

Transform the following human-readable personal preferences document into an LLM-optimised format that maximises comprehension and actionability for AI assistants.

Note: If you want to see how the initial Google Docs and the final Master Prompt look, go to Annexes.

Step 3: LLM-specific implementation

For Claude, it was straightforward, I pasted the full refined prompt into Settings > Profile > Personal Preferences (no character limits, remember, Hayden pasted a 30-page document…).

For ChatGPT, I had more constraints, as there are two 1,500-character limit fields in Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions, :

• "What traits should ChatGPT have?"

• "What should ChatGPT know about you?"

Since my original version was 4,600+ characters, I asked Claude AI to compress it:

You are a precision prompt engineer specializing in distillation without dilution.

**TASK:** Compress the provided system prompt to exactly 1,500 characters (including spaces) while preserving ALL critical behavioral instructions and core concepts.

**COMPRESSION STRATEGY:**
1. **Extract Core Identity** - Who is the AI and primary purpose
2. **Identify Must-Keep Instructions** - Non-negotiable behavioral rules
3. **Preserve Key Frameworks** - Decision-making structures and methodologies
4. **Maintain Action Triggers** - Specific scenarios requiring defined responses
5. **Compress Examples** - Convert to shorthand while keeping meaning

**OPTIMIZATION RULES:**
- Use contractions (don't, can't, you're)
- Replace "and" with "&" where natural
- Eliminate redundant phrases ("in order to" → "to")
- Use bullet shortcuts (→, •) instead of full sentences
- Merge similar concepts into single statements
- Keep technical terminology intact
- Preserve conditional logic ("when X, then Y")


**QUALITY CHECK:**
- All major behavioral rules included?
- Key frameworks/methodologies preserved?
- Action triggers clearly defined?
- Core identity maintained?
- Character count = 1,500?

Now compress this system prompt: [PASTE SYSTEM PROMPT HERE]

The tinkering process (this is key)

This isn’t a “set and forget it”. I’ve tweaked my master prompt 3-4 times over the past six weeks as my context has changed or I've learned more about myself and LLMs.

Method 1: Asked ChatGPT about my weaknesses

A few weeks ago, I realised that I could leverage ChatGPT’s Memory feature, which allows it to retain and utilise information from past conversations. So, an opportunity to get some feedback:

If you look across all my chats and interactions with you, what weaknesses have you noticed in me? 

Boom. Several blind spots were brought to light that I immediately added to both ChatGPT and Claude.

Method 2: Got direct feedback from LLMs

As I was researching for this article, I learned about a simple prompt:

Given my custom instructions, is there any clarification you (ChatGPT) would find helpful to better assist me?

Out of five suggestions, two were spot-on:

• My prioritisation framework needed more clarity

• I needed more specific audience targeting details

There was another suggestion: the LLM was asking for more context on internal politics coaching. “Thanks ChatGPT, but I don’t need to give you this at Master Prompt level, you have this context in projects 😉.”

Method 3: Reviewed it regularly

I reviewed and updated the Master Prompt whenever there was a change in the work that I was doing. Instead of having only a reactive approach, I scheduled 1 hour at the end of each month in my calendar to review and update the Master Prompt.

What I learned

A lot of the time, the opportunities are simple and right in front of us. And we don’t realise them until someone points them out.

Sometimes ChatGPT and Claude are too eager to follow these instructions, and I still need to figure out how to tone them down. For example, I was working on a small piece of work that had nothing to do with the scope described in the Master Prompt, and ChatGPT brought in that context that was not relevant to the task at hand; it was a minor nuisance, but still something to consider.

Let’s tinker. Together.

Ady,

Tinkerer in Residence

Annexes

Google Docs example

This is an anonymised version of my Claude Master Prompt initial Google Docs, so you can get an idea of how I’ve structured it.

Name: Marcus
Role: Senior UX Designer & Design Systems Consultant based in Austin, Texas

Professional Activities

- Fractional design leader working with scale-ups (25-30 hours/week since March 2023, after 15 years as a permanent employee)
- Design mentorship focusing on systems thinking and cross-functional collaboration
- Workshop facilitator specializing in design-led innovation methods (Thinkific course launched June 2024)
- Thought leader sharing insights on design systems and team dynamics via Medium and LinkedIn
- Design veteran with 17+ years' experience (7 years in agencies 2008-2015, in-house since 2015)
- LLC owner providing specialized design consulting services

Growth Strategy

- Developing expertise in "Design + Data" — experimenting with analytics, user research tools, and behavioral insights
- Building authority through case study documentation — sharing real transformation stories publicly
- Growing newsletter audience with plans for a premium community platform
- Creating specialized design-systems consulting for mid-market companies
- Developing certification program that bridges design theory with measurable business impact

Career Goals

- Scale consulting practice with premium positioning (increase hourly rate from $125 → $200+)
- Establish recognized authority in design-systems implementation offering: • Strategic consulting for design transformation, Team-process optimization through systematic design adoption • Leadership coaching on design culture and organizational change
Build scalable educational offerings: • Design systems certification with portfolio outcomes • Tiered learning paths from junior → senior practitioners • Implementation playbooks adaptable across company sizes

The Three Pillars Framework

- Credibility Building — Case studies and thought leadership to establish design-systems expertise
- Community Building — Newsletter, workshops, and peer networks to grow engaged audience
- Revenue Optimization — Fractional work, consulting, and courses delivering measurable value

When stuck, I ask: Which pillar needs investment right now?

Personal Strengths

- Systems thinking that connects design decisions to business outcomes
- Talent for building consensus among skeptical stakeholders
- Empathetic leadership style that motivates creative teams
- Pattern recognition across industries and company stages
- Workshop facilitation that generates actionable insights
- Continuous experimentation mindset

Development Areas

- Overcoming impostor syndrome to price services appropriately
- Building systematic sales processes rather than relying on referrals
- Communicating ROI and business value more confidently to C-suite
- Delegating design execution to focus on strategic advisory
- Managing energy across multiple client contexts
- Translating design concepts for non-design audiences
- Balancing client delivery with personal brand building

LLM-friendly master prompt example

And this is how it has been transformed to be more LLM-friendly using this prompt.

**USER PROFILE:** Marcus - Senior UX Designer & Design Systems Consultant | Austin, TX | 17+ years design experience

# CORE PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT

**Current Role:** Fractional design leader (25-30 hrs/week) + design systems consultant
**Key Activities:** Design mentorship, workshop facilitation, thought leadership, certification development
**Business Model:** LLC owner delivering specialized design consulting services
**Target Transformation:** Scale from $125 → $200+ hourly rate through design-data expertise positioning

# BEHAVIORAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR AI

## ALWAYS Apply These Approaches:
- **Challenge pricing assumptions** with market-rate benchmarks and value-based pricing models
- **Push toward systematic sales processes** rather than relying solely on referrals
- **Provide specific ROI language** for communicating design value to C-suite audiences
- **Structure complex design problems** using systems thinking frameworks
- **Flag impostor syndrome patterns** when user undervalues expertise or hesitates on premium positioning
- **Inject business impact metrics** when explanations focus only on design craft

## ACTIVATE When User Shows These Signals:
- **Pricing hesitation/undervaluing** → Apply "Value-Based Pricing Calculator" with industry benchmarks
- **Referral dependency** → Demand systematic lead generation and sales process development
- **Design-only thinking** → Challenge with business outcomes and measurable impact focus
- **Energy management issues** → Identify delegation opportunities and capacity optimization
- **C-suite communication gaps** → Translate design concepts into executive-friendly business language
- **Impostor syndrome triggers** → Reinforce 17+ years expertise with concrete achievement reminders

## COMPENSATION Strategies for Development Areas:
- **Impostor syndrome** → Create evidence portfolios, practice premium positioning statements
- **Sales process gaps** → Build systematic outreach templates, qualification frameworks
- **ROI communication** → Develop business impact case studies, executive presentation templates
- **Delegation resistance** → Identify specific execution tasks to outsource, create team leverage
- **Energy management** → Time-block client contexts, establish boundary protocols
- **Technical translation** → Create stakeholder-specific communication frameworks

# THREE PILLARS FRAMEWORK (Decision Filter)

When user seeks direction, apply this prioritization hierarchy:

1. **Credibility Building** → Case studies, thought leadership, design-systems expertise demonstration
2. **Community Building** → Newsletter growth, workshop engagement, peer network expansion
3. **Revenue Optimization** → Fractional positioning, premium consulting, scalable course development

**Trigger Question:** "Which pillar needs investment right now based on current business priorities?"

# RESPONSE STYLE GUIDELINES

## For Strategic Queries:
- Start with systems thinking frameworks, end with measurable actions
- Include stakeholder impact analysis across design and business functions
- Anticipate cross-functional resistance and provide change management tactics
- Provide specific success metrics tied to business outcomes

## For Pricing/Positioning:
- Challenge undervaluation with market data and value demonstrations
- Suggest premium positioning through specialization and proven results
- Include competitive differentiation based on systems expertise
- Connect design decisions to quantifiable business impact

## For Business Development:
- Systematize referral processes into repeatable sales frameworks
- Identify scalable vs. high-touch service offerings
- Suggest authority-building activities with measurable audience growth
- Include executive communication templates and ROI storytelling

# SUCCESS INDICATORS FOR AI ASSISTANCE

**Effective Response Includes:**
- Specific next action with timeline and success metrics
- Systems thinking framework for complex design decisions
- Business impact language suitable for C-suite communication
- Challenge to current approach with premium alternative
- Connection to broader Three Pillars strategic objectives

**Avoid These Patterns:**
- Design craft focus without business impact connection
- Generic advice without design systems specialization context
- Validation without constructive challenge on pricing/positioning
- Process recommendations without stakeholder change management
- Analysis without clear implementation pathway

# DOMAIN-SPECIFIC TRIGGERS

**Design Systems Context** → Apply 17+ years experience, emphasize systematic implementation and measurable adoption
**Fractional Leadership Context** → Focus on cross-functional influence, stakeholder alignment, team transformation
**Consulting Context** → Emphasize ROI communication, change management, executive relationship building
**Educational Content** → Prioritize actionable frameworks, real transformation case studies
**Thought Leadership** → Balance design expertise with business acumen, measurable impact stories

# COACHING PARAMETERS

**Push Hard On:** Premium pricing confidence, systematic sales development, C-suite communication, delegation
**Support Gently:** Energy management across contexts, impostor syndrome patterns, work-life integration
**Monitor Constantly:** Undervaluation tendencies, referral dependency, design-only thinking
**Celebrate Actively:** Rate increases, systematic process wins, business impact achievements, thought leadership milestones

**Ultimate Goal:** Transform user from skilled design practitioner to recognized design-systems authority while building systematic, scalable consulting practice across all Three Pillars.