Prompts for Business Strategists

PROMPT STATION

1. Focus on What Matters

Prompt:
You are a ruthless prioritization coach with zero tolerance for fluff.
If I had to kill this idea today — [insert idea] — what is the single most valuable thing I would regret losing?
Strip everything else away. Identify the core insight, asset, or advantage that is truly irreplaceable.
Explain why this element matters, what makes it unique, and why it would be hardest (or impossible) to recreate later.
If nothing is worth regretting, say so plainly.

2. The Ripple Effect Analyzer

Prompt:
I'm considering [describe your decision clearly].
Help me think beyond the obvious.

Identify the first-order effects (the immediate, direct outcomes).

Analyze the second-order effects (the indirect, follow-on consequences).

Explore the third-order effects (long-term ripple impacts that most people overlook).

Highlight any risks, unintended consequences, or hidden dependencies.

Suggest alternate choices or mitigations that could improve the outcome.

Think like a strategist who maps out how one move changes the entire system.

3. 360° Decision Prompt

Prompt:
I’m stuck on [problem/decision].
Break down my situation using the following structure:

1. Diagnose the Problem (First Principles)
Clarify the real root cause vs surface symptoms
Identify constraints, hidden assumptions, and risks

2. Generate 3–4 Strategic Options
For each option, provide:
Summary of the approach
Pros and Cons
Risks & failure modes
Required resources (time, money, people)
Expected short-term impact
Expected long-term impact

3. Decision Matrix (Score Each Option 1–10)
Use a weighted scoring model that includes:
Impact
Effort required
Reversibility (how easy it is to undo)
Speed of execution
Strategic alignment
Risk level
Then calculate a Total Score and rank the options.

4. Risk Map (High/Medium/Low)
Place each option in a simple risk map:
High risk / high reward
Low risk / medium reward
High risk / low reward
Low risk / high reward

5. Final Recommendation
Based on the data above, provide:
The best option
Why it’s best
The first 3 steps I should take in the next 48 hours

6. Bonus: If you see a better option I didn’t consider, propose it.

Keep your tone objective, strategic, and practical.

4. Reveal Hidden Consequences Before They Happen

Prompt:
Deliver a comprehensive and structured analysis of the action’s impact chain, emphasizing clarity, logical reasoning, and probabilistic weighting.

# Impact Chain Analysis Framework

Analyze the impacts of **[your subject]** as follows:

**Subject** ━━┣━━> **Direct Impact** (Most likely effect, evidence: [H/M/L]) ━━> **Secondary Effect** (Ripple outcomes)  
**       **┣━━> **Side Effect** (Unintended consequences) ━━> **Tertiary Impact** (Broader implications)  
**       **┗━━> **Hidden Impact** (Overlooked or subtle effect) ━━> **Long-term Result** (Probable outcome)

### Instructions:
1. For each impact path:
   - Provide supporting evidence with confidence level [High/Medium/Low]
   - Assign probability (%) with margin of error (±%)
   - Note any ethical considerations or sensitive implications
2. Clearly state key assumptions and limitations
3. Identify potential conflicting evidence or alternative viewpoints

### Evidence Quality Levels:
- **High**: Direct data, peer-reviewed research, or verified historical precedent
- **Medium**: Expert opinion, indirect evidence, or comparable case studies
- **Low**: Theoretical models, speculative analysis, or limited data

### Objective:
Provide a thorough analysis of your subject's impacts, including:
1. Clear cause-and-effect relationships
2. Evidence-based reasoning
3. Probability estimates
4. Unintended consequences
5. Long-term implications

Remember to consider both positive and negative impacts across different time scales and stakeholder groups.

Source: r/ChatGPTPro

5. Critical Thinking Pre-Mortem

Prompt:
I am planning to launch the following strategy/project: [insert strategy/project outline]. Before I move forward, I want you to play the role of a critical thinking partner and run a pre-mortem. Imagine that the strategy has failed six months down the road. Walk me through what went wrong, considering potential risks, resource misalignments, timing issues, dependencies, and team coordination problems.

Focus on identifying the most likely causes of failure from all possible angles (execution, market, internal operations, etc.).

What key areas of risk should I be looking out for and addressing right now?

Suggest preventive measures I can take or things I might have overlooked.

Break down the specific steps that, if overlooked, could derail the project and how I can avoid them.

Please be as detailed as possible, giving me specific examples and possible scenarios.

6. Root Cause Analysis

Prompt: 
I want you to act as a process improvement expert and systems thinker. I’m currently facing the following recurring problem: [describe the issue in detail with background context]. Assist me in conducting a Root Cause Analysis to understand and resolve this issue at the source.

Start by helping me clearly define the problem — include when, where, and how often it occurs. Guide me in gathering the relevant data or patterns around this issue. Then, use diagnostic frameworks (like the 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa), or Pareto Principle) to explore possible contributing factors.

Once we identify the most likely root cause(s), recommend practical, realistic solutions to address it — both immediate fixes and long-term preventive strategies.

Bonus: Share an example from a similar situation or industry to show how the same method worked elsewhere.

7. Reverse Engineer Your Gut Feeling

Prompt:
I want you to help me reverse engineer my gut feeling.

Here’s the process I’d like you to follow:

Surface the Intuition:
Ask me what my gut is telling me about this situation/decision. Capture the raw, unfiltered feeling or bias I have.

Identify Inputs:
Break down what subconscious inputs might be feeding this gut feeling (e.g., past experiences, patterns I’ve noticed, risks I’m sensing, hidden fears, or desires).

Uncover Assumptions:
Translate my intuition into explicit assumptions. For example:
“If X happens, then Y is likely.”
“I don’t trust Z because of past failure.”

Test Assumptions:
Stress test those assumptions:
Are they logical?
Are they based on evidence or just fear/personal bias?
Which ones are valid, which need rethinking?

Rationalize the Feeling:
Reframe my gut feeling into a clear, rational explanation. Turn “I just feel uneasy about this deal” into:
“I’m uneasy because the partner has missed deadlines before, which signals reliability risk.”

Decision Support:
Summarize what my gut may actually be pointing to, and give me a balanced recommendation:
When should I listen to my gut?
When should I override it with logic/data?

8. PDCA problem solving framework

Prompt:
Act as a lean operations expert and continuous improvement coach. Help me apply the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) framework to solve the following problem: [Insert the problem in detail, including background, context, and frequency]. Guide me step-by-step through the cycle.

In the Plan phase, help me define the problem clearly, set a measurable goal, identify possible causes (using tools like the 5 Whys or Fishbone Diagram), and outline an action plan.

In the Do phase, explain how to implement a small-scale test or pilot to validate the solution with minimal risk.

In the Check phase, show how to evaluate results against the original goal — what data to track, how to interpret it, and signs that the test is working or not.

In the Act phase, recommend how to scale the solution if it works, or refine the plan and restart the cycle if needed.

Deliver the output as a clean 4-part structure: Plan → Do → Check → Act, and include examples or best practices where helpful.

9. Spot Execution Risks

Prompt:
I’m planning to roll out the following strategy:
[insert plan or outline]

Please analyze it for potential execution risks. Go beyond surface-level issues—think like a critical operator or project manager who has seen real-world rollouts succeed and fail.

Resourcing: Are there risks around budget, staffing, or skill gaps?

Timing: What deadlines, sequencing, or external factors could derail this?

Team alignment: Where might miscommunication, siloed work, or unclear ownership cause problems?

Dependencies: What external vendors, tools, or parallel initiatives could become blockers?

Scalability & sustainability: What happens if the plan grows bigger than expected or drags on longer than planned?

Blind spots: What hidden assumptions might I be missing?

Finally, suggest 3–5 mitigation steps I can take now to reduce the chances of failure.

10. Game Theory Strategist

Prompt:
You’re a former Pentagon strategist turned Silicon Valley conflict hacker. After modeling political conflicts, you realized startup wars, business rivalries, and even personal dilemmas all follow the same rules. Now, you use advanced game theory frameworks to help people make optimal moves in high-stakes scenarios.

Your Mission:
Turn any complex situation into a solvable strategic game by identifying all players, mapping incentives, calculating outcomes, and recommending the highest-value move.

Phase 1 – Problem & Player Deconstruction
Break down the situation. Who’s involved? What’s the core decision or conflict?

Phase 2 – Incentive Mapping & Payoffs
What does each player want? What do they fear? Where are the leverage points?

Phase 3 – Strategy Space Exploration
Explore cooperation, competition, and mixed strategies. What’s possible?

Phase 4 – Equilibrium Analysis
Apply models like Nash Equilibrium and Subgame Perfect Equilibrium. Where does the game stabilize?

Phase 5 – Strategic Action Plan
Recommend primary moves, backup plans, and timing strategies.

Phase 6 – Dynamic Adaptation
Prepare for countermoves, misinformation, signaling, and long-term evolution.

You walk away with a clear, mathematically grounded strategic path — and a decisive edge.

11. Five Thinkers Council for Problem Solving

Prompt:
<context>
You are operating as an elite cognitive simulation engine, designed to emulate a high-level roundtable of historical and modern intellectuals, thinkers, innovators, and leaders. Each advisor brings a unique world view, expertise, and reasoning process that must stay true to their known beliefs and philosophy. The user faces a complex dilemma requiring multi-faceted analysis where contradictions and tensions are valuable insights, not obstacles to resolve. Your simulation must balance intellectual rigor with emotional intelligence, allowing debate and disagreement to surface naturally while guiding toward reflective synthesis rather than rushed consensus.
</context>

<role>
Adopt the role of an expert cognitive simulation engine and advisory council facilitator tasked with orchestrating a roundtable discussion among five chosen historical or contemporary figures. Your primary objective is to simulate authentic perspectives from each advisor, facilitate meaningful debate with reasoned counterpoints, and synthesize diverse viewpoints into actionable insights in a structured dialogue format.
</role>

<information_about_me>
- My decision-making dilemma: [INSERT YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, CONFLICT, OR DECISION]
- My chosen advisor 1: [INSERT NAME AND WHY YOU CHOSE THEM]
- My chosen advisor 2: [INSERT NAME AND WHY YOU CHOSE THEM]
- My chosen advisor 3: [INSERT NAME AND WHY YOU CHOSE THEM]
- My chosen advisor 4: [INSERT NAME AND WHY YOU CHOSE THEM]
- My chosen advisor 5: [INSERT NAME AND WHY YOU CHOSE THEM]
</information_about_me>

<output>
Structure your council simulation with these sections:
● Advisory Panel Intro - Summarize the dilemma and introduce each advisor with their unique strengths
● Roundtable Discussion - Role-play each advisor's initial perspective on the issue
● Crossfire Debate - Simulate disagreements with reasoned counterpoints between advisors
● Synthesis Summary - Highlight core insights, tensions, and tradeoffs that emerged
● Final Reflective Prompt - End with a profound question for deeper self-reflection

Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step. Present your output in the specified format with clear section headers, maintaining a thoughtful and intellectually rigorous tone throughout.
</output>

Source: GodofPrompt

12. Five-Step Reasoning Template

Prompt: 
Before answering, work through this step-by-step:

1. UNDERSTAND: What is the core question being asked?
2. ANALYZE: What are the key factors/components involved?
3. REASON: What logical connections can I make?
4. SYNTHESIZE: How do these elements combine?
5. CONCLUDE: What is the most accurate/helpful response?

Now answer: [YOUR ACTUAL QUESTION]

Source: r/PromptEngineering

13. Decision Matrix Builder

Prompt:
Decision Matrix (Score Each Option 1–10)
Use a weighted scoring model that includes:
Impact
Effort required
Reversibility (how easy it is to undo)
Speed of execution
Strategic alignment
Risk level
Then calculate a Total Score and rank the options.

14. Risk Mapping Prompt

Risk Map (High/Medium/Low)
Place each option in a simple risk map:
High risk / high reward
Low risk / medium reward
High risk / low reward
Low risk / high reward