#52 ⚽World Cup Heat｜Introducing 100 'Request Patterns' for AI. I've categorized and listed the shortcuts｜The World Cup is over, isn't it... I had prepared an eye-catching image expecting Argentina to win, but... Spain was too strong
Target Audience: Practitioners (1st-year engineers and up)
#GenerativeAI #AI
Unlike my usual articles, this time I'm introducing AI prompts! This content is the same as what I posted on the Axis internal community site.
Since it was well-received, I decided to post it on note.
There are 9 categories in total, covering everything from understanding and learning to analysis and problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, planning and execution, idea generation, writing, consulting and management, and security and IT. I've collected shortcuts for prompts that can be used in every business situation.
Each one is a short 'pattern,' but knowing them completely changes the resolution of how you ask AI for things. I hope you'll bookmark this and use it as a 'quick reference guide' that you can consult immediately when you get stuck.
Note that the 'shortcuts' here are common thinking frameworks and abbreviations like ELI5 and SWOT, to which I have added my own names to make them easier to remember; they are not official commands built into AI services.
1. Understanding & Learning Shortcuts (No. 1–10)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to 'understand or learn something'.
ELI5 — Use when you want it explained as if to a 5-year-old. Example: 'Please explain Zero Trust using ELI5.'
ELI10 — Use when you want it explained as if to a 10-year-old, a bit more detailed than ELI5. Example: 'Please explain how the cloud works using ELI10.'
FEYNMAN — Use when you want the essence explained simply without using technical jargon. Example: 'Please explain the principles of quantum computing using FEYNMAN.'
TLDR — Use when you want a long text or document summarized in a single sentence. Example: 'Please summarize this report using TLDR.'
ANALOGY — Use when you want to aid understanding by replacing it with a familiar analogy. Example: 'Please explain the role of a firewall using ANALOGY.'
SIMPLIFY — Use when you want a complex explanation turned into simpler language. Example: 'Please SIMPLIFY this technical document.'
DEEPDIVE — Use when you want a topic explained in greater depth. Example: 'Please DEEPDIVE into SASE.'
CoT (Chain of Thought) — Use when you want not just the conclusion, but the basis for the judgment shown in a verifiable, step-by-step manner (note that the explanation displayed is not necessarily the AI's actual internal thought process). Example: 'Please explain the reasoning behind this judgment step-by-step using CoT.'
TIMELINE — Use when you want events or history organized chronologically. Example: 'Please organize the flow of this response using TIMELINE.'
FAQ — Use when you want it summarized in a frequently asked questions and answers format. Example: 'Please summarize this product in an FAQ format.'
2. Analysis & Problem-Solving Shortcuts (No. 11–25)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to analyze 'what is happening or what the cause is'.
SWOT — Use when you want to organize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Example: 'Please organize our company's cloud strategy using SWOT.'
ROOTCAUSE (Root Cause Analysis) — Use this when you want to identify the root cause of a problem. Example: "Please analyze the ROOTCAUSE of this incident."
5WHYS — Use this when you want to dig deeper into a cause by repeating "why" five times. Example: "Please dig into this trouble using 5WHYS."
GAP ANALYSIS — Use this when you want to organize the difference between the current state and the desired state. Example: "Please perform a GAP ANALYSIS of the current structure and the goal."
PROSCONS — Use this when you want to organize and compare merits and demerits. Example: "Please organize the PROSCONS of this proposal."
TRADEOFFS — Use this when you want to organize trade-offs, i.e., what you lose in exchange for what you gain. Example: "Please organize the TRADEOFFS between cost and speed."
RISK ANALYSIS — Use this when you want to identify potential risks. Example: "Please perform a RISK ANALYSIS of this plan."
PITFALLS (Pitfall Analysis) — Use this when you want to be pointed out potential pitfalls that are easily overlooked. Example: "Please tell me the PITFALLS of this design."
PREMORTEM (Failure Prediction) — Use this when you want to predict causes in advance, assuming failure. Example: "Please perform a PREMORTEM for this project."
POSTMORTEM (Retrospective Analysis) — Use this when you want to look back on past events and organize lessons learned. Example: "Please summarize the POSTMORTEM for this release."
ASSUMPTIONS (Assumption Organization) — Use this when you want to identify the conditions that serve as the basis for a discussion. Example: "Please organize the ASSUMPTIONS for this proposal."
EDGE CASES (Exception Case Identification) — Use this when you want to identify exception patterns that are easily overlooked. Example: "Please tell me the EDGE CASES for this specification."
IMPACT ANALYSIS — Use this when you want to organize the impact of changes or measures. Example: "Please perform an IMPACT ANALYSIS of this configuration change."
DEPENDENCIES (Organize dependencies) — Use when you want to organize the dependencies between tasks or elements. Example: 'Please organize the DEPENDENCIES for this project.'
BOTTLENECK (Identify bottlenecks) — Use when you want to identify the parts that are becoming bottlenecks in the overall process. Example: 'Please identify the BOTTLENECK in this workflow.'
3. Critical Thinking Shortcuts (No. 26–35)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to verify, 'Is this really okay?'
CRITIC (Critique) — Use when you want someone to critique a plan or text and point out its weaknesses. Example: 'Please CRITIC this project proposal.'
RED TEAM (Adversarial perspective) — Use when you want someone to look for weaknesses from an attacker's or adversarial perspective. Example: 'Please verify this security measure from a RED TEAM perspective.'
BLUE TEAM (Defensive measures) — Use when you want someone to think of defensive measures against weaknesses found by the RED TEAM. Example: 'Please think of BLUE TEAM countermeasures for the weaknesses mentioned earlier.'
DEVILS ADVOCATE (Devil's advocate) — Use when you want someone to intentionally offer an opinion from the opposing side. Example: 'Please argue against this policy from the position of a DEVILS ADVOCATE.'
SKEPTIC (Skeptical verification) — Use when you want someone to verify something skeptically rather than taking it at face value. Example: 'Please verify this claim from a SKEPTIC perspective.'
FACT CHECK (Fact verification) — Use when you want someone to verify the factual accuracy of the content. Example: 'Please FACT CHECK this report.'
BIAS CHECK (Check for bias) — Use when you want someone to check if there is any bias in your thinking or writing. Example: 'Please run a BIAS CHECK on this analysis.'
COUNTERARGUMENT (Create counterarguments) — Use when you want someone to create counterarguments to a claim. Example: 'Please think of a COUNTERARGUMENT to this conclusion.'
OBJECTION (Organize anticipated objections) — Use when you want someone to proactively organize anticipated opposing opinions. Example: 'Please anticipate and organize the OBJECTIONS to this proposal.'
FAILURE MODE (Failure mode analysis) — Use when you want someone to analyze how something might break or fail. Example: 'Please analyze the FAILURE MODE of this system.'
4. Decision-Making Shortcuts (No. 36–45)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to decide 'which one to choose.'
DECISION MATRIX (Score Comparison) — Use this when you want to score and compare multiple options based on specific criteria. Example: 'Please compare these three proposals using a DECISION MATRIX.'
PRIORITIZE (Prioritization) — Use this when you want to prioritize tasks or issues. Example: 'Please PRIORITIZE this list of tasks.'
MoSCoW — Use this when you want to organize requirements for the current period into four categories: Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won't Have this time. Example: 'Please classify this list of requirements using MoSCoW.'
RICE — Use this when you want to evaluate initiatives from the perspectives of Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. Example: 'Please evaluate these potential initiatives using RICE.'
COST BENEFIT (Cost-Effectiveness) — Use this when you want to compare costs against expected benefits. Example: 'Please organize the COST BENEFIT of this investment proposal.'
SCENARIO (Scenario Analysis) — Use this when you want to envision and organize multiple future scenarios. Example: 'Please think of three SCENARIO patterns for the next year.'
WHAT IF (Hypothesis Testing) — Use this when you want to test what happens based on a specific hypothesis. Example: 'Please consider this using a WHAT IF scenario where the budget is halved.'
OPTIONS (Presenting Choices) — Use this when you want to be presented with multiple possible options. Example: 'Please present OPTIONS for this issue.'
RECOMMEND (Presenting Recommendations) — Use this when you want a recommendation from among multiple options. Example: 'Please tell me which option you RECOMMEND from the OPTIONS mentioned earlier.'
FIRST PRINCIPLES (First Principles Thinking) — Use this when you want to question assumptions and rethink from the ground up. Example: 'Please rethink this custom using FIRST PRINCIPLES.'
5. Planning and Execution Shortcuts (No. 46–55)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to organize 'how to put decisions into action.'
ACTION PLAN (Execution Plan) — Use this when you want to break things down into a concrete execution plan. Example: 'Please create an ACTION PLAN for this policy.'
ROADMAP — Use this when you want to organize a medium-to-long-term path as a roadmap. Example: 'Please create a ROADMAP for the next six months.'
CHECKLIST — Use this when you want a checklist to prevent omissions. Example: 'Please create a CHECKLIST before the release.'
MILESTONES — Use this when you want to set milestones to measure progress. Example: 'Please set the MILESTONES for this project.'
TASK BREAKDOWN — Use this when you want to break down a large task into actionable units. Example: 'Please perform a TASK BREAKDOWN for this work.'
NEXT STEPS — Use this when you want to know the next actions to take immediately. Example: 'Please tell me the NEXT STEPS for this discussion.'
GANTT — Use this when you want to organize a schedule in a Gantt chart format. Example: 'Please put this schedule into GANTT format.'
OWNERSHIP — Use this when you want to clarify who is responsible for what. Example: 'Please organize the OWNERSHIP for these tasks.'
RACI — Use this when you want to clarify Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed roles. Example: 'Please organize the RACI for this project.'
RISK MITIGATION — Use this when you want to think of concrete measures against risks. Example: 'Please think of RISK MITIGATION for the risks mentioned earlier.'
6. Shortcuts for Idea Generation (No. 56-65)
These are shortcuts to use when you want 'new ideas'.
BRAINSTORM — Use this when you want to freely generate ideas. Example: 'Please BRAINSTORM ideas for a new service.'
IdeaShower — Use this when you want to prioritize quantity over quality and generate a large number of ideas (e.g., 20). Example: 'Please use IdeaShower to come up with 20 solutions for this problem.'
SCAMPER — Use this when you want to expand your thinking using perspectives like Substitute, Combine, Adapt, etc. Example: 'Please provide improvement ideas for this product using the SCAMPER method.'
MINDMAP — Use this when you want to organize ideas by branching them out. Example: 'Please organize this theme using a MINDMAP.'
INNOVATE (Innovative Proposal) — Use when you want an innovative proposal that goes beyond existing frameworks. Example: 'Please come up with a plan to INNOVATE this task.'
ALTERNATIVES (Presenting Alternatives) — Use when you want multiple (e.g., three) alternatives presented. Example: 'Please list 3 ALTERNATIVES for this method.'
COMBINE (Combinatorial Thinking) — Use when you want to create new ideas by combining multiple existing ones. Example: 'Please COMBINE these two plans.'
OUTOFTHEBOX (Thinking Outside the Box) — Use when you want ideas that are not bound by conventional wisdom. Example: 'Please think about this problem OUTOFTHEBOX.'
REVERSE THINKING (Reverse Thinking) — Use when you want to intentionally think from the opposite perspective. Example: 'Please think about this goal using REVERSE THINKING.'
CRAZY8 (Sketch 8 Ideas in 8 Minutes) — Originally a design sprint method where you divide paper into 8 sections and sketch 8 ideas in 8 minutes. When applied to AI, use it when you want 8 different directions presented in a short time. Example: 'Please provide solutions for this issue using CRAZY8.'
7. Writing Shortcuts (No. 66-80)
These are shortcuts used for 'writing, refining, and changing formats'.
REWRITE (Rewrite) — Use when you want text rewritten. Example: 'Please REWRITE this text.'
HUMANIZE (Make Natural) — Use when you want to remove the 'AI-like' feel and make the text sound natural. Example: 'Please HUMANIZE this text.'
JARGONIZE (Use Technical Terms) — Use when you intentionally want text that uses technical jargon. Example: 'Please JARGONIZE this explanation.'
POLISH (Refine) — Use when you want text refined and brushed up. Example: 'Please POLISH this text.'
HOOK (Create Introduction) — Use when you want multiple (e.g., three) introductory sentences that grab the reader's interest. Example: 'Please create 3 patterns of HOOKs for this article.'
STORY (Storytelling) — Use when you want content rewritten into a story format. Example: 'Please put this case study into STORY format.'
EXEC SUMMARY (Executive Summary) — Use this when you want to summarize key points for management in a few lines (e.g., 3 lines). Example: 'Please summarize this document into 3 lines using EXEC SUMMARY.'
LISTIFY (Bullet Points) — Use this when you want to convert text into bullet points. Example: 'Please LISTIFY this explanation.'
EMAIL MODE (Email Format) — Use this when you want to format content as an email. Example: 'Please put this notification into EMAIL MODE.'
SLIDE MODE (Slide Format) — Use this when you want to format content as a slide presentation. Example: 'Please put this proposal into SLIDE MODE.'
MEETING MINUTES (Meeting Minutes) — Use this when you want to summarize conversations or exchanges into meeting minutes. Example: 'Please turn these meeting details into MEETING MINUTES.'
TITLEBOOSTER (Title Generation) — Use this when you want to generate multiple title variations (e.g., 5 patterns). Example: 'Please generate 5 title patterns for this article using TITLEBOOSTER.'
ThreadWriter (X Thread) — Use this when you want to convert content into an X (Twitter) thread format. Example: 'Please turn this article into a thread using ThreadWriter.'
TONE SHIFT (Tone Change) — Use this when you want to change the tone of the text (e.g., formal to casual). Example: 'Please TONE SHIFT this text to be more casual.'
TRANSLATE (Translation) — Use this when you want to translate text into another language. Example: 'Please TRANSLATE this notice into English.'
8. Consulting & Management Shortcuts (No. 81-90)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to organize things from a management or business perspective.
PORTER5 (Five Forces Analysis) — Use this when you want to analyze an industry structure using the five forces. Example: 'Please analyze this industry using PORTER5.'
PESTLE (External Environment Analysis) — Use this when you want to analyze the six external factors: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental. Example: 'Please perform a PESTLE analysis for this business.'
BCG MATRIX — Use this when you want to classify businesses or products by market growth rate and market share. Example: 'Please classify our product line using the BCG MATRIX.'
VALUE CHAIN (Value Chain Analysis) — Use this when you want to analyze which processes are generating value. Example: 'Please analyze the VALUE CHAIN of this business.'
OKR — Use this when you want to design objectives and key results. Example: 'Please create the OKR for next term.'
KPI DESIGN — Use this when you want to design metrics to measure goal achievement. Example: 'Please perform KPI DESIGN for this project.'
BUSINESS CASE (Creating Investment Decision Documents) — Use this when you want to create a document that evaluates the validity of investments or initiatives by organizing options, costs, benefits, and risks, rather than just a simple business plan. Example: 'Please create a BUSINESS CASE for this new business.'
ROI (ROI Estimation) — Use this when you want to estimate the cost-effectiveness of an investment. Example: 'Please estimate the ROI for this initiative.'
STAKEHOLDER (Stakeholder Analysis) — Use this when you want to organize stakeholders and their interests. Example: 'Please organize the STAKEHOLDERs for this project.'
CHANGE MANAGEMENT — Use this when you want to organize how to proceed with organizational changes. Example: 'Please think about the CHANGE MANAGEMENT for this policy change.'
9. Security & IT Shortcuts (No. 91–100)
These are shortcuts to use when you want to 'review from a system and security perspective.'
THREAT MODEL (Threat Modeling) — Use this when you want to systematically organize not just a list of threats, but also assets to protect, system configuration, attack vectors, risks, and countermeasures. Example: 'Please create a THREAT MODEL for this system.'
ATTACK TREE — Use this when you want to organize the steps an attacker takes to reach a goal in a tree structure. Example: 'Please create an ATTACK TREE for this intrusion scenario.'
ZERO TRUST (Zero Trust Perspective) — Use this when you want to review a configuration from a zero-trust perspective. Example: 'Please review this network configuration from a ZERO TRUST perspective.'
SECURITY REVIEW — Use this when you want a review from a security perspective. Example: 'Please perform a SECURITY REVIEW of this design.'
ARCHITECT REVIEW (Configuration Review) — Use this when you want a review from a system configuration perspective. Example: 'Please perform an ARCHITECT REVIEW of this architecture.'
DESIGN REVIEW — Use this when you want a review of your design content. Example: "Please DESIGN REVIEW this functional design."
PERFORMANCE REVIEW — Use this when you want an evaluation of performance aspects. Example: "Please perform a PERFORMANCE REVIEW of this system."
CAPACITY PLAN — Use this when you want a plan for the amount of resources needed in the future. Example: "Please create a CAPACITY PLAN for the next fiscal year."
TROUBLESHOOT — Use this when you want to isolate the cause of an error that has occurred. Example: "Please TROUBLESHOOT this error."
LESSONS LEARNED — Use this when you want to organize the lessons learned from this experience. Example: "Please summarize the LESSONS LEARNED from this project."
Summary
In summary, the 100 shortcuts listed here are meant to serve as patterns for 'what' and 'how' to ask AI in your daily work. You don't need to memorize them all. First, bookmark this article, and when you get stuck, look for the relevant category and use it. As a next step, I recommend choosing 3 to 5 that you use often and incorporating them into your actual prompts.
Finally... a quick plug: We are looking for new colleagues to work with!
Starting with the Axis NW Team PR department writing this article, our company is currently actively hiring new members. We have an environment where you can take on exciting challenges with cutting-edge AI as your partner. Why not have a casual chat first? Whether you are a new graduate or an experienced hire, please feel free to check us out!
⇒Axis Inc. HR Recruitment (note)
⇒Axis Inc. Job Information (full of interviews with my colleagues)
⇒Axis Inc. Mid-career Recruitment Site
⇒Axis Inc. Homepage