Chapter 4: Techniques That Actually Make a Difference

I invest 50,000 rupees at 8% annual compound interest. After 3 years, I withdraw half the total. I then invest the remaining amount at 10% for 2 more years. What is my final amount? Let's work through this step by step, showing each calculation.

I am going to give you a [type of problem]. Solve it by showing your reasoning step by step.

Here is an example of how to show your work:
Question: [simple example question]
Reasoning: [show 2 to 3 clear steps]
Answer: [clear final answer]

Now solve this:
Question: [your actual problem]

I am going to give you word problems. Solve each one by showing your reasoning step by step, like this example:

Question: If a train travels at 60 km/h for 2.5 hours, how far does it go?
Reasoning: Speed is 60 km/h. Time is 2.5 hours. Distance equals speed times time. 60 times 2.5 equals 150.
Answer: 150 km.

Now solve this:
Question: A rectangular garden is 12 metres long and 8 metres wide. I want to build a path 1 metre wide around the entire garden. What is the area of just the path?

I want to ask an AI to help me write a cover letter for a product manager job at a fintech startup. I have 5 years of experience in software project management. Write the most effective prompt I could use to get a great cover letter. Include what context I should provide and how I should structure my request.

Here is a prompt I wrote: 'Help me plan a marketing campaign for my new mobile app.' How can this be improved to get better results? Rewrite it with improvements and explain what you changed and why.

You are an expert prompt engineer. I am going to give you a prompt and I want you to rate it on three criteria: clarity (is it unambiguous?), specificity (does it constrain the output enough?), and completeness (does it include all necessary context?). Rate each from 1 to 10, explain your rating, then rewrite the prompt to score 9 or higher on all three.

Here is my prompt: 'Write a blog post about AI in healthcare.'

I want to ask an AI to [describe your task in plain language]. I have [relevant context about yourself or the situation].

Write the most effective prompt I could use to get a great result. The prompt should include:
  What role the AI should take
  What context is needed
  What the specific task is
  What format the output should be in
  Any constraints or boundaries

Then explain why you structured the prompt this way.

What are the current corporate tax rates in India for domestic companies?

Follow-up: Review your previous answer. For each tax rate you mentioned, check whether it is current as of 2026. If you are not confident about any specific number, flag it and say so. Rate your overall confidence from 1 to 10.

What are the current corporate tax rates in India for domestic companies?

Calculate the return on investment for this scenario: [scenario]. First solve it using the simple ROI formula. Then solve it again using the discounted cash flow method. Do the two approaches give consistent results? If not, explain the discrepancy.

Analyse these three product reviews and extract the following information for each. Format your response as a table with these exact columns: Reviewer Name, Sentiment (positive/negative/mixed), Main Complaint or Praise, Star Rating (1 to 5).

Here is an example row:
Reviewer Name: Priya S.
Sentiment: Positive
Main Complaint or Praise: Loved the battery life
Star Rating: 4

Now analyse these reviews:
[paste reviews]

You are an experienced e-commerce copywriter. Write a product description for [PRODUCT NAME], a [PRODUCT CATEGORY] that [KEY FEATURE]. Structure it as a headline, a 2 to 3 sentence hook, 4 benefit bullet points, and a call to action. Keep it under [WORD LIMIT] words. The tone should be [TONE] and the target customer is [CUSTOMER DESCRIPTION].