Library, pattern
Tell me what you're assuming
Catch wrong guesses before an hour of work rests on them.
The idea
Every answer an AI gives rests on assumptions you never see: what you already have, what's included, what order things happen in. Before it does real work, ask it to list those assumptions, mark how sure it is about each, and wait for your corrections.
Why it works
A wrong assumption is cheapest to fix before any work exists. Afterwards, it's buried inside a polished draft and you have to spot it by reading everything. A short list of guesses takes a minute to read. The confidence labels tell you where to look first: anything marked “unclear” is a question the AI should have asked you.
How to do it
- Give it the task as you normally would, with whatever background you have.
- Add the prompt below instead of letting it start.
- Read the “unclear” items first, then the “assuming” ones.
- Correct in specifics: “We already have movers booked for the 14th”, not “that's not quite right”.
- Tell it to go ahead with the corrections.
Before you start on [task], tell me what you're assuming. Use these headings: 1. How you'd approach it 2. What you'd do first, second and third 3. What's included, what isn't, and what could go either way 4. Where it's most likely to go wrong 5. What you're assuming I already have, know or have done Mark each assumption "fairly confident", "assuming" or "unclear". Then stop. I'll correct you before you begin.
When you can't stop to answer questions, use this version instead. The work gets done and you still see which parts rest on a guess.
Don't stop to ask me questions. Where you have to guess, make your best guess and keep going. At the end, list every guess: what you assumed, how sure you are (high, medium or low), and what you based it on.
Worked example
An office move checklist
Priya manages a twelve-person accounting office that's moving across town. She asks for a move checklist, with the assumptions prompt. The list comes back in a minute. Most of it is fine. Three lines aren't: - “Assuming: the company owns its desks and will move them.” (Wrong. The desks stay with the old lease.) - “Unclear: whether client files are paper or digital.” (Both, and the paper ones need a locked crate.) - “Fairly confident: internet will be set up by the building.” (No, the office arranges its own, with a long lead time.) Without the list, the checklist would have included a desk move, skipped the locked crate and left the internet until the last week. Priya fixed three lines instead of rewriting a page.
Common mistakes
- Reading only the confident items. The “unclear” ones are why you asked.
- Letting it skip the stop. If it starts the work anyway, say “list the assumptions only”.
- Vague corrections. “Not quite” gets you a new guess. Say what's true.
- Asking for this on tiny tasks. Save it for work that would take you more than a few minutes to check.
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