The complete brief
An AI only knows what's in front of it. Every gap in your request gets filled with a guess, and guesses come out generic. A colleague would stop and ask which customer you meant. An AI usually doesn't. It picks the likeliest answer and writes it up with confidence.
So tell it these five things before it starts.
| Tell it | What to say | For example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The goal | The result you want, in one sentence. | “Customers accept the new price and don't cancel.” |
| 2. Who it's for, and the context | Who will read or use it, what they'll do with it, and what has happened so far. | “Long-time customers, mostly retired, who read email on their phones.” |
| 3. What you're giving it | The notes, draft or numbers you're pasting, and which parts to rely on. | “My notes below. The prices in them are final.” |
| 4. The limits | Length, tone, deadline, budget, what to avoid, what must stay true. | “Under 150 words. Warm, not apologetic. Don't promise anything new.” |
| 5. What good looks like | The format, and how you'll judge it. | “A subject line and a short email with one clear next step.” |
Goal: [the result you want, in one sentence] Who it's for: [who will read or use it, and what they'll do with it] Context: [what has happened so far, anything unusual] What I'm giving you: [describe what's pasted below, and which parts to rely on] Limits: [length, tone, deadline, budget, what to avoid, what must stay true] What good looks like: [the format, and how I'll judge it] If something important is missing, ask me up to 3 questions before you start. Don't invent facts, names or numbers. [paste your material here]
Before and after
Dana runs a three-person cleaning company. Before: “Write an email telling customers our prices are going up.” The draft that came back apologised three times, invented a reason (“rising fuel costs”) and closed with a discount she doesn't offer. After: “Goal: regular customers accept the new rate and stay. Who it's for: about 40 households, many retired, who read email on their phones. Context: this is our first increase in three years. What I'm giving you: the old and new prices below, which are final. Limits: under 150 words, warm and plain, no discounts, no reasons I haven't given. What good looks like: a subject line, the new price in the first two sentences, and my phone number for questions.” The second draft needed one small edit.
Short on time? The goal and what good looks like do the most work. Add the rest when the answer matters.
ai.donnaruma.us/library/complete-brief