5 founders share AI prompts that actually work

Large-scale language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace.

But to get the most out of these artificial intelligence tools, you need the right know-how and prompting skills.

smart company We asked local founders which prompts they use to get the most value from their preferred AI chat tools.

Here's what they have to say and offers tips for customer research, strategic planning, and even LLM housekeeping.

Aamir Qutub, CEO and Founder of Enterprise Monkey said:

You are an expert marketing strategist with deep experience in Australian men's wear e-commerce. I would like you to create a marketing plan for my business right away. Before that, please interview me to understand my organization, my goals, and the background I need to get it right.

Amir Qutb, founder and CEO of web and app development company Enterprise Monkey, says a little prompt beforehand can go a long way.

Asking the LLM to take on an expert persona before providing further information “completely changed my prompting strategy,” Qutb said.

The self-proclaimed AI enthusiast said a simple question like “What is your marketing plan for a fashion e-commerce business” gets a helpful but generic answer.

“Now I always give the AI a role, explain my situation, and ask it to interview me before responding,” he said.

Janhvi Sirohi, CEO and Co-Founder, Outread:

Sample your inner thoughts using a variety of verbalized rationales.

According to Janvhi Sirohi, CEO of Outread, asking AI tools to demonstrate their behavior can lead to better answers. Outread itself uses AI technology to summarize academic papers.

Sirohi pointed to recent research on “mode collapse.” This is a phenomenon in which the LLM may learn to produce particularly persuasive output for certain prompts at the detriment of other useful responses.

Asks LLM to create a list of responses to the specified prompt. and The probability of returning each specific response can help LLM avoid “mode collapse.”

Simply put, this means that adding phrases like “Please sample your inner thoughts with a variety of verbalized rationales” to your regular prompts may reveal where your LLM may be taking shortcuts.

“We found this tool useful for a variety of tasks, including financial statement analysis, market analysis, and risk assessment,” she said.

Sabri Subhi, Founder of King Kong:

Serve as my Chief Strategy Officer. Please challenge my hypothesis and stress test this
plan. What am I missing?

Sabri Subhi, founder of digital marketing agency King Kong, says successful AI users don't treat LLMs as simple answering machines.

“Most people write the prompt as if they were ordering a sandwich,” he said.

“Winning founders are those who use AI as a thinking partner, not a vending machine.”

Suby uses this prompt, along with a long voice note, to provide the LLM with the information it needs to critique the proposed course of action.

Shivani Gopal, CEO and Founder of Elladex, said:

What work do we actually need to do for this customer? Are we really solving their most important problems?

According to Shivani Gopal, CEO of digital mentoring marketplace Elladex, writing a clear customer archetype helps LLMs generate useful feedback.

Once your AI tools have a good handle on these archetypes, as well as common issues and complaints, you can begin to consider what can be improved.

And like Suby, Gopal said AI tools can highlight areas for improvement.

Based on my strategic plan and what I shared about my business this year, where were my blind spots? What went well and where did I fall short?

With the right prompts, LLMs can create “a real year in review, not a highlight reel,” Gopal said.

Follow-up prompts and additional context help these tools generate more detailed responses.

These prompts can be specific.

Surface where energy is leaking and where you may be over-indexing on urgent but low-impact tasks.

Or even more freely:

What were the biggest challenges and distractions that took time away from my core purpose and strategic priorities?

Phoebe Netto, Founder and Managing Director of Pure Public Relations, said:

You are a skeptical buyer. List any objections, hesitations, or unspoken concerns you might have about this proposal. This includes things that people are unlikely to say out loud.

Phoebe Netto, founder of Pure Public Relations, agrees that AI tools can provide honest and solid advice to those who need it.

More specifically, users should “ask the AI to destroy you,” she says.

“AI is a great tool to facilitate this kind of thinking because it has no ego, no incentive to stick to ‘the way things have been done’ and protect your feelings,” she says.

She recommends using LLM as a sparring partner for hard hitters, rather than a tool to polish rough drafts or provide sycophantic support.

“If you just rely on AI to support your ideas, you're reinforcing your blind spots,” she says.

“If you seek challenges, you will build stronger strategies, sharper messages, and more resilient businesses.”

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