💡 These are prompt prefixes — paste them at the start of any Claude prompt to instantly change how it thinks.
🔥 The 5 From the Video
| # | Code | What It Does | Best Used For |
| 1 | Pre-mortem: | Assumes failure 6 months from now, works backward | Plans, launches, decisions |
| 2 | Assume I'm wrong: | Finds every flaw in your own position before you defend it | Arguments, strategies, beliefs you hold |
| 3 | Red team this: | Attacks your idea from every critic angle | Pitches, strategies, proposals |
| 4 | Give me the 10/10 version: | Rewrites your work at world-class level | Emails, plans, pitches, any writing |
| 5 | Break this down from first principles: | Strips assumptions, rebuilds from ground truth | Any problem needing original thinking |
➕ 10 More Secret Codes
| # | Code | What It Does | Best Used For |
| 6 | ELI5: | Explains like you're 5 | Complex topics: tax law, contracts, technical docs |
| 7 | Devil's advocate: | Takes the opposing stance, even if wrong | Testing your reasoning |
| 8 | Second-order effects: | Thinks 2–3 steps beyond the obvious outcome | Strategy, policy, business decisions |
| 9 | Invert this: | Flips the problem — asks what would make it fail | Problem-solving, goal-setting |
| 10 | Rubber duck this: | Walks through your logic out loud to find the flaw | Debugging, stuck thinking |
| 11 | As a skeptic: | Responds with healthy doubt and challenges every claim | Fact-checking, research |
| 12 | Compress this: | Cuts to the absolute minimum — no fluff | Summaries, TL;DRs, pitches |
| 13 | Steel thread: | Finds the single most important insight in a pile of info | Research, long docs, meeting notes |
| 14 | Taboo words: [X, Y, Z] — | Explains something without using those words | Forcing clarity, teaching simply |
| 15 | What would [person] say? | Channels a specific thinker's perspective | Strategy, creativity, leadership |
📋 Copy-Paste Prompt Templates
💀 Pre-Mortem – Find What Will Kill Your Plan
Pre-mortem: It's 6 months from now and [your project/plan] has completely failed. What went wrong? Work backwards and give me the top reasons it didn't work.
[paste your plan here]🪞 Assume I'm Wrong – Find Your Own Flaws
Assume I'm wrong: Here's my position — [your argument or belief]. Find every flaw, gap, or weak assumption in my thinking. Be direct.🎯 Red Team – Attack Your Own Idea
Red team this: Here's my plan/pitch/decision. Attack it from every angle a critic, investor, or skeptic would. Don't hold back.
[paste your plan here]⭐ Give Me the 10/10 Version – Rewrite at World-Class Level
Give me the 10/10 version: Here's my [email/plan/pitch]. Rewrite it as if a world-class expert wrote it from scratch. Don't just make it better — make it the best possible version.
[paste your draft here]⚙️ First Principles – Strip It Back to Truth
Break this down from first principles: [your question or problem]. Don't give me recycled advice — start from what's actually true and build up from there.🔄 Invert This – Flip the Problem
Invert this: Instead of asking how to achieve [goal], ask what would guarantee I fail at it — then reverse those answers.
[paste your goal here]🧵 Steel Thread – Find the One Key Insight
Steel thread: Read this and tell me the single most important insight I should take away. Cut everything else.
[paste content here]🚫 Taboo Words – Force Clarity
Taboo words: [word1, word2, word3] — Explain [topic] without using those words.Example:
Taboo words: blockchain, decentralized, crypto — Explain how NFTs work.⚡ Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
🔵 UNDERSTAND IT
ELI5: → Simplify anything
Think out loud: → Show me the reasoning
Compress this: → Give me the TL;DR
🔴 STRESS TEST IT
Pre-mortem: → Find what kills your plan
Red team this: → Attack from all angles
Assume I'm wrong: → Find flaws in my own thinking
Devil's advocate: → Push back on my thinking
🟡 REFRAME IT
Break this down from first principles: → Original thinking only
Invert this: → What would guarantee failure?
Second-order effects: → What happens after what happens?
🟢 FIND THE SIGNAL
Steel thread: → One key insight from everything
Rubber duck this: → Walk through my logic
As a skeptic: → Challenge every claim
🟣 UPGRADE IT
Give me the 10/10 version: → World-class rewrite of anything
What would [person] say? → See through a different mind
Taboo words: [X] — → Explain without those words🎯 Pro tip: Stack these codes. Try: "Pre-mortem + first principles: Here's my startup idea..." — you'll get a depth of analysis most people never see.