Goal and task

Also called: stating what you want

DEFINITION

The single most important part of a prompt: say plainly what you want to end up with, and what job the model is doing. A clear goal does more than any clever phrasing.

WHY IT MATTERS

Most disappointing results trace back to a vague ask, not a weak model. Naming the outcome — 'a three-sentence summary for a customer' — removes the guesswork the model would otherwise fill with averages.

COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH

A topic. 'Write about onboarding' is a topic; 'draft a 5-step onboarding checklist for new nurses' is a goal.