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Write technical specifications

This is real work, not a feature someone invented — it comes from real job ads and real questions people asked. Below are four ready AI prompts: get it done, make it easy for the next person to say yes to, work out the right move when you are stuck, and stop it coming back.

4prompts

The same task, four prompts

today's deadline · the next reviewer · the stuck moment · the pattern
AExecute — do the immediate taskWrite the technical specification for the new 'Customer Onboarding API', detailing the…+
Write the technical specification for the new 'Customer Onboarding API', detailing the endpoints, request/response formats, and authentication methods. Include examples for each endpoint and have it ready for the development team by Tuesday.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
BImprove — make it easier to acceptBefore I finalize the technical specification for the 'Real-time Analytics Dashboard', review…+
Before I finalize the technical specification for the 'Real-time Analytics Dashboard', review the existing 'User Management API' spec. Identify any ambiguities that led to developer questions, areas where the documentation was incomplete, or sections that caused integration headaches for external partners. Suggest how to improve clarity and completeness for the new spec, especially regarding error handling and rate limits, so our developers aren't guessing.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
CDecide — diagnose the stuck momentThe lead developer just pushed back hard on the database schema I proposed in the 'Inventory…+
The lead developer just pushed back on the database schema in my spec, saying it won't scale, and I'm not sure how to reconcile it with the product manager's requirements.
The lead developer just pushed back hard on the database schema I proposed in the 'Inventory Management System' technical specification, saying it won't scale past a few thousand items. The product manager, however, insists on a flexible category structure that my current design supports. I'm afraid of delaying the project, but I also don't want to build something that fails later. What's the best way to reconcile these two conflicting requirements, and what's the most effective next step to get both parties aligned without compromising the project timeline?
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
DBecome — change the patternI'm constantly getting caught by missing details in my technical specifications, which leads to…+
I keep getting caught by missing details in my technical specifications, leading to rework and delays.
I'm constantly getting caught by missing details in my technical specifications, which leads to developers making assumptions and requiring rework later. Things like edge cases for error handling or specific data validation rules often get overlooked, causing project delays and frustration. What habit should I change in my specification writing process to ensure I'm consistently capturing all necessary details upfront, anticipating potential issues, and delivering a truly comprehensive document every time?
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Questions people actually ask

honest answers, no sign-up

Every task here was seen in the real world. Someone doing the job named it, a real job ad asked for it, or a lot of people asked about it online.

If nothing real showed a task, it is not on the page. That is the whole rule.

They are the same job approached four ways, because what you need depends on where you are.

Get it done today. Make it easy for the next person to say yes to. Work out the right move when you are stuck. Learn the pattern so the job stops coming back.

For most of these jobs it can carry the heavy thinking - draft it, sort it, check it, rehearse it with you.

It cannot sit in your chair, take the blame when a number is wrong, or notice what nobody wrote down. Let it do the first 80%. Keep the last 20% that is truly yours.

No. Copy any prompt and paste it into the AI you already use. No account, no score, no wall in the way.

Any of them. The prompts describe the work rather than naming a product, so they are not tied to one assistant.

That is also why they keep working when you switch.

Change it freely. Every prompt is a starting line, not a rule.

Put in your real numbers, your real names and your real deadline. The more you make it yours, the better the answer comes back.

The tasks come from real job ads, published job data and the questions people ask in public forums.

The steps come from HTML's own documentation, with practitioner sources for the traps the manual does not mention.

Push once. Ask it to sharpen the weakest part and to say what it assumed.

Most wrong answers come from a missing detail rather than a bad prompt - tell it the thing it could not know.