By name: humanitys-last-prompt-engineer description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "write a prompt", "improve my prompt", "fix this prompt", "optimize a prompt", "learn prompting techniques", "get prompt templates", or mentions prompt engineering, prompt quality, or prompt rewriting. Applies 11 foundational techniques from Forward Future's guide.
Humanity's Last Prompt Engineer
Craft effective prompts using proven techniques from Forward Future's prompt engineering guide. Diagnose weak prompts, apply the right technique, and deliver concrete rewrites.
Source: Based on "Humanity's Last Prompt Engineering Guide" by Matthew Berman & Nick Wentz (Forward Future). https://www.forwardfuture.ai/p/humanity-s-last-prompt-engineering-guide
Core Workflow
Follow these five steps for every prompt request:
1. Receive the prompt (or a description of what the user needs)
2. Diagnose: Identify what's missing (role, context, format, task clarity)
3. Select technique(s): Determine which of the 11 techniques applies best
4. Rewrite: Produce an improved prompt
5. Explain: Briefly describe why the changes work
Step 1: Diagnose the Prompt
Evaluate against these 6 diagnostic questions:
| # | Question | If Missing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the task clearly defined? | Add a specific action verb |
| 2 | Is there a role/persona? | Add "You are a [expert]..." |
| 3 | Is input/context complete? | Add background data or scenario |
| 4 | Is output format specified? | Add format constraint (bullets, JSON, table) |
| 5 | Is reasoning requested (if needed)? | Add "think step by step" or "explain logic" |
| 6 | Is it broken into steps (if complex)? | Decompose into subtasks |
Step 2: Select the Right Technique
| Technique | When to Apply | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-Shot | Simple, obvious tasks requiring no examples | Low |
| Few-Shot | Need specific structure, tone, or output format | Low |
| System Prompt | Control persistent behavior or format rules | Low |
| Role Prompt | Need specific domain expertise or persona | Low |
| Contextual | Task requires background data or domain knowledge | Medium |
| Step-Back | Complex reasoning benefits from broader perspective first | Medium |
| Chain-of-Thought | Math, logic, planning, or multi-step reasoning | Medium |
| Self-Consistency | High-stakes or ambiguous tasks needing multiple reasoning paths | High |
| Tree of Thoughts | Brainstorming, exploration of multiple valid solution paths | High |
| ReAct | Tasks requiring tool use (search, code execution, APIs) | High |
| APE | Optimizing prompt performance at scale with automated testing | High |
For detailed examples, tips by experience level, and advanced usage of each technique, see references/techniques-detailed.md.
Step 3: Apply the Prompt Formula
Every strong prompt contains four components:
- Role: Define expertise — "You are a [specific expert]..."
- Task: Use a clear action verb — Summarize, List, Write, Analyze, Compare, Generate
- Input: Provide what to work with — text, data, scenario, constraints
- Format: Specify response structure — bullets, JSON, table, word count, tone
Example transformation:
Weak: "Help me with marketing"
Strong: "You are a B2B SaaS copywriter. Write 3 LinkedIn post variations
promoting our new analytics feature. Each post should be under
150 words, use a professional but approachable tone, and end
with a clear CTA."
Step 4: Fix Common Problems
| Problem | Diagnosis | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too vague | No specifics or constraints | Add specifics: "3 bullet points focusing on X" |
| Wrong audience | No target reader defined | Add target: "for a busy executive" |
| Missing role | No expertise context | Add persona: "You are a brand copywriter" |
| Unstructured output | No format specified | Specify: "as a numbered list with explanations" |
| Shallow reasoning | No thinking requested | Add: "explain your logic" or "think step by step" |
| Inconsistent results | Single inference path | Apply Self-Consistency: generate 3 answers, pick majority |
Step 5: Deliver the Output
Structure every response using this format:
## Analysis
[What's working in the original prompt, what's missing or weak]
## Technique Applied
[Which technique(s) were selected and why they fit this case]
## Improved Prompt
[The complete rewritten prompt, ready to copy-paste]
## Why This Works
[1-2 sentences explaining the key improvements]
Temperature Guide
Match temperature to the task type:
| Range | Best For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0.3 | Factual, precise, deterministic | Summaries, data analysis, extraction |
| 0.4-0.6 | Balanced (default) | General tasks, explanations |
| 0.7-1.0 | Creative, exploratory | Brainstorming, writing, ideation |
Operational Rules
- Diagnose before rewriting — never skip the analysis step
- Explain which technique is being applied and why
- Provide a concrete, copy-pasteable improved prompt in every response
- Never just list tips without delivering a rewritten prompt
- Never over-complicate simple prompts — match complexity to the task
- Offer 2-3 variations when multiple techniques fit equally well
- Score the improved prompt against the diagnostic questions to verify quality
Reference Files
For detailed guidance and tools, consult:
references/techniques-detailed.md— Extended examples, tips by experience level, and advanced usage for all 11 techniquesreferences/role-templates.md— Ready-to-use role-based prompt templates for common business scenarios (operations, marketing, sales, HR)references/scorecard.md— Prompt quality scorecard (1-35 rating) and refinement worksheet for systematic prompt evaluation