First, always start with the right Assistant for the job. We recommend General AI Assistant for help with writing and the Berkeley Assistant for campus-specific information.
1. Clarity Beats Cleverness
State what you want plainly. Avoid fluff, metaphors, or jargon. BearGPT thrives on precision, not poetry.
2. Lead With the Blocker
Start with what’s stopping you: “I’m stuck on…” signals the exact help you need.
3. Context Over Concept
Anchor prompts in your real-world scenario. “What should I do this week?” > “Explain this in theory.”
4. Reality First
Tie outputs to real inputs — your business, project, deadlines, or audience. Specifics prevent vague answers.
5. Define the Boundaries
Say what you don’t want. Examples:
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“Avoid clichés.”
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“Keep it under 150 words.”
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“No technical jargon.”
6. Time-Box the Perspective
Constrain by timeframe: “As of September 2025…” or “Looking 12 months ahead…” This creates focus.
7. Force a Choice
Make it compare or decide: “Which option is most effective, and why?”
8. Critique, Don’t Just Create
Ask it to rank, score, or justify. Example: “Rate these from strongest to weakest and explain your reasoning.”
9. Test Through Scenarios
Role-play reality checks:
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“Act as a skeptical dept. manager.”
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“This campaign flopped — where’s the weak spot?”
10. Lock in the Persona
Assign a role or mindset: “You are a tough editor with zero tolerance for fluff.”
11. Focus on Leverage
Ask for the 20% that delivers 80% of the impact: “What’s the single highest-value move I’m missing?”
12. Build Iteratively
Use feedback loops: “Here’s version 1 — make it sharper, punchier, and half as long.”
13. Show What You Tried
Skip repetition. “I already tested X and Y; I’m stuck between Z1 and Z2.” BearGPT works best when you reveal your progress.
14. Push Into Action
Don’t stop at ideas. Ask for the output artifact: “Now draft the email / script / outline that applies this.”
15. Set the Tone
Tell it how it should feel:
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Bold, persuasive, confident
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Neutral, academic, cautious
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Playful, witty, fun
16. Borrow, Then Improve
Give examples and demand better: “Based on these 3 samples, write one that’s stronger.”
17. Invert the Prompt
State exclusions: “No filler, no fluff, no motivational clichés.” Negative framing shapes the response style.
18. Invite Skepticism
End with: “What’s wrong with this? Where could this fail?” You’ll get tougher, sharper answers.
19. Systematize Success
When a prompt works, template it: “Turn this into a reusable structure I can use daily.”
20. Calibrate the Depth
Tell it how deep to go:
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“Give me the 3-bullet overview.”
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“Explain this like I’m new to the topic.”
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“Write the in-depth playbook.”
21. Chain the Thinking
Break it into steps: “First, brainstorm 5 ideas, then critique them, then draft the best one.” This guides BearGPT’s flow.