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Ambition Over Conservatism in AI Prompting

When working with powerful AI models, asking for complex, ambitious outputs yields better results than conservative, simple requests

Decision Rule

If unsure between a simple and complex prompt, choose the complex one - AI models are designed to handle sophisticated requests

How It Works

AI models are trained on complex examples and have latent capabilities that only surface when prompted ambitiously; simple requests underutilize the model's potential

Failure Modes

Asking for too little and getting generic outputs

Assuming AI limitations without testing boundaries

Being intimidated by model capabilities

Example Decision

Instead of 'build a landing page,' prompt 'build a fully functional marketplace with AI matching, payment processing, and real-time chat' - you'll get closer to what you actually need