Most people are solving the wrong AI problem.
They're collecting prompts. Building complex templates. Adding XML tags and variable placeholders. I've seen prompt libraries that look like they need a computer science degree to understand.
But here's the thing: prompting isn't your problem. Your input architecture is.
Your prompts are fine. Your inputs aren’t.
I've written thousands of AI-generated assets for actual clients and my own stuff.
You know what I discovered? Whether you're brand new or crafting elite-level prompts, most people are still missing this one critical piece. They haven't separated their prompt logic from their context inputs.
And that's the real moat now.
Even my 50-line prompt template was still amateur hour
Look at this prompt template I used to use for newsletters:
You are an experienced newsletter creator with a proven track record of achieving 50%+ open rates and hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Your task is to create a new edition for a newsletter about the following niche:
<newsletter_niche>
{{NEWSLETTER_NICHE}}
</newsletter_niche>
The specific topic for this edition is:
<topic>
{{TOPIC}}
</topic>
Before we begin, please review the following notes for additional context:
<notes>
{{NOTES}}
</notes>
Start by analyzing the project knowledge, notes, and topic. Conduct your analysis inside <newsletter_analysis> tags:
1. Key themes from the newsletter niche:
[List at least 3 key themes]
2. Relevant information from the notes:
[Summarize at least 3 relevant points]
3. Potential angles for the newsletter:
[List at least 5 potential angles]
4. Target audience and their interests:
[Describe target audience demographics and at least 3 primary interests]
5. Potential reader pain points or desires related to the topic:
[List at least 3 pain points and 3 desires]
6. Content ideas based on the analysis:
[Brainstorm at least 5 specific content ideas]
7. Appropriate tone and style for the target audience:
[Describe the tone and style, with at least 3 specific characteristics]
8. Summary of findings:
[Provide a brief summary of your analysis, highlighting the most important insights]
Based on your analysis, complete the following tasks:
1. Create 7 highly engaging hook/title options
2. Create 7 subtitle options
3. Write an engaging outline for this newsletter
When creating hooks, titles, and subtitles, apply the following effective strategies:
1. Subject Line Importance:
- Subject lines determine whether an email gets opened.
- A strong subject line hints at a benefit and/or sparks curiosity.
2. Seven Effective Subject Line Styles:
a) Curiosity
b) Pain
c) Benefit
d) Story
e) Question
f) Contrarian
g) Proof
3. What to Avoid:
- Generic labels (e.g., "Newsletter #3")
- Boring yes/no questions
- Over-clever wording
4. Pro Tip: Use the word "THIS" for curiosity.
5. Remember: Readers skim—give them something that stops the scroll.
Present your work in the following format:
<hook_titles>
1. [Hook/Title 1]
2. [Hook/Title 2]
3. [Hook/Title 3]
4. [Hook/Title 4]
5. [Hook/Title 5]
6. [Hook/Title 6]
7. [Hook/Title 7]
</hook_titles>
<subtitles>
1. [Subtitle 1]
2. [Subtitle 2]
3. [Subtitle 3]
4. [Subtitle 4]
5. [Subtitle 5]
6. [Subtitle 6]
7. [Subtitle 7]
</subtitles>
<newsletter_outline>
I. [Main Section 1]
A. [Subsection 1]
B. [Subsection 2]
II. [Main Section 2]
A. [Subsection 1]
B. [Subsection 2]
III. [Main Section 3]
A. [Subsection 1]
B. [Subsection 2]
</newsletter_outline>
After presenting the outline, ask for my confirmation before writing the full newsletter. Ask if I would like any changes to the outline.
It’s a solid prompt.
But here's the catch:
I still have to manually swap in new context every damn time
I have to adjust instructions when switching between content types
I’m basically rebuilding the system for each use
That's not scaling. That's straight-up dependency.