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Interrogate Me: The Prompt That Stops Claude Assuming

Paste this prompt and Claude asks the five questions it needs before starting work, so it never runs off on the wrong assumption.

Free prompt pack · copy-paste ready · built by the BrainVaultAI team

Claude's biggest failure mode isn't capability, it's starting with incomplete context and not telling you. It fills gaps with assumptions. Those assumptions are often wrong. You don't find out until you're deep into the output. The Interrogate Me prompt fixes this. Before Claude does any work, it asks you the five most important questions it needs answered. Only then does it proceed. Use this at the start of any task where the stakes are high or the requirements are complex. It feels slower. It isn't, you recover far less time fixing wrong work than you spend on a 2-minute Q&A.

Interrogate Me: Core Prompt
Before you do any work on this task, ask me the 5 most important questions you need answered to do it well. Rules:
- Prioritize questions that would change your approach if answered differently.
- Do not include questions you can reasonably answer from context already given.
- Number the questions 1-5.
- Do not start working until I've answered all 5. Here is the task: [describe your task] Questions first.
Interrogate Me: Light Version (3 Questions)
Before starting, ask me the 3 questions that matter most for this task. Questions that, if answered differently, would change your output significantly. Don't ask things you can infer. Wait for my answers before proceeding. Task: [describe your task]
Interrogate Me: For Strategy Work
I'm about to ask you to help me with a strategic decision. Before you give any input, ask me: 1. What outcome am I optimizing for?
2. What constraints are fixed vs. flexible?
3. What have I already tried or ruled out?
4. What does 'good enough' look like here?
5. Who else is affected by this decision? Wait for my answers. Then we'll work through it.

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