By Dan Donovan, @askdandonovan
The fastest way to get a great answer out of Claude isn't a longer prompt. It's making Claude ask you the right questions first. One line kicks it off.
The interview trick flips how prompting works. Instead of writing one perfect prompt, you paste one line that makes Claude ask you the questions it needs first (the context, the edge cases, who it's for, what to avoid), then it does a far better job because it actually knows the situation.
Before you do anything, interview me. Ask me the questions you need to do this really
well, one at a time, and wait for each answer. When you've got enough, say "ready" and do it.Instead of guessing, Claude pulls the details out of you (the context, the edge cases, who it's for, what to avoid), then does a far better job.
To end the interview early, just say "that's enough, go." You're always in control.
It writes an email that handles the awkward bit properly, because it actually knows the situation now.
When you write one big prompt, you're guessing what Claude needs and it's guessing what you meant. The interview flips it. Claude knows what it's missing better than you do, so let it ask. You answer a few quick questions and the result comes back sharper than anything you'd have briefed cold.
"Write an email pushing our meeting to next week." → generic, could be from anyone.
Claude asks who the client is, why it's moving, how formal you are, whether to offer times. → sounds like you, handles the awkwardness.
Same task. The questions are the difference.
Where it shines: anything important, awkward, or fuzzy, the stuff you'd normally over-explain to get right. That's exactly where the questions save you.
Add this to the end of the line to make it sharper:
Ask me anything that would change your answer, and don't start until you're sure
you won't have to guess.