alivirgo Keep Instructions Direct (The Imperative Lead Protocol) (AI Skill)
Overview
Starting a prompt with polite conversational preambles ("Hey there! I was wondering if you might have time to possibly help me review...") burns initial prompt token weights on meaningless social pleasantries.
Because Large Language Models attend most heavily to the first tokens of a message, leading with an Imperative Action Verb immediately focuses the model's neural attention on the exact cognitive operation required.
Conversational Hesitation vs. Imperative Command
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Attention Weight Optimization │
│ │
│ Conversational Hesitation: │
│ "Could you maybe look at this text and see if it's okay?" │
│ ↳ Diffuse, weak attention on editing rules │
│ │
│ Imperative Lead: │
│ "AUDIT this draft for passive voice and cut word count 30%"│
│ ↳ 100% Focused, crisp, deterministic execution │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The Power Verb Taxonomy
Replace weak, passive verbs with high-leverage imperative commands:
| Weak / Vague Verb | High-Precision Imperative Verb | Exact Action Triggered in LLM |
|---|---|---|
| "Look at this" | AUDIT | Evaluates systematically against criteria/rules. |
| "Make it better" | REFACTOR | Restructures architecture/code without breaking logic. |
| "Explain this" | SYNTHESIZE | Condenses key points into high-density takeaways. |
| "Give me ideas" | BRAINSTORM [X] ANGLES | Generates high-contrast divergent options. |
| "Fix mistakes" | REDLINE | Shows exact deletions and insertions. |
| "Put together" | SCAFFOLD | Creates structural skeletons and starter templates. |
Real-World Transformations
Example 1: Code Review
- ❌ Passive: "Can you check this python code and tell me what you think?"
- ✅ Imperative: "AUDIT this Python function for thread safety and memory leaks. Provide the refactored code."
Example 2: Market Analysis
- ❌ Passive: "I need some information on the EV market."
- ✅ Imperative: "SYNTHESIZE the top 3 supply chain bottlenecks in the US EV battery market into a 3-column table."
Example 3: Copy Editing
- ❌ Passive: "Help me rewrite this email so it sounds nicer."
- ✅ Imperative: "REWRITE this email to sound warm and collaborative. Keep it under 75 words."
The 3-Word Prompt Opener Formula
Structure the first 3 words of every prompt as:
[IMPERATIVE VERB] + [EXACT TARGET] + [PRIMARY CONSTRAINT]Example:
"**DRAFT** [a 2-paragraph memo] [for executive leadership]..."Example:"**EXTRACT** [all dollar amounts] [into a TSV code block]..."