15 Claude Prompts that save me 30 hours a week
I didn’t work less. I just stopped doing things Claude does better.
Last Tuesday, a founder DM’d me.
I use Claude every day.
I still feel like I'm doing everything manually.
That was me six months ago.
Not because I wasn't using AI.
Because I was using it like a search engine - one question at a time, no system behind it.
These 15 prompts are the system I built to fix that.
Before I had these prompts locked in, I was spending my week writing first drafts from scratch, doing research I’d then rewrite anyway, replying to emails that took 20 minutes each, and building plans I’d revise three more times.
Now I don’t do any of that manually.
Six months ago, I had a bad week.
Not bad because nothing was happening. Bad because everything was happening at once - and I was handling all of it manually.
Client deliverable due Thursday. Newsletter due Wednesday. Three proposals are sitting in my drafts, half-written. A Notion dashboard with colour-coded priorities that made me feel organized but changed nothing.
I was using Claude every day. Multiple times a day. And I was still drowning.
That’s when I realized the problem.
I wasn’t building with Claude. I was asking Claude. One question at a time. No consistency. No system. Every session started from scratch - same context, same re-explaining, same mediocre output because I hadn’t learned how to ask properly.
I was using a power tool like a search engine.
So I stopped everything for two weeks. Not to rest. To test.
I tracked every prompt I used. Kept a note. Marked the ones that saved real time - 30 minutes or more. Deleted everything that didn’t clear that bar.
15 prompts survived.
That’s what this issue is.
Not 50 prompts that sound impressive. Not a swipe file. Fifteen that I actually go back to, every week, that make the difference between a productive week and a reactive one.
Here’s the honest version: most people will read all 15 and use none of them.
So before you go further - pick one answer:
What’s eating your week right now?
Writing?
Research?
Emails and proposals?
Planning?
Running the same tasks on repeat?
Find that category. Start there. The other four will wait.
If this is useful, share it with one person who needs it. It takes 10 seconds and costs nothing.
Before these prompts, here’s what a typical week looked like:
Monday: staring at a blank doc trying to write a first draft.
Tuesday: three browser tabs open, reading to “research” before actually writing.
Wednesday: rewriting an email proposal for the fourth time.
Thursday: trying to remember what you decided last week.
Friday: wondering where the week went.
After these prompts:
Monday: first draft done in 40 minutes. Prompt 1.
Tuesday: research compressed into a structured brief. Prompt 4.
Wednesday: proposal written, sent, done. Prompt 8.
Thursday: weekly plan already built on Monday, prompt 10.
Friday: you’re either shipping or you’re resting, not catching up.
That’s not a productivity improvement.
That’s a different way of working.
The person who has a system for this looks fundamentally different from the person who doesn’t - in client calls, in output quality, in how much they can take on.
Category 1: Writing Prompts
Prompt 1: The First Draft Killer
Use this when you have a topic in your head but are staring at a blank page.
You are a newsletter writer for a technical-but-human AI newsletter called AI In Public.
Write a complete first draft for an issue on this topic: [Claude's new memory feature and how to set it up in 10 minutes].
Rules:
- Open with a bold claim or vivid contrast — not context
- Write in first person as Hamza Khalid — specific, honest, direct
- Include 5 numbered steps with exact actions per step
- Total length: 1,200–1,500 words
- No filler. No theory without proof. Short sentences.
Don't ask me questions. Write the full draft.
Don’t ask me questions. Write the full draft - this line alone saves 4 back-and-forth rounds. Without it, Claude hesitates. With it, Claude commits.
Prompt 2: The Rewrite Surgeon
Use this when you have a draft that’s “almost there,” but something feels off.
Here is a draft I wrote: [paste your draft here]
Your job is to rewrite it with these specific fixes only:
1. Cut every sentence that doesn't add information or create emotion
2. Replace every passive verb with an active one
3. Make the opening line stronger — bold claim or vivid contrast
4. Shorten any paragraph over 4 lines into 2–3 lines
Do not change the structure. Do not add new ideas. Surgical fixes only.
Return the full rewritten draft.
Surgical fixes only are the key phrase. Without it, Claude rewrites your voice out of the piece. With it, you get your draft back - tighter.
Prompt 3: The Headline Factory
Use this whenever you need a title, email subject line, or post hook.
Topic: [I tested 12 Claude prompts for a month. Here are the 5 that actually saved time.]
Generate 10 headline options using these 5 formats:
1. Accusation ("You're doing X wrong")
2. Desire ("How to X in Y minutes")
3. Bold claim ("X just changed Y")
4. Number list ("N things that X")
5. Contrast ("Most people do X. I do Y.")
Give me 2 headlines per format. Score each out of 10 for curiosity, clarity, and click-likelihood. Recommend the strongest one and explain why.
The scoring system is what makes this useful. Without it, you still have to pick. With it, Claude defends its recommendation - and you can disagree with the data.
Category 2: Research Prompts
Prompt 4: The 10-Tab Killer
Use this before you open 10 browser tabs on a topic you need to understand fast.
I need to understand [AI agents and how they differ from regular Claude prompts] well enough to teach it to a non-technical audience in a 5-minute read.
Give me:
1. A plain-English explanation (3 sentences max)
2. The 3 most important things to know — with one real example each
3. The 2 most common misconceptions people have about this
4. One specific use case I can test myself today
Format it as a numbered list. Keep each point under 4 lines. No academic language.
The way it is presented to a non-technical audience is what controls the output. It tells Claude the ceiling for complexity - and forces it to choose examples that are actually useful.
Prompt 5: The Competitor Intelligence Brief
Use this when you need to understand what a competitor, creator, or company is doing - fast.
I need a competitive intelligence brief on [Justin Welsh's LinkedIn content strategy].
Cover:
- What topics he covers (top 3 categories)
- What content format he uses most
- What his audience seems to respond to most (based on what you know)
- 3 things he does well that I should study
- 1 thing he doesn't do that I could own
Be specific. No surface-level observations. I need actionable intelligence, not a summary.
Actionable intelligence, not a summary, is the phrase. Claude will give you a Wikipedia-level summary by default. This one line forces it to go a layer deeper.
Prompt 6: The Source Validator
Use this before you publish anything where facts matter.
Here are 5 claims I'm about to publish in a newsletter: [paste your claims here]
For each claim:
1. Tell me if it's verifiably accurate, likely accurate, or uncertain
2. Flag anything that sounds like it could be AI hallucination
3. Suggest where I should verify it before publishing (specific source type)
Don't just say "verify this." Tell me exactly what I should look for and where.
I learned to use this one the hard way.
Six months ago, I published a stat in the newsletter.
One reader replied within 20 minutes.
“Hamza - that number is wrong. I checked.”
He was right.
I hadn’t verified it.
I’d trusted a Claude output and sent it to 4,000 people.
I never made that mistake again.
This prompt runs on every issue now, before anything goes out.
Category 3: Communication Prompts
Prompt 7: The Cold Outreach Writer
Use this when you need to reach someone you’ve never spoken to — client, collaborator, or press.
I want to reach out cold to [Sarah Chen, Head of Content at a B2B SaaS company called Loom].
My goal: [Pitch a 3-month AI content strategy project worth $4,500]
My credibility: [I've grown 3 B2B newsletters to 5,000+ subscribers in under 6 months using AI workflows]
Write a cold outreach message that:
- Opens with something specific about them or their company (not a generic compliment)
- States the offer in one sentence — no buildup
- Shows one proof point that's relevant to their situation
- Ends with a single low-friction ask (a 20-minute call, not a commitment)
Under 100 words. No subject line filler like "Quick question" or "Touching base."
No subject line filler like Quick question - naming the bad examples is what stops Claude from defaulting to them. Constraints only work when they're specific.
Prompt 8: The Proposal Builder
Use this when you need to pitch a client or send a project proposal.
I need to write a proposal for this project: [Building a 3-month AI content strategy for a B2B SaaS company. Budget: $4,500. Timeline: 6 weeks].
My strengths to highlight: [I've done this for 4 similar companies, each grew newsletter subscribers by 40%+ in 90 days]
Write a proposal that:
- Opens with their problem, not my services
- Shows the outcome, not just the process
- Has 3 clear deliverables with timelines
- Ends with a single call-to-action to book a 20-minute call
Under 300 words. Professional but human. No corporate jargon.
Opening with their problem, not my services - this is the instruction most freelancers never give. Claude defaults to pitching. This forces it to listen first.
Prompt 9: The Feedback Translator
Use this when you get vague client feedback that you actually need to act on.
A client gave me this feedback on my work: [paste feedback here]
Translate this into:
1. What they actually want changed (be specific)
2. What they probably mean but haven't said directly
3. The 3 most important changes I should make first
4. Any feedback that contradicts something they asked for originally
Don't soften anything. I need the honest read.
Don’t soften anything is critical. Claude has a natural tendency to be diplomatic. This removes that filter, so you get the real interpretation.
Category 4: Planning Prompts
Prompt 10: The Weekly Plan Builder
Use this every Monday morning instead of spending an hour building your week from scratch.
Here's my situation this week:
- Projects in progress: [AI In Public newsletter, 2 client proposals, onboarding call Thursday]
- Deadlines: [Newsletter due Wednesday, proposals due Friday]
- Available hours: [Mon–Wed: 4 hrs/day, Thu–Fri: 2 hrs/day]
- Energy pattern: [I think best in the mornings — afternoons are for admin]
Build me a daily plan for this week that:
- Protects my best hours for deep work
- Batches similar tasks together
- Has buffer time built in (I always underestimate things)
- Flags any conflicts or overloads
Format it as a simple day-by-day breakdown. No productivity lecture. Just the plan.
No productivity lecture. Just the plan - I added this after Claude gave me a motivational speech about my schedule. I don’t need the pep talk. I need the output.
Prompt 11: The Decision Filter
Use this when you’re stuck between two options and going in circles.
I'm deciding between: [Launching a paid Notion template store vs. growing my newsletter to 10,000 subscribers first]
Here's my situation: [I have 4,200 subscribers, 3 months of runway, and about 8 hours a week to invest in a side project]
Walk me through:
1. The actual risk of each option (not the perceived risk)
2. What each option makes harder in 6 months
3. What success looks like for each — and how long it realistically takes
4. Your honest recommendation — pick one and defend it
Don't hedge. I want a clear answer I can push back on.
Don’t hedge. I want a clear answer I can push back on - this is the line that changed how I use Claude for decisions. A hedged answer helps no one.
Prompt 12: The Content Calendar Builder
Use this to fill a month of content in 15 minutes instead of 3 hours.
I run an AI newsletter called AI In Public for founders, creators, and beginners who want to use AI without the overwhelm.
Build me a 4-week content calendar for June with:
- 1 newsletter issue per week (include title + 2-line description)
- 3 Substack Notes per week (short-form, shareable)
- 2 LinkedIn posts per week (one practical, one opinion)
Themes to hit this month: [Claude's memory feature, how to use AI for client work, AI tools that save time]
Make every piece feel like a standalone discovery — not a series. Format it as a clean weekly table.
Make every piece feel like a standalone discovery - without this, Claude writes a curriculum. Readers don’t want a curriculum. They want to feel like they found something.
The first 12 prompts save you hours on tasks you’re already doing.
These last 3 are different.
They’re not for tasks.
They’re for the stuff that keeps coming back - the recurring work that never actually gets done because you handle it from scratch every single time.
If you’ve ever thought, “I feel like I just did this last week,” - that’s what these are for.
Category 5: Systems Prompts
Prompt 13: The SOP Writer
Use this to turn any repeatable task into a process someone else (or Claude) can run.
I do this task regularly: [Writing and scheduling a Substack newsletter from draft to published]
Watch how I describe my process: [I start with a topic, outline 5 steps, write a draft in Claude, run it through my editorial checklist, add screenshots, format in Substack, schedule for 7am Tuesday]
Turn this into a clean SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) with:
- Step-by-step instructions written for someone doing this for the first time
- Decision points clearly marked (what to do if X, what to do if Y)
- Time estimate per step
- Common mistakes to avoid
Format as a numbered list. Keep it short enough to actually be used.
This prompt saved me 6 hours last month alone - I handed this SOP to a VA, and they ran the whole workflow. That’s what an SOP actually does.
Prompt 14: The Recurring Brief
Use this to build a reusable prompt you can drop into Claude Projects as a standing instruction.
I want to create a standing brief for Claude that captures how I work, so I don't have to re-explain myself every session.
Ask me these questions one at a time and use my answers to write a final brief I can paste into Claude Projects:
1. What's your main work or project right now?
2. Who is your audience and what do they care about?
3. What tone and style should I always use with you?
4. What are 3 things I should never do in your outputs?
5. What does a perfect response from me look like to you?
After I answer all 5, write the final brief in second person, ready to paste.
I run this prompt with every new major project. It takes 5 minutes and saves hours of drift across a long conversation.
Prompt 15: The Async Update Builder
Use this to replace the 30-minute team update call that could have been a message.
I need to send a project update to [my client / my team] about [the AI content strategy project].
Here's where things stand: [Week 2 of 6 complete. Newsletter audit done. Content pillars drafted. Waiting on brand voice document from client. On track for Friday delivery.]
Write an async update that:
- Leads with status (on track / at risk / blocked)
- Has clear progress bullets (what's done)
- Has a clear next steps section (what happens next and when)
- Flags anything they need to do
- Is under 150 words
Professional but not robotic. They're a client, not a boss.
Professional but not robotic is a style instruction, not a vibe. It changes the sentence structure, not just the tone. That’s what makes the output actually usable.
This newsletter grows from your shares. If you got value from this, pass it on.
In 60 seconds:
→ Writing prompts: first draft, rewrite, and headlines - on demand
→ Research prompts: kill the 10-tab spiral before it starts
→ Communication prompts: emails and proposals that sound like you, not like AI
→ Planning prompts: weekly plan, decisions, and content calendar in minutes
→ Systems prompts: SOPs, standing briefs, and async updates that run without you
Save this. Screenshot it. Come back to it.
Here are a few issues that you might have missed (go check them out):
Clone Any Faceless YouTube Channel with Claude (Step-by-Step)
How to fix your Obsidian graveyard with Claude under 20 mins
I gave Claude Fable 5 a Month-Long Project - Here is what happened
15 Insane Things People Built With Claude Mythos in 48 Hours
US Just Disabled Mythos and Fable 5. Here’s What’s Gonna Happen Next
We tested it in public. Now go use it in private.
If this issue gave you something real, a framework, a starting point, a moment where something clicked, share it.
Not for me. For the person in your life who’s been using Claude for six months and still asking, “How do I get better at this?
And for shorter takes between issues, follow me on X → Hamza Khalid
PS: Which of these 15 prompts are you going to test first - and what task are you trying to kill?
Hit reply. I read every response.
- Hamza 💙
strong thinking from doing