Make Claude interview you before it writes anything
One extra sentence in your prompt stops generic first drafts. Claude asks you the questions it would otherwise guess at.
Give Claude the decision, not just the document
When you paste a long document, say what you need to decide with it, so the summary is built around that choice.
Paste the error and the last thing you changed
A stack trace alone gets you a guess. A stack trace plus your last change gets you a diagnosis.
Ask for the strongest case against your own conclusion
Claude agrees with you by default. Ask it to argue the other side and you find the weak spot before someone else does.
Teach me, then test me: the two-step study prompt
Reading an explanation feels like learning. Being quizzed on it is what makes it stick.
Ask for the formula and one test row you can check by hand
Spreadsheet formulas from Claude are usually right. Ask for a worked example and you can prove it in ten seconds.