Step-Back Prompting for Strategy
Get better answers by first understanding the underlying principles
When to use it: Improve strategic thinking by grounding decisions in first principles
Before answering my specific question, first help me understand the underlying principles.
My question: [YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION]
1. What are the fundamental principles that govern this domain?
2. What patterns or frameworks do experts use to approach this type of problem?
3. Now, applying these principles to my specific situation, what would you recommend?
Start with the general principles, then apply them to my specific case.
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