The Five Essentials: The Only Prompt Framework You'll Actually Use

Why Most Frameworks Fail

Miller's Law says most people can hold 5-7 items in working memory. Push past that and you need reference materials.

Frameworks requiring reference materials don't get used.

Here's the real-world test: Can you use the framework from memory while on a phone call with a client? If you need to pull up a cheat sheet, the framework is too complex.

The Five Essentials

Essential #1: Ask

What it is: The specific task you want completed.

Question it answers: "What do I want?"

Bad: "Help me with my listing"

Good: "Write a 150-word MLS description"

AI is literal. Vague asks produce vague results. The word "help" is a red flag in any prompt.

Essential #2: Audience

What it is: Who will read, see, or use this content.

Question it answers: "Who is this for?"

Content without an audience is content for no one. A listing description for first-time buyers should sound different from one targeting investors.

Essential #3: Channel

What it is: Where this content will be published.

Question it answers: "Where is this going?"

MLS has different requirements than Instagram. Flyers assume photos are visible. Channel determines format, length, and structure.

Essential #4: Facts

What it is: Specific details about the property, client, or situation.

Question it answers: "What are the specifics?"

Without facts, AI invents them. These inventions are called hallucinations. AI will confidently write about "stunning views" your property doesn't have.

Essential #5: Constraints

What it is: Guardrails, limitations, things to avoid.

Question it answers: "What should NOT happen?"

Constraints do three things:

• Compliance protection. Fair Housing compliant prevents violations that cost $23,000-$115,000.
• Brand voice consistency. Your "Do Not Say" list keeps AI from using phrases you'd never use.
• AI marker prevention. Without constraints, AI defaults to "stunning," "gorgeous," and every other overused phrase.

The Blank Field Problem

Think about a listing contract. Leave the purchase price blank. Leave the closing date blank. Leave the property address blank. What do you have? A document that creates problems instead of solving them.

Prompts work the same way.

Before and After

Without Framework:

Write a listing description for a house in Austin.

Output: "Welcome to this stunning home in Austin! This beautiful property offers everything you're looking for..."

Every AI marker. No specifics. Could describe any house anywhere.

With Five Essentials:

ASK: Write a property listing description

AUDIENCE: First-time buyers in their 30s upgrading from apartments

CHANNEL: MLS listing, 150-175 words

FACTS:
- 3 bed / 2 bath / 1,650 sqft
- East Austin, Mueller neighborhood
- Built 2019, open floor plan
- Chef's kitchen with gas range, quartz counters
- Private backyard with mature oak tree
- 10-min bike ride to downtown

CONSTRAINTS:
- No words: stunning, gorgeous, dream home, won't last long
- No phrases like "perfect for families"
- Fair Housing compliant
- Use active voice

Output: "Mueller finally makes sense. You'll trade your cramped apartment kitchen for a gas range and enough counter space to actually prep dinner. The open floor plan connects to a backyard where that oak tree has been growing since before the neighborhood existed. Three bedrooms mean a real home office—not just a corner of your bedroom. At 1,650 square feet, you've got room to spread out without heating 3,000 square feet you don't need. Ten-minute bike to downtown. Walk to Thinkery. This is the upgrade that doesn't require the suburbs."

Specific. Voice-driven. Compliant. On-target for the audience.

The 60-Second Test

Can you fill in the Five Essentials in under a minute?

1. Ask (5 seconds): What do I want?
2. Audience (5 seconds): Who's reading this?
3. Channel (5 seconds): Where's it going?
4. Facts (30 seconds): What are the specifics?
5. Constraints (15 seconds): What should I avoid?

If you can answer these questions in 60 seconds, you can write a good prompt.

Key Takeaways

The Five Essentials:

1. Ask — What do you want?
2. Audience — Who is this for?
3. Channel — Where is it going?
4. Facts — What are the specifics?
5. Constraints — What should be avoided?

The Principle: If any essential is missing, your prompt is incomplete.

The Stakes: Fair Housing penalties: $23K-$115K. Poor prompts take 4-6x more iterations. AI without constraints = generic output.