This AI prompt gets a second opinion on advice before you act on it. You paste the advice, say where it came from & describe your situation in a line or two. It finds the hidden assumptions, argues the case against as someone who would actually know & ends with a small test you can run today.

The prompt that gets a second opinion on any advice

Someone just told you what to do. A contractor, a video, a guy in a forum, the AI you asked.

It sounded right. It usually does.

Before you act, make it hold up against someone who would actually know.

I'm about to act on this recommendation:

[paste it]


It came from: [a person, a video, an AI, a company selling something]

My situation: [1 or 2 lines]


Pressure-test it before I commit.

1. The hidden assumptions, and what this source gains if I say yes.

2. How it most likely fails for someone in my situation, including who tried this and isn't around to talk about it.

3. The strongest honest case for not doing this, argued by whoever would actually know. Someone who has done it, someone who has been in my position, or someone qualified in that field.

4. What evidence would change your answer.

5. The smallest low-risk test I can run today.


If the advice is sound, say so plainly instead of inventing problems to find.

What each line is doing

  • “What this source gains if I say yes.” The fastest check there is. A contractor recommending more work, a channel selling a course, a friend who wants company in their own decision.
  • “Who tried this and isn’t around to talk about it.” Advice spreads because the people it worked for repeat it. The ones it sank went quiet. This asks for them.
  • “If the advice is sound, say so plainly.” Ask for hidden problems and it will find 4 whether or not they exist. This gives it permission to tell you the advice is fine.

Why it works: Telling it where the advice came from changes the answer. A contractor who profits from the job and a friend who has done it twice fail in different ways. Item 3 argues back as someone who would actually know, so the objection carries weight.

One gap: It only sees what you paste. Give it your summary of the advice and it will pressure-test your summary.

Simple fix: Paste the advice word for word, even if it runs long.

When the choice is yours to make

If you’re choosing between options yourself, the hard decision prompt argues against the one you’re leaning toward. If the plan is your own, the grill me prompt interviews you about every part of it.

This prompt first ran in issue 10.