Persuasive Narrative Prompts

# Master Prompt: Build Business Micro-Stories That Prove a Point Use this prompt to create short, vivid business stories that support a claim, recommendation, insight, induction triangle, slide message, leadership point, or business conversation. The goal is not to “tell a nice story.” The goal is to help the audience **believe a point** by showing it in a specific human, operational, commercial, technical, or decision-making moment. A strong business micro-story uses the particular to represent the general: **One person. One moment. One friction. One metric. One meaning. One move.** It may start with a specific moment and zoom out to the data, or start with the data and zoom into the moment. Either can work. The discipline is that the story and the evidence must reinforce each other. The story should help the audience think: * “I can see that.” * “I recognise that.” * “That could happen to us.” * “People like me do things like this.” * “Now the data means something.” The most important rule: **Do not make the story more vivid than the evidence allows. Credibility beats color.** If details are missing, use placeholders, mark assumptions, or label the story as a realistic composite or hypothetical scenario. --- # Fill This In First ## 1. Claim, Point, or Message to Prove [What do you want the audience to believe, understand, support, question, or act on?] Examples: * We need to strengthen underwriting discipline before growth pressure weakens judgment. * Forecasting accuracy is not just a finance issue; it is a trust issue. * The new process is reducing friction at the exact moment customers usually stall. * AI should augment judgment, not replace accountability. * Our collaboration problem is showing up in handoffs, not effort. * The market opportunity is real, but our current story is too technical for investors. * Safety culture is shaped in small supervisor moments, not only in formal procedures. * Faster decision-making depends on clearer trade-offs, not just more meetings. --- ## 2. Optional: Induction Triangle or Larger Narrative Context [Paste any induction triangle, slide storyline, proposal message, leadership message, or broader argument this story needs to support.] If none, leave blank. The story should fit naturally into this larger narrative. It should not feel like a random anecdote dropped into the middle of the argument. --- ## 3. Audience [Who is the audience? Include role, seniority, function, industry, geography, and what they care about.] Examples: * Senior underwriters balancing growth, risk, and broker relationships * Actuaries translating technical analysis into business decisions * Finance leaders managing budget uncertainty * Private equity deal teams preparing for investment committee * Manufacturing supervisors responsible for safety, quality, and throughput * HR business partners influencing senior leaders * Sales teams dealing with skeptical clients * Audit, risk, or compliance teams trying to create action without sounding purely defensive * Technology leaders trying to modernize systems without disrupting delivery --- ## 4. Use Case [Where will this story be used?] Choose one or describe your own: * Slide headline and speaker notes * Spoken meeting contribution * Workshop opening * Executive presentation * Sales conversation * Client proposal * Leadership message * Data readout * Change communication * Coaching or feedback conversation * Q&A response Also specify the format needed: * **Slide copy:** compressed, message-led, minimal detail * **Speaker notes:** fuller, natural, 45–60 seconds * **Live conversation:** shorter, more casual, less polished * **Executive briefing:** tighter, more direct, less cinematic * **Workshop facilitation:** more open-ended, designed to prompt reflection Default: create a spoken version, slide version, and one-line takeaway. --- ## 5. Evidence, Data, or Observation [What evidence should the story be built around? Include any metrics, quotes, research findings, incidents, customer feedback, transcript excerpts, operational examples, or observations.] Examples: * Quote-to-bind fell 9% while submissions rose 18%. * Forecast revisions increased 40%, even though final variance was only 3%. * SLA compliance is 92%, but escalations rose 27%. * Participants rated the program 4.7/5, but behavior adoption was low. * A client said, “I’m not sure who owns this anymore.” * A manager waited 12 days for approval and lost the moment to retain someone. * A user abandoned the process after the upload step. * A plant team hit output targets but saw near-misses rise. * An investment memo had strong analysis but failed to make the decision easy. If you have no data, say so. The AI should still build a plausible story shape, but must label invented details clearly as placeholders. --- ## 6. Real Scene Details Available [What real details do you already have?] Use this menu to help you think: * Person, role, or persona * Time or moment * Location or setting * Physical or digital action * What someone saw * What someone said * What failed, changed, or stalled * Obstacle or friction * Before / after contrast * Business consequence * Decision or action that followed * What the audience would recognise Examples: * “Regional finance lead presenting at QBR.” * “Broker waiting on a referral decision.” * “Plant supervisor doing the morning safety walk.” * “Customer stuck at document upload.” * “Analyst rewriting the investment memo after IC pushback.” * “Manager trying to give feedback between back-to-back calls.” * “Engineer watching a loading wheel during a client demo.” * “Procurement lead trying to explain why the cheapest option is not the safest option.” --- ## 7. Truthfulness Level [How true is the story allowed to be?] Choose one: 1. **Observed story:** Based on a real event I provide. 2. **Composite story:** A realistic synthesis based on multiple real examples or patterns. 3. **Hypothetical scenario:** Plausible but not claimed as real. 4. **Placeholder story:** Demo copy awaiting real details. Default: use a realistic composite if exact details are missing, but label it clearly. Important: Do not invent sensitive facts, fake quotes, named clients, named employees, precise dates, or precise metrics unless I provide them. Use placeholders where needed: * [insert real quote] * [insert actual metric] * [insert client role] * [insert observed behavior] * [insert before/after result] * [insert specific moment] --- ## 8. Missing Details / Permission to Interpolate [How should the AI handle missing scene details?] Choose one: * Use only details I provide. * Interpolate lightly, but mark assumptions. * Create a realistic composite story. * Create placeholder copy I can replace later. * Give me questions before writing the final version. Default: interpolate lightly, mark assumptions, and include a “details to add” section after each story. --- ## 9. Data Component [How should data be used?] Choose one: * Start with data, then zoom into the scene. * Start with the scene, then zoom out to the data. * Weave data into the middle. * Use the story first, then use data as proof. * Use data only lightly. * No data available yet. Default: use data as proof, not as a dump. The story should make the data memorable. The data should make the story credible. --- ## 10. Story Length / Duration [How long should the story be?] Choose one: * Micro: 15–20 seconds * Short: 30–45 seconds * Standard: 60–90 seconds * Expanded: 2–3 minutes * Slide version: 2–4 sentences * Custom: [insert length] Default: create a 45–60 second spoken version plus a shorter slide version. --- ## 11. Story Direction [What kind of story do you want?] Choose one or more: * Cautionary tale: what happens if we do not change * Bright spot: what good looks like * Before / after: contrast between old and new * Discovery story: what the data revealed * Client/customer moment * Employee/manager moment * Operational friction story * Technical/system friction story * Decision moment * Risk moment * Transformation moment * “Could this be us?” reflection story --- ## 12. Desired Tone [Choose or describe the tone.] Examples: * Executive and grounded * Human but not sentimental * Sharp but not dramatic * Warm but urgent * Commercially clear * Practical and credible * Slightly witty but serious * Simple enough to say aloud * Technical but accessible * Reflective without being soft --- ## 13. Things to Avoid [List anything the writing should avoid.] Default avoid list: * Avoid TED Talk energy. * Avoid melodrama. * Avoid fake inspiration. * Avoid “once upon a time.” * Avoid overexplaining background. * Avoid generic corporate phrasing. * Avoid data dumping. * Avoid making the audience feel stupid. * Avoid making the story longer than the point deserves. * Avoid invented quotes unless clearly marked as placeholders. * Avoid invented precise facts. * Avoid abstract phrases inside the scene like “efficiency dropped,” “alignment failed,” or “customers were frustrated.” * Avoid boring sequence stories where nothing changes. * Avoid decorative detail that does not support the business point. A story is not: “I was hungry. I went to the shop. I bought a sandwich. I ate it.” That has sequence, but no spark. A useful business story needs at least one of these: * Contrast * Friction * Surprise * Risk * Choice * Delay * Reversal * Hidden cost * Human reaction * Decision pressure * A moment where something changes --- # Your Task Create **three business micro-story options** that help prove the point. Each option should use a different narrative angle. Use the strongest framework for each option. Choose from: * **One Person / One Moment / One Metric:** best for making data human and memorable. * **Point → Vignette → Proof:** best for using a scene as a proxy for the larger evidence. * **Data → Scene → Meaning → Action:** best for analytical or chart-heavy presentations. * **Before → After → Bridge:** best for showing the value of a change, tool, process, or intervention. * **Incident → Point → Outcome:** best for one vivid observed moment. * **Challenge → Action → Result → So What:** best for concise proof stories. * **What Is → What Could Be:** best for contrast, change, and aspiration. * **In Medias Res Flash:** best for high-stakes moments where the story starts in the middle of the tension. * **Discovery Arc:** best when the data reveals something surprising and the audience should experience the discovery. Do not force every framework into the answer. Pick what best serves the claim, audience, evidence, and use case. --- # Story-Building Rules Each story must: 1. Prove or illuminate the claim. 2. Use a specific human, operational, technical, commercial, or decision-making moment. 3. Include observable action or friction. 4. Use data, logic, or evidence where available. 5. Connect the specific moment to the larger business meaning. 6. End with implication, action, or a question worth discussing. 7. Be short enough for a business setting. 8. Sound like something a credible business person could actually say. 9. Clearly label whether it is observed, composite, hypothetical, or placeholder. 10. Avoid making the story more certain than the evidence allows. --- # The Camcorder Test Before finalising each story, test the scene: Could a camera film at least part of it? Good: * A broker refreshing their inbox before a renewal call. * A supervisor stopping a line because a quality check failed. * An analyst rewriting an IC memo after the partner asks one sharper question. * A finance partner walking into QBR with three versions of the forecast. * A customer hovering over the cancel button. * A manager opening the feedback conversation, then softening the message at the last second. * An engineer counting the seconds while a checkout page fails to load. * A regulator asking one question that changes the room. Weak: * “Stakeholders were misaligned.” * “The process was inefficient.” * “Customers were frustrated.” * “The team lacked accountability.” * “The market was changing.” * “The data showed a need for transformation.” If the scene cannot be filmed, make it more concrete. --- # Anti-Boring Story Filter Before finalising each story, check whether it has spark. A weak story has sequence but no tension: “Someone had a problem. They did a thing. It got solved.” A strong business story has at least one of the following: * A visible friction point * A moment of contrast * A surprising discovery * A choice under pressure * A hidden cost becoming visible * A small moment that represents a bigger pattern * A delay that creates risk * A confident assumption being challenged * A person realising the old way no longer works * A better future becoming concrete If the story has no spark, rewrite it. --- # Story Validity Check Before writing the final output, silently test each story: 1. What exact claim does this story prove? 2. What evidence supports it? 3. What detail is assumed? 4. What detail would make it more credible? 5. Could a skeptical executive challenge it? 6. Does the data support the story, or is the story carrying too much weight? 7. Is the story short enough for the use case? 8. Does the business meaning land clearly? 9. Is the story vivid without becoming theatrical? 10. Is credibility stronger than color? Revise until the answer is strong. --- # Required Output Format # Story Diagnosis **Claim to prove:** [Restate the point.] **Best available evidence:** [Summarise the strongest evidence provided.] **Likely audience tension:** [What the audience may believe, resist, care about, or need to feel.] **Best story strategy:** [Explain whether to start with the data, start with the scene, use contrast, use a cautionary tale, use a bright spot, etc.] **Truthfulness level:** [Observed, composite, hypothetical, or placeholder.] **Assumptions I will make:** [List any assumed details clearly.] --- # Three Micro-Story Options ## Option 1: [Story Title] **Best for:** [Where this would work best.] **Framework used:** [Name the framework.] **Truthfulness level:** [Observed, composite, hypothetical, or placeholder.] **Story shape:** [Example: Specific moment → data proof → business meaning → action.] **Spoken version:** [Write the story in a natural spoken style.] **Slide version:** [2–4 sentence version for a slide or speaker notes.] **Conversation version:** [One shorter, more casual version that could be said in a meeting.] **Data / evidence link:** [Explain how the data supports the story.] **Business meaning:** [What the audience should conclude.] **Credibility note:** [What is known, what is assumed, and what should be verified.] **Suggested details to add:** [Give the user a practical list of details that would make this stronger: real quote, actual role, exact metric, timestamp, observed behavior, location, client type, before/after result, etc.] --- ## Option 2: [Story Title] **Best for:** [Where this would work best.] **Framework used:** [Name the framework.] **Truthfulness level:** [Observed, composite, hypothetical, or placeholder.] **Story shape:** [Example: Data signal → human moment → tension → action.] **Spoken version:** [Write the story in a natural spoken style.] **Slide version:** [2–4 sentence version for a slide or speaker notes.] **Conversation version:** [One shorter, more casual version that could be said in a meeting.] **Data / evidence link:** [Explain how the data supports the story.] **Business meaning:** [What the audience should conclude.] **Credibility note:** [What is known, what is assumed, and what should be verified.] **Suggested details to add:** [Give the user a practical list of details that would make this stronger.] --- ## Option 3: [Story Title] **Best for:** [Where this would work best.] **Framework used:** [Name the framework.] **Truthfulness level:** [Observed, composite, hypothetical, or placeholder.] **Story shape:** [Example: Before scene → after scene → bridge → proof.] **Spoken version:** [Write the story in a natural spoken style.] **Slide version:** [2–4 sentence version for a slide or speaker notes.] **Conversation version:** [One shorter, more casual version that could be said in a meeting.] **Data / evidence link:** [Explain how the data supports the story.] **Business meaning:** [What the audience should conclude.] **Credibility note:** [What is known, what is assumed, and what should be verified.] **Suggested details to add:** [Give the user a practical list of details that would make this stronger.] --- # Recommendation Tell me: 1. Which story is strongest overall. 2. Which is most executive. 3. Which is most human. 4. Which is best for a slide. 5. Which is best for spoken delivery. 6. Which is best for a live conversation. 7. Which is most likely to make the audience think, “Could this be us?” 8. Which has the strongest data / evidence link. 9. Which is most credible given the information provided. 10. What real details I should add before finalising. --- # Optional: Strongest Final Hybrid After the recommendation, create one hybrid version that combines the strongest parts of the three options. Give me: **Final spoken version:** [45–60 seconds unless I requested another length.] **Final slide version:** [2–4 sentences.] **Final conversation version:** [15–25 seconds, natural and direct.] **Final one-line takeaway:** [One sentence that captures the business meaning.] **Details to verify or replace:** [List any placeholder or assumed details.] --- # Quality Standards The story must: * Show, not just tell. * Use the particular to represent the general. * Make the evidence memorable. * Use data where available, but not dump it. * Include contrast, friction, stakes, or a turning point. * Connect to the audience’s real world. * Avoid melodrama. * Avoid generic corporate language. * Avoid unnecessary backstory. * Avoid turning the story into a long case study. * Preserve credibility by marking assumptions. * End with business meaning, not just atmosphere. * Be vivid enough to remember but disciplined enough to trust. The story should feel like a real business person saying: “Here is the moment that made the issue visible.” Not: “Let me tell you an inspiring story.”

# Follow-Up Prompt: Strengthen the Chosen Business Micro-Story I want to improve one of the micro-stories you created. I choose: **Option [insert option number]** Now revise it into a stronger final version. Use this structure: **Specific scene → tension or contrast → evidence / data link → business meaning → implication or action** The goal is to make the story more specific, more credible, more useful, and easier to say aloud. The goal is not to make it more dramatic. **Credibility beats color.** --- # What I Like About This Option [Explain what worked.] Examples: * The scene feels vivid. * The data link is strong. * The business meaning is clear. * The story would work well on a slide. * The spoken version sounds natural. * The audience would recognise the situation. * The story creates useful discomfort without blame. * The story creates hope by showing what good looks like. * The moment of friction is easy to picture. --- # What Needs To Change [Explain what feels weak.] Examples: * The story is too generic. * The scene does not pass the Camcorder Test. * The story feels invented. * The data is too bolted on. * The story is too long. * The tone is too dramatic. * The business meaning is not sharp enough. * The ending does not land. * The story feels too much like a case study. * The audience would not see themselves in it. * The story has sequence but no spark. * The evidence is not strong enough for the claim. --- # Real Details to Add [Add any real details you can.] Use this menu if helpful: * Actual person, role, or persona * Specific moment or timestamp * Setting or location * What someone physically or digitally did * What someone saw * What someone said * Real quote or paraphrase * Metric, trend, or data point * Before / after comparison * What changed * What was at stake * What decision or action followed * What the audience should conclude * What detail the audience would immediately recognise --- # Truthfulness Level [Choose the right level.] 1. **Observed story:** Based on a real event I provide. 2. **Composite story:** A realistic synthesis based on multiple real examples or patterns. 3. **Hypothetical scenario:** Plausible but not claimed as real. 4. **Placeholder story:** Demo copy awaiting real details. Important: Do not invent sensitive facts, fake quotes, named clients, named employees, precise dates, or precise metrics unless I provide them. Use placeholders where needed: * [insert real quote] * [insert actual metric] * [insert client role] * [insert observed behavior] * [insert before/after result] * [insert specific moment] --- # Desired Final Use [Where will this be used?] Examples: * Slide * Speaker notes * Workshop opening * Client conversation * Executive presentation * Proposal * Leadership message * Data readout * Q&A response * Coaching or feedback conversation Also specify the format needed: * **Slide copy:** compressed, message-led, minimal detail * **Speaker notes:** fuller, natural, 45–60 seconds * **Live conversation:** shorter, more casual, less polished * **Executive briefing:** tighter, more direct, less cinematic * **Workshop facilitation:** more open-ended, designed to prompt reflection --- # Desired Length Choose one: * Micro: 15–20 seconds * Short: 30–45 seconds * Standard: 60–90 seconds * Expanded: 2–3 minutes * Slide version only * Custom: [insert length] --- # Data Component [How should the revised version use data?] Choose one: * Start with data, then zoom into the scene. * Start with the scene, then zoom out to the data. * Weave data into the middle. * Use the story first, then use data as proof. * Use data only lightly. * No data available yet. Default: use data as proof, not as a dump. The story should make the data memorable. The data should make the story credible. --- # Your Task Rewrite the chosen story so it is stronger, sharper, and more credible. Make it: * More specific. * More visual. * More audience-relevant. * More clearly tied to the evidence. * More concise. * Less generic. * Less theatrical. * Easier to say aloud. * Stronger as proof for the original claim. Do not make the story more vivid than the evidence allows. Do not invent precise facts, quotes, names, clients, or metrics unless I provide them. If a detail is missing but would help, use a clear placeholder. --- # The Camcorder Test Before finalising, test the story: Could a camera film at least part of it? Good: * A broker refreshing their inbox before a renewal call. * A supervisor stopping a line because a quality check failed. * An analyst rewriting an IC memo after the partner asks one sharper question. * A finance partner walking into QBR with three versions of the forecast. * A customer hovering over the cancel button. * A manager opening the feedback conversation, then softening the message at the last second. * An engineer counting the seconds while a checkout page fails to load. Weak: * “Stakeholders were misaligned.” * “The process was inefficient.” * “Customers were frustrated.” * “The team lacked accountability.” * “The market was changing.” * “The data showed a need for transformation.” If the scene cannot be filmed, make it more concrete. --- # Anti-Boring Story Filter Before finalising, check whether the story has spark. A weak story has sequence but no tension: “Someone had a problem. They did a thing. It got solved.” A strong business story has at least one of the following: * A visible friction point * A moment of contrast * A surprising discovery * A choice under pressure * A hidden cost becoming visible * A small moment that represents a bigger pattern * A delay that creates risk * A confident assumption being challenged * A person realising the old way no longer works * A better future becoming concrete If the story has no spark, rewrite it. --- # Story Validity Check Before writing the final output, silently test the story: 1. What exact claim does this story prove? 2. What evidence supports it? 3. What detail is assumed? 4. What detail would make it more credible? 5. Could a skeptical executive challenge it? 6. Does the data support the story, or is the story carrying too much weight? 7. Is the story short enough for the use case? 8. Does the business meaning land clearly? 9. Is the story vivid without becoming theatrical? 10. Is credibility stronger than color? Revise until the answer is strong. --- # Output Format # Final Business Micro-Story **Truthfulness level:** [Observed, composite, hypothetical, or placeholder.] **Spoken version:** [Write the story in natural spoken language.] **Slide version:** [2–4 sentence version suitable for a slide, speaker notes, or executive summary.] **Conversation version:** [15–25 second version that could be said naturally in a meeting.] **One-line takeaway:** [The business meaning in one sentence.] --- # Optional Variants **Sharper version:** [A tighter, more executive version.] **More human version:** [A version with slightly more scene detail.] **More data-led version:** [A version that starts from the metric and then zooms into the scene.] **More reflective version:** [A version designed to make the audience think, “Could this be us?”] --- # Credibility and Detail Check **What is known:** [List details provided by the user.] **What is assumed:** [List anything inferred.] **What should be verified or replaced:** [List placeholders, invented composite details, or missing evidence.] **Most valuable detail to add next:** [Name the one detail that would most improve the story.] --- # Final Check Briefly explain: 1. What claim the story proves. 2. Where the story passes the Camcorder Test. 3. How the data strengthens the story. 4. Why the detail is memorable. 5. What the audience should think, feel, or do next. 6. Whether the story is credible enough for the chosen audience.

You are an expert analogy architect. Your job is to generate powerful, non-cliché analogies that make complex concepts instantly clear, memorable, and emotionally resonant. You operate according to the following principles. Memorise them before I give you any requests. --- PRINCIPLE 1: STRUCTURE-MAPPING THEORY (Gentner, 1983) Analogies work by mapping RELATIONAL STRUCTURE, not surface similarity. The power of an analogy comes from matching how things work, not what they look like. Bad (surface similarity): "Blockchain is like a chain because both have links." Good (relational structure): "Blockchain links blocks sequentially, each cryptographically sealed to the previous one — like a notarised ledger where every entry is witnessed by all previous entries, making retroactive forgery visible to the entire network." Before writing any analogy, you must: 1. List 3–5 key RELATIONS in the source domain (verbs and causal connections: "flows into," "prevents," "triggers," "amplifies") 2. List 3–5 key RELATIONS in the target concept 3. Verify the relations actually map — not just the objects --- PRINCIPLE 2: THE "OBVIOUS IN RETROSPECT" TEST (Foster & Keene) The best analogies are surprising at first, then feel inevitable once explained. - If the connection feels forced or arbitrary → the analogy fails - If the connection is obvious from the start → the analogy is boring - If the connection surprises THEN clicks ("Whoa... wait... YES, that's exactly right") → the analogy works To achieve this: choose a source domain that is NOT obviously related to the target concept. --- PRINCIPLE 3: SOURCE DOMAIN SELECTION Avoid the following overused source domains entirely: - Swiss Army knife, iceberg, symphony orchestra, recipe/ingredients, puzzle pieces, GPS/navigation, building/architecture, sports teams, chess, war/battle, machine/engine, journey/road, ladder/stairs, bridge, ecosystem (generic), toolbox, mirror, lens, DNA, fingerprint, heartbeat, skeleton, muscle, foundation Prioritise source domains from: - Biology and ecology (mycelium networks, immune systems, migration patterns, symbiosis, cellular signalling) - Materials science and physics (phase transitions, resonance, tensile strength, thermal conductivity, superconductivity) - Geology and oceanography (tidal forces, sediment layers, deep-water currents, fault lines, erosion) - Cognitive science and neuroscience (pattern recognition, predictive coding, neuroplasticity, attention systems) - Engineering edge cases (bridge failure modes, feedback loops, load distribution, tolerance stacking) - Economic history and anthropology (unusual trade systems, historical market failures, gift economies, barter networks) - Astronomy and cosmology (orbital mechanics, stellar lifecycle, dark matter influence, gravitational lensing) The more unexpected the source domain, the more memorable the analogy — provided the relational mapping is tight. --- PRINCIPLE 4: EMOTIONAL RESONANCE Purely intellectual analogies are forgotten. Analogies that make the audience feel something are remembered. Use the WIIFM test: connect the analogy to the audience's identity, values, fears, or aspirations. Weak: "Reinsurance spreads risk across multiple parties." Strong: "Reinsurance is the safety net that keeps insurance companies from going under when the unthinkable happens — not because the risk disappears, but because it's distributed across a network strong enough to absorb what no single carrier could survive alone." Use emotionally charged language where appropriate: - Curiosity: hidden, secret, surprising, unexpected - Concern: vulnerable, fragile, at risk, breaking point - Hope: unlock, transform, breakthrough, discover - Wonder: remarkable, extraordinary, counterintuitive --- PRINCIPLE 5: VIVIDNESS AND SENSORY DENSITY Concrete language activates both verbal and imagery systems simultaneously, doubling retention. Apply the "Draw-able Words Test": can a sketch artist draw the scene you're describing? Aim for 5–10 concrete nouns per analogy. Include at least two sensory dimensions (visual, auditory, tactile, spatial, temporal). Low vividness: "The system processes data efficiently." High vividness: "Like a potter's wheel spinning wet clay into a symmetrical bowl — the system applies continuous, calibrated pressure to raw inputs, shaping them into something precise and usable." --- PRINCIPLE 6: THE ONE METAPHOR RULE Stick to one core comparison per analogy. Do not mix metaphors. Develop the single comparison deeply rather than stacking multiple comparisons. --- PRINCIPLE 7: VOICE AND REGISTER Write as if a brilliant but slightly irreverent intellectual is delivering this in a keynote or a boardroom. Warm, confident, a little surprising. Remove: - Generic transitions ("In other words...", "Simply put...", "To illustrate...") - Abstract language that cannot be visualised - Hedging phrases ("This is somewhat like...", "In a way, it's similar to...") The analogy paragraph should be 150–250 words. It should sound like a real person saying something genuinely interesting. --- PRINCIPLE 8: CULTURAL UNIVERSALITY These analogies may be used in international contexts. Avoid references that only work in one culture. - No American idioms, sports references (baseball, American football), or holidays - No English-language wordplay that doesn't translate - No Western-centric historical events unless globally taught Prefer: natural phenomena, basic human experiences, universal objects, globally recognised scientific concepts, and cross-cultural historical events. Test: would this analogy work equally well in Tokyo, Mumbai, São Paulo, and Lagos? --- PRINCIPLE 9: BOTH FORMS — ANALOGY AND METAPHOR For each request, provide both: - The ANALOGY (extended comparison with explicit mapping: "X is like Y because both...") - The METAPHOR (compressed, direct: "X is Y" — no "like" or "because") The metaphor is for headlines, slide titles, and one-liners. The analogy is for explanation and persuasion. --- OUTPUT FORMAT (use this every time): **CONCEPT UNDERSTANDING** [Before writing the analogy, briefly state: what are the 3 key RELATIONS in this concept? What does it do, prevent, enable, or require?] **SOURCE DOMAIN** [Name the source domain and why you chose it — what unusual or non-obvious field did you draw from, and why does it map well?] **RELATIONAL MAPPING** [List 3 relations from the source → 3 corresponding relations in the target. Verify the mapping is structural, not just surface.] **THE ANALOGY** [150–250 word paragraph. Witty, warm, conversational. No citations. No hedging. No generic transitions.] **THE METAPHOR** [One sentence. Direct. No "like" or "as".] **CORE TAKEAWAY** [One sentence: what should the audience understand or feel after hearing this?] **CLICHÉ CHECK** [Confirm: does this use any of the prohibited source domains? Does it pass the "Obvious in Retrospect" test? Would it work in Tokyo, Mumbai, São Paulo, and Lagos?] --- You are now ready. Wait for my analogy requests.

Generate an analogy using the framework you have installed. CONCEPT TO EXPLAIN: [what you're explaining — be specific, not just a word or label. Describe what it does, how it works, what problem it solves, or what makes it distinctive.] TARGET AUDIENCE: [who will hear this — their role, expertise level, what they care about, what they already know, and what might make them skeptical or resistant] CONTEXT: [where will this be used — board presentation, sales pitch, training session, workshop, proposal, keynote, leadership message, executive briefing, client conversation, slide deck, or written document] Additional constraints (optional): - Avoid these source domains: [list any you've already used or want to avoid] - Lean toward: [biology / physics / history / economics / etc. — or leave blank for open selection] - Tone: [more formal / more conversational / more provocative]