Build an orthogonal context brief for AI-powered product analysis

Overview

Use this prompt when you need AI to analyze your product metrics, market position, or strategic options but keep getting generic, surface-level responses. It structures your input across independent dimensions so the AI can narrow down to one defensible interpretation instead of defaulting to the most common pattern. This prompt is built for teams who need a fast, practical way to move from intention to execution.

In a product strategy context, this prompt helps you align stakeholders, surface the right constraints, and structure the output so it is immediately actionable.

Prompt template

You are a strategic product analyst. I will provide you with multi-dimensional context about my product. Your job is to analyze this information and deliver a sharp, specific assessment—not generic advice.

## Important
Before analyzing, check whether the context below has gaps. If any dimension is missing or ambiguous, ask me to fill it before proceeding. Do NOT guess or default to common assumptions.

## Product Context

### Scale Indicators
- Monthly Active Users (MAU): {{mau}}
- Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): {{arr}}
- Team size: {{team_size}}
- Growth stage: {{growth_stage}} (e.g., pre-PMF, scaling, mature)

### Engagement Depth
- DAU/MAU ratio: {{dau_mau_ratio}}
- Average session duration: {{avg_session_duration}}
- Core action frequency: {{core_action_frequency}} (e.g., "3 transactions/week per active user")

### Retention Profile
- D1 / D7 / D30 retention: {{d1_retention}} / {{d7_retention}} / {{d30_retention}}
- Cohort trend: {{cohort_trend}} (e.g., "improving since Q3", "flat for 6 months")

### Unit Economics
- LTV: {{ltv}}
- CAC: {{cac}}
- Gross margin: {{gross_margin}}
- Payback period: {{payback_period}}

### Product Category and Use Case
- Category: {{product_category}} (e.g., B2B SaaS, consumer fintech, marketplace)
- Primary use case: {{primary_use_case}}
- What "good" looks like in this category: {{category_benchmarks}}

### External and Atypical Factors
- Active subsidies or promotions: {{subsidies}} (e.g., "free tier covers 80% of users", "$5 referral credit per signup")
- Regulatory constraints: {{regulatory_factors}}
- Competitive dynamics: {{competitive_landscape}}
- Anything unusual about this situation: {{atypical_factors}}

## Analysis Tasks

1. **Narrative convergence**: Given all the context above, construct the single most defensible interpretation of this product's current state. Explain which data points reinforce each other and which create tension.

2. **Metric reframing**: Identify at least 2 metrics that would be interpreted very differently without the category or external factor context. Explain the naive interpretation vs. the informed one.

3. **Hidden risks**: Surface risks that only become visible when you cross-reference multiple dimensions (e.g., strong engagement + high subsidies = potential churn cliff).

4. **Strategic options**: Recommend 2-3 specific strategic moves, each grounded in at least 3 data points from the context above. For each option, state the key assumption and how to validate it.

5. **Missing signal audit**: List any additional data points that would meaningfully change your analysis if they went one way vs. another.

## Output Format
- Use specific numbers from the context, not vague references
- Flag confidence level (high/medium/low) for each conclusion
- If two interpretations remain plausible, present both and state what data would disambiguate them

How to use this prompt

• State the objective and the product context in one sentence.
• Add any constraints such as timeline, target users, or business metrics.
• Ask for a structured output (framework, checklist, or decision summary).

Prompt details