These "codes" aren't hidden settings or secret features. They're just single words you type right before your prompt, and each one snaps ChatGPT into a specific mode. Instead of writing a paragraph to explain how you want it to answer, you drop one word and it gets the message. Think of each code as a shortcut for a personality or a job.

You use them like this: type the code, then a colon, then your actual prompt. So truthmode: is my side hustle idea any good? hits completely differently than just asking. Here are the 5 from the video, then 100 more you can steal.

The 5 codes from the video

truthmode

ChatGPT agrees with you far too much by default. It's trained to be agreeable, which is useless when you need a real opinion. truthmode kills the people-pleasing and gives you the honest version.

truthmode: here's my plan to quit my job and go all in on this. be brutally honest about whether that's smart.

Use it before any decision where you'd rather hear the hard thing now than learn it later.

eli10

Turns any confusing topic into something a 10 year old would understand. Great for finance, tax, legal, or any subject where the jargon is doing the confusing.

eli10: how do interest rates actually affect my mortgage?

If the first answer is still too dense, just reply "simpler" and it keeps dialing it down.

redteam

Borrowed from security teams, where the red team's whole job is to attack the plan and find what breaks. Point it at your idea and it does the same thing on purpose, so you find the weak points before reality does.

redteam: here's my product launch plan. tear it apart and tell me what breaks first.

Best used on business plans, pitches, and big decisions you've already half talked yourself into.

socrates

Instead of handing you the answer, it teaches by asking questions until you get there yourself. It takes longer, but you actually remember it, and you often realize you knew the answer the whole time.

socrates: help me figure out why my content isn't growing.

This is the one for thinking through a problem, not just looking something up.

lindy

Named after the Lindy effect, the idea that the longer something has already lasted, the longer it's likely to keep lasting. This code filters out the trendy hype and keeps only the time-tested advice that's worked for decades.

lindy: what's the best way to get genuinely fit and stay that way?

Perfect for health, money, and habits, where the internet is full of fads and the boring answer is usually right.

100 more codes

Same rule every time: type the code, a colon, then your prompt. Skim for the ones that fit how you think, and save your favorites (there's a trick for that at the bottom).

Brutal honesty and pushback

  • nobs: strip out the hedging and corporate softness, just say it straight.
  • devilsadvocate: argue the opposite of whatever I just said.
  • steelman: build the strongest possible version of the other side's argument.
  • contrarian: give me the smartest take that goes against the consensus.
  • realitycheck: tell me if this is actually realistic or just wishful thinking.
  • tough: coach me like a hard but fair mentor, no participation trophies.
  • redflag: point out the warning signs I'm choosing to ignore.
  • threereasons: give me three reasons this could fail before you encourage it.
  • ego: tell me where my ego is getting in the way here.
  • blindspot: name what I'm not seeing because I'm too close to it.

Decisions and risk

  • premortem: assume this already failed and explain exactly why.
  • inversion: tell me how to guarantee the worst outcome, so I know what to avoid.
  • expectedvalue: weigh the odds against the payoffs and show me the math.
  • reversible: is this a one-way door or a two-way door decision?
  • opportunity: what am I actually giving up by choosing this?
  • firstprinciples: break this down to the basic truths and rebuild from scratch.
  • secondorder: what happens after the obvious first result?
  • tradeoffs: lay out exactly what I gain and lose with each option.
  • decide: force one clear recommendation, no fence-sitting.
  • baserate: what usually happens to people who try this?

Learning anything fast

  • eli5: explain it like I'm five.
  • feynman: explain it in plain words, then show me the gaps in my understanding.
  • analogy: explain it with an analogy from everyday life.
  • roadmap: give me a step-by-step path from beginner to competent.
  • prereqs: list what I need to understand first for this to make sense.
  • quizme: test me with questions and grade my answers.
  • flashcards: turn this into question-and-answer flashcards.
  • glossary: define every key term simply.
  • mentalmodel: give me the one mental model that makes this click.
  • mistakes: what do beginners always get wrong here?

Writing and editing

  • tighten: cut this down without losing the meaning.
  • plainenglish: rewrite so a normal person gets it instantly.
  • punchup: make this more interesting to read without adding fluff.
  • hook: write ten opening lines that make people keep reading.
  • activevoice: rewrite in active voice and cut the weak verbs.
  • hemingway: short sentences, simple words, no adverbs.
  • tone: rewrite this in a friendlier (or blunter, or more formal) tone.
  • headline: give me ten headline options for this.
  • proofread: fix grammar and clarity but don't touch my voice.
  • cutfluff: delete every word that isn't pulling weight.

Business and strategy

  • moat: what would actually stop a competitor from copying this?
  • positioning: how should I position this so it stands out?
  • icp: describe my ideal customer in real detail.
  • pricing: pressure-test my pricing and suggest better options.
  • swot: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
  • gtm: sketch a simple go-to-market plan.
  • unitecon: walk through whether the unit economics actually work.
  • competitor: analyze my top competitors and where they're weak.
  • offer: make my offer more compelling without dropping the price.
  • churn: tell me the likely reasons people would stop buying.

Productivity and getting it done

  • prioritize: sort this list by impact and effort.
  • eisenhower: split my tasks into urgent, important, both, or neither.
  • nextaction: tell me the single next physical step to take.
  • timebox: turn this into a realistic time-blocked schedule.
  • delegate: what here can I hand off or automate?
  • batch: group these tasks so I can do them more efficiently.
  • weeklyreview: run me through a quick weekly review.
  • ifthen: turn my goal into if-then plans for when I get stuck.
  • focus: cut my to-do list down to the one thing that matters today.
  • unblock: I'm stuck, ask me questions until I'm moving again.

Coding and technical

  • explaincode: explain what this code does line by line.
  • bugfind: find the bug and tell me why it happens.
  • refactor: clean this up without changing what it does.
  • testcases: write the test cases I'm probably missing.
  • complexity: what's the time and space complexity here?
  • regex: write the regex and explain each part.
  • sql: write the query and explain the joins.
  • securityaudit: find the security holes in this.
  • docstring: add clear comments and documentation.
  • edgecases: list the edge cases I haven't handled.

Communication and people

  • reply: draft a reply to this message in my voice.
  • coldemail: write a short cold email that doesn't read like a template.
  • followup: write a polite follow-up that's hard to ignore.
  • negotiate: give me my best moves going into this negotiation.
  • feedback: help me give this feedback so it lands without crushing them.
  • apology: write a real apology with no excuses buried in it.
  • exec: summarize this for a busy executive in five bullets.
  • tldr: give me the three-sentence version.
  • simplify: explain this to my boss, my mom, or a brand new client.
  • script: write what I should actually say in this conversation.

Creativity and ideas

  • brainstorm: give me twenty ideas, including some weird ones.
  • scamper: run this idea through substitute, combine, adapt, and the rest.
  • remix: combine two unrelated ideas into something new.
  • worstidea: give me the worst possible ideas so I can flip them.
  • constraints: solve this as if I had no money, no time, or no team.
  • names: generate name options with the reasoning behind each.
  • angles: give me ten different angles to approach this.
  • metaphor: find a fresh metaphor for this idea.
  • whatif: push this idea to its most extreme version.
  • cross: how would a chef, a coach, or an engineer solve this?

Life, money, and health

  • mealplan: build a simple meal plan around my goals.
  • workout: give me a realistic workout plan for my level.
  • budget: turn my numbers into a simple monthly budget.
  • habit: help me stack a new habit onto one I already have.
  • sleep: troubleshoot my sleep and suggest fixes.
  • journal: ask me reflective questions to journal on.
  • declutter: give me a no-nonsense plan to clear this mess.
  • gift: suggest thoughtful gift ideas based on this person.
  • trip: plan a realistic itinerary for this trip.
  • checkin: ask me how I'm actually doing, then listen.

How to make these stick

Two ways to get more out of them:

  • Stack them. You can combine codes. truthmode + eli10: rate my business plan gives you the blunt version, explained simply.
  • Save your favorites. Open ChatGPT settings, go to Personalization and then Custom Instructions, and paste in your three or four most-used codes with a line on what each one means. Now they're always on and you never have to type them.

None of these are magic words the model was secretly trained on. They work because they're short, clear instructions, which means you can invent your own too. If you catch yourself typing the same request over and over, turn it into a code and add it to your list.

Steal the ones that fit how you think and ignore the rest. The whole point is to stop typing the same instructions over and over.
– Anir

If this is the kind of AI thinking you want working on your own business, apply to work with me. And to catch the next breakdown, join the newsletter.