These aren't hidden features or secret settings. They're short commands you drop into any Claude prompt, and each one changes how Claude thinks before it answers. Most people type a question and take whatever comes back. These flip Claude into a sharper mode first: asking, planning, quizzing, or stress-testing instead of just guessing.

You use them by dropping the word into your prompt, usually right at the start or the end. So table at the end of a messy comparison hands you a clean side-by-side, and V2 on its own tells Claude to rebuild its last answer. Here are the 5 from the video, then 100 more you can steal.

The 5 codes from the video

table

Drop this at the end of any prompt and Claude takes a pile of messy info and lays it out in a clean side-by-side table, so you can actually decide instead of squinting at paragraphs.

compare the top three project tools on price, features, and team size. table

Use it any time you're weighing options and the details are scattered across the answer.

V2

Type this on its own right after any response and Claude reworks its own answer to be tighter, sharper, and a clear level above the first try. No new prompt needed.

V2

The first answer is usually good. This is how you get the one you actually keep.

/brainstorm

Put this at the start of your prompt and Claude stops handing you one safe answer and dumps ideas you never would have landed on yourself.

/brainstorm: names for a premium cold brew brand.

For when you're stuck circling the one obvious idea and need real range.

/checklist

Add this to the end of your prompt and Claude takes any plan, process, or strategy and breaks it into clear steps you can actually run.

here's my plan to launch a weekly newsletter. /checklist

Best when you have the idea but need it turned into something you can execute today.

/proofread

Type this after you paste any text and Claude hunts down every grammar slip, clunky line, and confusing bit, then fixes them in one pass.

/proofread: [paste your text here]

Run it on anything someone else is going to read.

100 more codes

Same rule every time: type the command, 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).

Plan and pressure-test

  • interview me: ask me questions first, then build the answer on my real situation.
  • socratic: teach by quizzing me instead of just handing over the answer.
  • ultra think: spend more thinking budget for deeper answers on the hard stuff.
  • second order: tell me what happens next, and then what happens after that.
  • inversion: map out every way this could fail, not just how to make it work.

Think harder

  • think step by step: show your full reasoning before the answer.
  • plan first: outline your approach and wait for my okay before doing it.
  • show your work: explain how you got there, not just the result.
  • steelman: build the strongest possible case for the other side.
  • devils advocate: push back hard on what I just said.
  • red team: attack this plan and find where it breaks.
  • first principles: break it down to the basics and rebuild.
  • assume nothing: list every assumption you're making.
  • confidence check: rate how sure you are and why.
  • change your mind: tell me the evidence that would flip your answer.

Decisions

  • pre-mortem: assume it already failed and explain why.
  • expected value: weigh the odds against the payoff and show the math.
  • one-way or two-way: is this reversible or not?
  • opportunity cost: what am I actually giving up here?
  • trade-offs: lay out the gains and losses of each option.
  • just decide: make one clear call, no hedging.
  • base rate: what usually happens to people who try this?
  • third order: what happens after what happens next?
  • stress test: what breaks this under real pressure?
  • tiebreaker: I'm fifty-fifty, give me the deciding factor.

Learning anything

  • eli5: explain it like I'm five.
  • eli10: explain it like I'm ten.
  • analogy: explain it with an everyday comparison.
  • teach back: explain it, then check what I got wrong.
  • quiz me: test me with questions and grade my answers.
  • flashcards: turn this into question-and-answer cards.
  • roadmap: a step-by-step path from beginner to competent.
  • prereqs: what do I need to understand first?
  • common mistakes: what do beginners always get wrong?
  • one mental model: the single idea that makes this click.

Writing and editing

  • tighten: cut this down without losing the meaning.
  • plain english: rewrite so anyone gets it instantly.
  • punch up: make it more interesting to read, no fluff.
  • hooks: ten opening lines that make people keep reading.
  • active voice: kill the passive voice and weak verbs.
  • match my voice: rewrite in the style of the sample I give you.
  • cut fluff: delete every word that isn't pulling weight.
  • ten headlines: give me ten title options.
  • tone shift: redo it friendlier, blunter, or more formal.

Building and planning

  • break it down: split this into small, doable steps.
  • spec it: write the requirements before we build anything.
  • what's missing: what did I forget to plan for?
  • minimum version: what's the smallest version that works?
  • dependencies: what has to happen before what.
  • risks: list what could go wrong and how likely each is.
  • definition of done: how do we know it's actually finished?
  • one page: summarize the whole plan on a single page.
  • next step: just tell me the one next action to take.

Business and strategy

  • moat: what would stop someone from copying this?
  • positioning: how do I make this stand out?
  • ideal customer: describe exactly who this is for.
  • pricing check: pressure-test my price and suggest better.
  • objections: list the reasons people won't buy.
  • competitor scan: who else does this and where they're weak.
  • better offer: make it more compelling without dropping the price.
  • go to market: sketch a simple launch plan.
  • unit economics: does the math actually work?
  • churn: why would people stop using this?

Coding and technical

  • explain this code: walk me through it line by line.
  • find the bug: find it and tell me why it happens.
  • refactor: clean it up without changing what it does.
  • test cases: write the tests I'm probably missing.
  • edge cases: list the cases I haven't handled.
  • complexity: what's the time and space complexity?
  • security check: find the security holes.
  • simpler: is there a simpler way to do this?
  • document: add clear comments and docs.
  • senior review: review this like a senior engineer would.

Communication

  • draft a reply: write a response in my voice.
  • cold email: short, and not a template.
  • follow up: polite but hard to ignore.
  • negotiate: my best moves going into this.
  • give feedback: so it lands without crushing them.
  • real apology: no excuses buried inside it.
  • exec summary: five bullets for a busy leader.
  • tldr: the three-sentence version.
  • say it simpler: for my boss, my mom, or a client.
  • what do I say: script what I should actually say.

Creativity and ideas

  • brainstorm 20: twenty ideas, including some weird ones.
  • remix: combine two unrelated ideas into one.
  • worst idea: bad ideas I can flip into good ones.
  • constraints: solve it with no money, no time, or no team.
  • ten angles: ten different ways to approach this.
  • name it: name options with the reasoning behind each.
  • fresh metaphor: a new way to picture this idea.
  • push it: take this idea to its most extreme version.
  • how would they: how would a chef, a coach, or an engineer solve this?
  • opposite: give me the contrarian take.

Life, money, and health

  • meal plan: a simple plan built around my goals.
  • workout: a realistic plan for my level.
  • budget: turn my numbers into a monthly budget.
  • habit stack: attach a new habit to one I already have.
  • sleep fix: troubleshoot my sleep and suggest changes.
  • journal prompts: reflective questions for today.
  • declutter plan: no-nonsense steps to clear this mess.
  • gift ideas: thoughtful ones based on this person.
  • trip plan: a realistic itinerary for this trip.
  • check in: ask how I'm really doing, then listen.

How to make these stick

Two ways to get more out of them:

  • Stack them. You can combine commands. ultra think + inversion: rate my launch plan gives you the deep version and the failure map in one go.
  • Save your favorites. Make a Claude Project, and in the project instructions list your three or four most-used commands with a line on what each one means. Now they're always on inside that project and you never type them again.

None of these are magic words baked into the model. They work because they're short, clear instructions, so you can invent your own. If you keep typing the same request, turn it into a command and add it to your list.

Grab the handful that match how you actually think and ignore the rest. The whole point is to stop typing the same instructions over and over and let Claude do the heavier thinking up front.
– 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.