Prompt frameworks overrated? What really matters in prompting

Prompt frameworks are not the problem.

You're not either.

It's the gap in between.

Let me explain.

🔵 The framework illusion

CIDI, RISEN, CO-STAR—I love them all. Seriously. They provide structure. They help you ask the right questions.

But here's what nobody tells you:

A framework is like a recipe. You have all the ingredients. You follow the steps. And yet, the first time you try it, it tastes... well.

Better the second time around.

Really good on the tenth try.

🔵 My reality last week

Promptly written. Framework applied. Everything done correctly.

Result: Mistake.

Adapted. Tested. More crap.

Got coffee. Again. 😤

At some point—I think it was attempt number 14—it worked.

And I sat there and thought: Why isn't anyone talking about this?

🔵 The inconvenient truth

Frameworks don't save you work. They just make the work more structured.

The iteration remains. The frustration remains. The twelve attempts until it fits—they remain too.

And that's perfectly normal.

When a child learns to walk, they fall down constantly. And no one says, "You know what? Stay down. We'll continue with your brother."

🔴 My advice to you:

Stop searching for the perfect framework. Just pick one.

And then: practice. Fail. Adjust. Repeat.

The prompt will be. Promise.