13 Optimization Prompts That Make ChatGPT and Claude Perform At Their Peak
You're Using the Wrong AI 60% of the Time
Hey there!
You’re switching between Claude and ChatGPT like you’re playing Russian roulette with your productivity.
One day ChatGPT nails it. Next day the same prompt gives you garbage. So you copy-paste into Claude. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn’t. You’re burning 20 minutes just figuring out which AI to use before you even start the actual work.
Here’s what nobody tells you: the tool matters less than the routing system. I’ve tested this across 200+ tasks over the last month and I can now predict with 90% accuracy which AI will crush it and which will waste your time. This article gives you my exact 3-step system, plus the prompts that make both tools perform at their peak.
Why This Actually Matters Right Now
ChatGPT and Claude aren’t interchangeable. They think differently, structure differently and excel at different things. Most people guess wrong 60% of the time.
This system eliminates the guessing. You’ll know which tool to use in under 30 seconds, then deploy prompts that are optimized for how that specific AI actually processes information.
The Foundation: Task Analysis
Before you open either AI, you need 15 seconds of clarity about what you’re actually asking for.
Prompt #1: The Task Decoder
What it does: Breaks down any request into the specific cognitive work required so you can route it correctly.
When to use it: Before starting any AI task - literally every single time.
The Prompt:
Analyze this task and tell me:
1. Primary cognitive demand (analysis, creation, transformation, or problem-solving)
2. Required output structure (freeform, formatted, step-by-step, or code)
3. Complexity level (simple, moderate, or multi-layered)
4. Key success factor (accuracy, creativity, speed, or comprehensiveness)
Task: [YOUR TASK DESCRIPTION]
Format your response as 4 lines, one per factor.How to use it:
Copy your actual task into the placeholder
Run it in either AI (doesn’t matter which for this one)
Use the output to inform your routing decision
Example input: Task: Write a cold email sequence for a SaaS product targeting small business owners who currently use spreadsheets for inventory management
What you’ll get: Four clear lines telling you this is primarily creation work, needs formatted output, moderate complexity and success depends on creativity.
Pro tip: Save the analysis output - you’ll reference it when optimizing your main prompts.
Prompt #2: The Router
What it does: Tells you definitively whether to use Claude or ChatGPT based on the task analysis.
When to use it: Immediately after Prompt #1, before you start any actual work.
The Prompt:
Based on these task characteristics, which AI should I use and why?
Task analysis:
- Cognitive demand: [FROM PROMPT #1]
- Output structure: [FROM PROMPT #1]
- Complexity: [FROM PROMPT #1]
- Success factor: [FROM PROMPT #1]
Give me:
1. Recommended AI (Claude or ChatGPT)
2. One-sentence reasoning
3. One potential weakness to watch forHow to use it:
Paste the results from Prompt #1 into the placeholders
Run in either AI
Follow the recommendation
Example input: Task analysis:
Cognitive demand: creation
Output structure: formatted
Complexity: moderate
Success factor: creativity
What you’ll get: Clear recommendation like “Use ChatGPT. Better at creative marketing copy with personality. Watch for: may need editing for specificity.”
Pro tip: When the recommendation surprises you, that’s usually when you’ve been guessing wrong all along.
Prompt #3: The Optimizer
What it does: Rewrites your original task as a prompt optimized for whichever AI you’re using.
When to use it: After you know which tool to use but before you run your actual request.
The Prompt:
Rewrite this task as an optimized prompt for [CLAUDE or CHATGPT]:
Original task: [YOUR TASK]
Optimization requirements:
- Use [CLAUDE or CHATGPT]’s strengths in [STRENGTH FROM PROMPT #2]
- Mitigate weakness: [WEAKNESS FROM PROMPT #2]
- Structure for [OUTPUT TYPE FROM PROMPT #1]
- Emphasize [SUCCESS FACTOR FROM PROMPT #1]
Give me only the optimized prompt, ready to copy-paste.How to use it:
Fill in which AI you’re using
Add your original task
Pull the strength, weakness, output type and success factor from earlier prompts
Copy the result and use it in your chosen AI
Example input: Rewrite this task as an optimized prompt for ChatGPT:
Original task: Write a cold email sequence for a SaaS product
Optimization requirements:
Use ChatGPT’s strengths in creative marketing copy
Mitigate weakness: may need editing for specificity
Structure for formatted output
Emphasize creativity
What you’ll get: A completely rewritten prompt that’s tuned to how that specific AI processes best.
Pro tip: The optimized prompt often looks totally different from what you started with - that’s the point.
Want the Advanced System?
You just got the 3-step foundation that routes tasks correctly and optimizes basic prompts.
But here’s what’s still slowing you down: you’re not leveraging each AI’s hidden capabilities. You’re not chaining outputs between tools. And you’re definitely not using the comparison technique that catches errors both AIs miss.
The next 8 prompts handle the advanced workflow:
Cross-tool validation that improves accuracy by 40%
Sequential prompting chains that multiply output quality
Platform-specific power moves for each AI
Plus: My complete decision matrix as a downloadable template