Prompting Is Managing

The best prompters aren't the most technical.

They're the best managers.

They know what good managers know: specificity beats vague direction. Context shapes output. Feedback loops catch gaps.

Not "make this better" but "rewrite this for busy executives who need the decision upfront."

Not "summarize this document" but "you're a financial analyst reviewing Q3 results for budget planning."

Not accepting first output but asking "what assumptions did you make?" and "what did you leave out?"

These aren't programming skills. These are management fundamentals.

Clear instructions. Proper context. Quality checks.

The difference? AI doesn't get defensive when you point out gaps. It doesn't need encouragement. It won't quit if you're too direct.

Prompt engineering is easier than people management. You're just applying management principles to a system that responds perfectly to clear direction.

The people struggling with AI? Often the same ones giving vague instructions to their teams.

The syntax? Anyone can learn it.

Getting clear, specific, actionable with your requests? That's the real skill.