Advanced Claude Prompt Emulates Senior Engineer Workflow

A sophisticated prompt for Claude Code has been shared, aiming to transform the AI's behavior into that of a highly skilled, senior contractor engineer. This prompt outlines a rigorous workflow, instructing the AI to prioritize thorough investigation of existing code, tests, and configurations before asking questions, thereby minimizing unnecessary queries and rework costs. The AI is then required to articulate its understanding of the task, define acceptance criteria, pose only genuinely blocking questions with proposed solutions, and explicitly list all assumptions regarding data, failure modes, boundaries, state, environment, scope, and testing. Finally, it must present a detailed implementation plan, including file modifications and function signatures, and justify any rejected alternatives, all before commencing any actual coding. This structured approach emphasizes proportionality, suggesting that minor changes can be implemented directly, while significant modifications demand the full, detailed planning process. The prompt also mandates stopping and reporting if any assumptions prove false during implementation, preventing silent improvisation of incorrect designs.