Multi-Step Planner

The Prompt

Break this complex task into an executable plan:

Task: [DESCRIBE WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED]
Constraints: [TIME, RESOURCES, DEPENDENCIES]

Generate a step-by-step plan with:

For each step:
1. **Action:** Clear, atomic action (one verb, one object)
2. **Input:** What's needed to start this step
3. **Output:** What this step produces
4. **Validation:** How to verify this step succeeded
5. **Fallback:** What to do if this step fails

Plan-level analysis:
- **Dependencies:** Which steps depend on others? (show as DAG)
- **Parallelism:** Which steps can run simultaneously?
- **Critical path:** Which sequence determines total duration?
- **Risk points:** Where is failure most likely? What's the mitigation?
- **Checkpoints:** After which steps should we pause and evaluate?

Format:

Step 1: [ACTION] Depends on: [nothing / Step X] Estimated time: [duration] Can parallel with: [Step Y, Z] Validation: [how to check success]

Total estimated time: [considering parallelism]
Confidence: [high/medium/low] — explain what could change the plan.

How To Use It

Describe a complex task — project launches, system migrations, event planning, anything with multiple interdependent steps. The plan becomes executable instructions for an agent or a human team.

Why It Works

Complex tasks fail when people either over-plan (analysis paralysis) or under-plan (discover dependencies mid-execution). This prompt hits the sweet spot: enough detail to execute, with explicit dependencies that prevent the “I didn’t realize Step 5 needed Step 3’s output” failure mode.

Variations

Adaptive plan:

Create a plan for [GOAL] that adapts based on outcomes. After each phase, define: what success looks like, what triggers plan B, and what new information we'll have to re-plan with.

Resource-constrained:

Plan this project with only [CONSTRAINT: 1 person / 2 hours / $500]. What's the minimum viable approach? What do we explicitly skip?

Reverse planning:

The deadline is [DATE]. Work backward: what must be true by [DATE - 1 week]? [DATE - 2 weeks]? Continue until you reach today. What should we start with tomorrow?