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Gemini sparkle

Prompting guide 101

A quick-start handbook for effective prompts

Start-ups

You thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments where you can wear many hats and make a tangible impact. You're driven by a passion for innovation, a desire to learn and grow, and a tolerance for risk. Your work is unique in its variety, its potential for high reward and its direct connection to the company's success. You're not just executing tasks; you're building something from the ground up, shaping the future of your company and potentially disrupting entire industries.

Gemini for Google Workspace can help you redefine productivity and foster meaningful connections with investors, customers and coworkers. This section provides practical prompts and real-world use cases designed specifically for you and your team. Learning to write effective prompts with Gemini for Workspace will help improve your productivity and streamline your everyday tasks, giving you more time to focus on strategic work.

Getting started

First, review the general prompt-writing tips in the 'How to write effective prompts' section.

Each prompt below is presented with an accompanying scenario to serve as inspiration for how you can collaborate with Gemini for Workspace. The prompt iteration example illustrates how you can continue to write prompts to build on the initial generated response, and how you can adjust each prompt to accomplish common tasks and refine the generated output.

Prompt iteration example
Use case:
Brainstorm business and strategy

You just had a productive planning and strategy brainstorming session with colleagues and you took many notes physically on a whiteboard. You snap a quick image with your phone and upload it directly to Gemini Advanced. You type:

  • Legend
  • Persona
  • Task
  • Context
I am [a founder] at a startup
focused on [industry]. I was brainstorming about [topic] with colleagues, and we took notes on this whiteboard.
Turn these notes into text.
I am [a founder] at a startup
focused on [industry]. I was brainstorming about [topic] with colleagues, and we took notes on this whiteboard.
Turn these notes into text.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app

Now you want to proactively continue brainstorming before you recap all of the ideas and notes for the group in a follow-up email. You continue the conversation and type:

Suggest follow-up items we could discuss for our [topic of brainstorm session]. What was not covered that could have been, and what are we potentially missing?
Suggest follow-up items we could discuss for our [topic of brainstorm session]. What was not covered that could have been, and what are we potentially missing?
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app
Gemini suggests follow-up items based on the brainstorm session.

You save all of your notes by clicking Share and export and then Export to Docs. You are ready to send the recap message to the team, so you open your email and prompt Gemini in the Gmail side panel and tag the relevant file of notes by typing @file name. You type:

Use @[Brainstorm Notes and Ideas 9/1/24] to write a meeting recap to [the team] using an upbeat and friendly tone. Share some of the ideas I have for our next meeting to discuss [topic].
Use @[Brainstorm Notes and Ideas 9/1/24] to write a meeting recap to [the team] using an upbeat and friendly tone. Share some of the ideas I have for our next meeting to discuss [topic].
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini in Gmail
The startup founder prompts Gemini to draft a recap email. Gemini drafts an email.
Example use cases

Founder
Use case:
Create an elevator pitch (speech-to-text)

You're scheduled to present to a group of prospective investors. This will be your first time discussing your business with this audience. You need to work on your elevator pitch, so you chat with the Gemini app using your voice to prompt. You select the microphone icon and say:

I’m the founder of [startup] in [industry], and I need help creating a short elevator pitch for [company and product description]. I need to make the pitch relevant to [audience] and I want to especially highlight [key features of product] because I want them to [take this action]. Include a compelling hook and anticipate questions an investor might have. Make the tone professional but relaxed and confident.
I’m the founder of [startup] in [industry], and I need help creating a short elevator pitch for [company and product description]. I need to make the pitch relevant to [audience] and I want to especially highlight [key features of product] because I want them to [take this action]. Include a compelling hook and anticipate questions an investor might have. Make the tone professional but relaxed and confident.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app
Use case:
Develop your personal brand

As your company grows, you're working on increasing your social media presence, so you want to define and hone your personal brand. To brainstorm, you turn to the Gemini app. You type:

Help me grow my personal brand. I am the founder of [a startup] in [industry]. I am passionate about [topics]. I want to inspire [audience] with business tips and lessons I've learned from starting my own company. My goals are to build a following so that I can [generate more media] for the business. What are some ideas you have for how to accomplish this?
Help me grow my personal brand. I am the founder of [a startup] in [industry]. I am passionate about [topics]. I want to inspire [audience] with business tips and lessons I've learned from starting my own company. My goals are to build a following so that I can [generate more media] for the business. What are some ideas you have for how to accomplish this?
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app

Gemini returns insights into how you can begin to build messaging and content that aligns to your personal brand and that can help you achieve your goals.

Head of operations
Use case:
Communicate and negotiate with vendors

You've received a quote from two different manufacturers to create packaging for the company's new product. You want to compare and contrast the offers before you negotiate. You open a new Doc and prompt Gemini in the Docs side panel and reference relevant files by typing @file name. You type:

I need to make a vendor decision for packaging manufacturing. Create a table that compares the two proposals I've received @[Company A’s Proposal] and @[Company B’s Proposal].
I need to make a vendor decision for packaging manufacturing. Create a table that compares the two proposals I've received @[Company A’s Proposal] and @[Company B’s Proposal].
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Gemini in Docs

Gemini creates a table comparing the two different proposals. You make a decision, but now you want to see if you can negotiate with your preferred vendor. You go to your inbox and start a new email draft. You prompt Gemini in the Gmail side panel and tag the relevant files by typing @[file name]. You type:

Create an email draft to [selected vendor] telling them that I've decided to move forward with them as the [packaging] vendor, but I would like to negotiate [a bulk pricing discount]. Use a collaborative tone.
Create an email draft to [selected vendor] telling them that I've decided to move forward with them as the [packaging] vendor, but I would like to negotiate [a bulk pricing discount]. Use a collaborative tone.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini in Gmail

Gemini in Gmail returns a drafted message that is ready to send. You select Insert and send the email.

Use case:
Plan and track budgets

You're in planning mode and you first want to understand where previous years' budgets were spent. You have all of this data in a Sheet. You decide to chat with the Gemini app. You upload the Sheet and prompt Gemini by typing:

Using the attached spreadsheet, identify trends and patterns in our expenses by category over the last three years. Identify areas where costs have increased significantly and investigate potential reasons.
Using the attached spreadsheet, identify trends and patterns in our expenses by category over the last three years. Identify areas where costs have increased significantly and investigate potential reasons.
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Gemini app

Gemini returns a response that helps inform your budget proposal for next year.

Head of product
Use case:
Develop a product-launch plan

Your team is creating a new product, and you want to conduct research to inform your launch plan in collaboration with the marketing team. Using Gemini, you want to simulate different launch scenarios based on factors like pricing, marketing strategies and target audience. You go to the Gemini app to conduct research and type:

I am head of product at [startup] in [industry] industry. We are building a product launch plan for [product]. I want to brainstorm a few different scenarios. We are considering offering the [product] at two different price points [A and B] and we are considering launching in [December or January]. Provide pros and cons of each scenario and suggest different ideas we may not have considered.
I am head of product at [startup] in [industry] industry. We are building a product launch plan for [product]. I want to brainstorm a few different scenarios. We are considering offering the [product] at two different price points [A and B] and we are considering launching in [December or January]. Provide pros and cons of each scenario and suggest different ideas we may not have considered.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app

You want to continue market research brainstorming. You type:

How do these prices compare to [competitor products’] prices? Detail what pricing strategies [competitors] use for [products], and list any common tactics they use (such as free trials, discounts, etc.). Summarize how they position the product to [audience]. Cite your sources.
How do these prices compare to [competitor products’] prices? Detail what pricing strategies [competitors] use for [products], and list any common tactics they use (such as free trials, discounts, etc.). Summarize how they position the product to [audience]. Cite your sources.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app

Your research helps you refine your pricing structure and go-to-market strategy for your most important target audience.

Use case:
Develop product strategy and roadmap

You want to refine your product strategy and roadmap. You've collected user feedback in a spreadsheet, and you want to clean it up so that it is ready for deeper analysis. You chat with the Gemini app. You type:

Help me clean my [user feedback] survey spreadsheet. Specifically, fill any blank values in the name column with "Anonymous," then if the [recommend] column shows [Yes], replace that with [Y]. Finally, remove any rows where the satisfaction column is blank. Please generate a new file for me with my cleaned data.
Help me clean my [user feedback] survey spreadsheet. Specifically, fill any blank values in the name column with "Anonymous," then if the [recommend] column shows [Yes], replace that with [Y]. Finally, remove any rows where the satisfaction column is blank. Please generate a new file for me with my cleaned data.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app

Gemini returns a clean file for you to conduct deeper analysis on, and from this file, you notice a few trends. You have alignment from the team on features to address recurring user feedback, and now you want to build a high-level roadmap that you can use as a starting point. You continue your conversation with the Gemini app. You type:

I am head of product at [startup] in the [industry] industry. We are adding [features] to our [product] to address recurring user feedback, including [feedback trends]. Build a high-level roadmap that will keep us on track for a Q4 delivery. Put it in a table format.
I am head of product at [startup] in the [industry] industry. We are adding [features] to our [product] to address recurring user feedback, including [feedback trends]. Build a high-level roadmap that will keep us on track for a Q4 delivery. Put it in a table format.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini app

Gemini returns a helpful starting point. You want to save the work, so you click Export to Docs.


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