Jobs’ design thinking works perfectly as AI prompts. Here are 13 questions that force radical simplification:
Strip Away the Noise
1. Kill the Clutter
“How can I make this simpler?”
- 47-module course → 5 modules that matter
- Strips away everything unnecessary
2. Start Over
“What if I built this from scratch?”
- Breaks incremental thinking
- Forces fresh perspective
3. Find Your Core
“What’s the ONE thing this must do perfectly?”
- Cuts feature bloat
- Reveals true purpose
Design for Humans
4. Fresh Eyes
“How would I explain this to a complete beginner?”
- Kills insider jargon
- Creates universal clarity
5. Make It Magic
“What if this just worked perfectly?”
- Removes all friction
- Designs invisible experience
6. Natural Flow
“How do I make this feel obvious?”
- Creates intuitive paths
- Eliminates confusion
Push for Excellence
7. Beautiful Solutions
“What’s the most elegant way to do this?”
- Form meets function
- Finds the graceful path
8. Go Beyond Good
“How do I make this insanely great?”
- Pushes past acceptable
- Demands breakthrough
9. Personal Test
“Would I actually use this myself?”
- Cuts through market noise
- Focuses on real needs
Stay Disciplined
10. Spot Bloat
“What complexity adds zero value?”
- Identifies over-engineering
- Reveals useless features
11. Can vs. Should
“What am I adding just because I can?”
- Enforces restraint
- Questions every addition
12. No Settling
“Where am I cutting corners I shouldn’t?”
- Maintains standards
- Spots quality gaps
13. Simplify Complexity
“How do I make hard things look easy?”
- Translates expertise
- Creates accessibility
Advanced Moves
Stack Questions: “How can I simplify this? What’s the core? What’s elegant?”
Channel Jobs: “Steve Jobs would solve this by…”
Stay Sane: Add “but keep it realistic” to avoid perfectionist hell
Universal Fix: “What’s the most beautiful solution possible?”
Why This Works
Jobs obsessed over human behavior. AI applies his principles to your specific problem.
His secret: Say no to 1000 good ideas to find one great one.