How is Prompt Engineering an Actual Skill?
If prompting is “just asking questions”, what's all the fuss about?
In the early days of AI, I kept seeing videos about “prompting this” and “prompting that”. Honestly, I’d roll my eyes and think: “What’s the big deal? Isn’t prompting just asking questions?”
But I was wrong. Over time, I learned that prompting isn’t about tossing random questions at AI; you have to frame them in a way that gets the best out of it. And that’s where the “skill” part comes in.
In a minute, let me unpack it for you.
First, What Is "Prompt Engineering"?
Prompt engineering is a fancy way of saying:
“Getting really good at asking an AI exactly the right way so it gives you what you really want”.
A good prompter is like an AI whisperer.
Why Is It a Skill?
Because just like any tool, e.g, a camera, anyone can have it, but how you use it makes a big difference.
Let’s break it down with an analogy and example:
Analogy: Talking to AI is Like Passing a Ball
If you throw the ball wildly, the person might miss it.
If you aim well, they catch it perfectly.
Prompt engineering is about learning how to pass the ball just right, so AI catches your meaning and gives you the perfect response.
Example: Let’s Say You Want a Summary of a Book
❌ Weak Prompt:
“Summarize Harry Potter”
AI might just give a boring list of events.
✅ Better Prompt (Skilled Prompt Engineering):
“Summarise Harry Potter like you’re telling it to a 10-year-old who’s never read it, and make it funny”
Now the AI knows:
Who the audience is (a kid)
What tone to use (funny)
What style to write in (storytelling)
Why It’s Harder Than It Looks
Because you have to:
Know what you want (clarity of goal)
Figure out how to say it so AI understands (knowing how AI thinks)
Test and tweak if the AI gives you weird answers (patience)
So in Simple Terms:
Prompt engineering is a real skill because it takes:
Clear thinking
Creative asking
AI understanding
Patience
And the better you get at it, the more powerful and helpful AI becomes for you.
Let’s just say: if you’re bad at prompting AI, it’s just like two idiots being friends and talking past each other.
