# CEO prompt guide

> Copyable prompts for the CEO assistant and the Coder: start the day, hand off a feature, fix a bug, review a pull request, plan a launch, and more.

Paste these into the StellarFirm chat and fill in the square brackets. Each one tells the assistant the outcome you want, where to work, and what to bring back. Use them as they are, or change the wording to sound like you.

> [!TIP]
> Every prompt that could change something real says how it should end: "open a pull request for review." Your [house rules](/docs/ceo/house-rules) still decide what is allowed, and risky steps still wait on [Approvals](https://stellarfirm.ai/app/approvals).

## Start the day

```prompt title="Morning check-in"
CEO, give me a short briefing for today: what finished since I last looked, what is waiting for my approval, and what you suggest I hand over first.
```

```prompt title="Pick the first job"
CEO, I have about [time] to work with my assistants today. Based on [repository], suggest the three most useful things to hand over and tell me which assistant takes each.
```

## Hand off a feature

```prompt title="Build a small feature"
Coder, on [repository], build [feature]. It is done when [what a user can do]. Follow the conventions already in the repository, add tests, and open a pull request for review. Tell me what you changed and what I should check.
```

```prompt title="Start from a ticket"
Coder, pick up issue [number] on [repository]. Read the acceptance criteria in the issue, make the change, run the tests, and open a pull request for review that links the issue.
```

```prompt title="Scope it before building"
CEO, I want [feature] on [repository]. Before anyone builds it, give me a short plan: the steps, what the Coder will touch, and what will wait for my approval.
```

## Fix a bug

```prompt title="Fix a bug from a report"
Coder, on [repository], users report that [symptom]. Reproduce it if you can, find the cause, fix it in the smallest change, add a test that fails without the fix, and open a pull request for review.
```

```prompt title="Fix a failing check"
Coder, the tests on [repository] are failing on [branch]. Find the cause, fix it in the smallest change, and open a pull request for review. Tell me what was wrong.
```

## Review a pull request

```prompt title="Review a pull request"
Coder, review pull request [number] on [repository]. Summarise what it changes, list risks and missing tests, and say whether you would merge it. Do not change the code.
```

```prompt title="Check the build on a pull request"
Coder, is the build passing on pull request [number] on [repository]? If not, tell me which check failed and why.
```

## Plan a launch across several assistants

```prompt title="Plan a launch"
CEO, we are launching [product or change] on [date]. Plan the work across the assistants we have: the steps in order, who does each, what each one hands on, and every step that needs my approval.
```

> [!SOON]
> A launch plan that includes Product owner, Marketing, Accountant, or Legal is Coming soon. Today, ask for the Coder's part, and use the plan to see what else a launch needs.

```prompt title="Plan the build part of a launch"
CEO, for the launch of [product or change], plan only the engineering work for the Coder: what to build, in what order, and what each pull request should contain. Note the other roles a full launch would need.
```

## Ask for status

```prompt title="What is going on"
CEO, what is every assistant working on right now, and is anything blocked or waiting for me?
```

```prompt title="Status of one job"
CEO, what is the status of [job or goal]? Tell me what is done, what is left, and when you expect to report back.
```

## Set house rules

```prompt title="Set a standing rule"
CEO, add this to my house rules: [rule]. Confirm which assistants it affects, and tell me what changes about how they work.
```

```prompt title="Check my rules"
CEO, what do my house rules say about pull requests and shipping, and is anything unclear or missing?
```

## Ask what an assistant can do

```prompt title="Ask what the Coder can do"
CEO, what can the Coder do for me today with [repository]? Give me examples of goals it handles well, and say what it will always ask me about first.
```

```prompt title="Ask about the other assistants"
CEO, which assistants can I use now, and which are Coming soon?
```

## Write a good goal

A good goal gives the assistant the same things you would give a new teammate on their first day.

**Checklist**

- [ ] **Name the assistant.** Start with "Coder," or "CEO," if you know who should take it.
- [ ] **Say the outcome.** What can someone do, or see, when it is finished?
- [ ] **Name the place.** The repository, the branch, the issue, the file.
- [ ] **Say what done looks like.** Tests pass, a pull request is open, a summary is posted.
- [ ] **Set limits.** What not to touch, and what to keep small.
- [ ] **Say how it should end.** "Open a pull request for review" is clear. "Ship it" depends on your house rules.
- [ ] **Say what to report.** One short summary of what changed and what to check.

**A weak goal and a strong one**

| Weak | Strong |
| --- | --- |
| "Fix the login." | "Coder, on [repository], users cannot log in with a plus sign in their email. Fix it in the smallest change, add a test, and open a pull request for review." |
| "Make the site faster." | "Coder, the home page on [repository] loads slowly. Find the biggest cause, fix only that, and tell me what you measured before and after." |
| "Do the launch." | "CEO, plan the launch of [change] on [date]: steps, owners, and approvals." |

## Next

- [How the CEO works](/docs/ceo/how-the-ceo-works)
- [Routing](/docs/ceo/routing)
- [Your first goal](/docs/getting-started/first-goal)

---

Source: https://stellarfirm.ai/docs/ceo/prompt-guide
