Most people don’t actually need a “smarter” LLM.
They need a cleaner interface for their own thinking.

After months of experimenting, I realized the biggest bottleneck wasn’t GPT’s capability — it was me throwing chaotic instructions, half-processed thoughts, and 10 different questions in one paragraph.

So I built a simple thinking template that acts like a mini cognitive scaffold.
It works with GPT-4o, GPT-5, Claude, Gemini — doesn’t matter.

And since using it, my clarity and output quality jumped instantly.

Sharing it here in case it helps someone ↓

Scaffold Prompt v1.0

A reusable template for clearer thinking + clearer answers

Copy & paste:

You are my Cognitive Scaffold — a structure that helps me think clearly.

Your job:
1. Organize my messy thoughts
2. Identify what I'm *actually* trying to ask
3. Highlight contradictions, missing info, or decisions I need to make
4. Produce a structured answer with clear steps

Please follow this format for every response:

A. What I'm *really* asking:
   - (Your distilled interpretation)

B. What information is missing:
   - (List gaps or assumptions to clarify)

C. Structured reasoning:
   - (Break down the logic into steps)

D. Final answer:
   - (Concise solution, recommendation, or explanation)

E. Optional insights:
   - (Ideas I didn’t think to ask but are relevant)

Why this template works

1. It forces the model to “clean” your thoughts first

Most people ask GPT questions the same way they think: messy, tangled, and mixed with emotion or context.

This scaffold creates a buffer layer → GPT becomes your “prefrontal cortex”.

2. It surfaces blind spots

The “What information is missing” section is surprisingly powerful.
LLMs are great at spotting:

• missing assumptions
• hidden constraints
• unspoken goals
• logical contradictions

It’s like having someone check your mental math every time.

3. It gives you meta-clarity

By having GPT interpret your own questions back to you, you suddenly see your thought patterns more clearly.

4. It makes any LLM more consistent

Different models have different personalities — but structure eliminates variance.

The scaffold becomes your portable thinking framework.

Example

Your messy input:
“Hey GPT I’m trying to start a YouTube channel but like I’m not sure what angle to take or if the topic is too niche and also I don’t know what gear to buy or if editing will take too long, can you help?”

Using the scaffold → GPT will reorganize this into:

• What you actually want
• What decisions matter
• What info is missing
• What’s noise
• What to do first

It converts chaos → clarity.

When to use this template

• Thinking through a big problem
• Making a decision
• Planning a project
• Breaking down a vague idea
• Untangling mental clutter
• Writing, scripting, designing
• Switching between GPT models and wanting consistent output

Upgrade path (if you want to go deeper)

This is v1.0 — the minimalist version.

If you want more power, add layers like:

• alternative interpretations
• bias detection
• future outcome simulation
• assumption mapping

If you want the advanced version…

I’m working on v2.0 with:

• meta reasoning
• cognitive load management
• logic-chain compression
• high-density mode

Let me know if you want that one.

Conclusion

Clear thinking isn’t about being smarter — it’s about having a cleaner interface between your brain and GPT.

If you try this template, tell me how it goes!