What began as a sleepless, 3 AM struggle to get ChatGPT to write a decent email turned into a coding session and possibly a breakthrough in how we interact with AI.
A developer shared their story on Reddit, revealing how frustration gave birth to 'Lyra', which the user described as "a master-level AI prompt optimization specialist."
Trying to get ChatGPT to write a simple email, the user said they had gone through 147 failed prompts over several hours. Each attempt felt more robotic and lifeless than the last.
Frustrated with unpleasing responses, the user wrote, "Why can’t YOU just ASK ME what you need to know?”
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"After 147 failed ChatGPT prompts..."
That accidental prompt flipped a switch. What if AI didn't wait passively for instructions, but actively asked questions to get the details it needs?
The result was Lyra. That outburst ended up being the lightbulb moment.
“After 147 failed ChatGPT prompts, I had a breakdown and accidentally discovered something...I spent the next 72 hours building what I call Lyra - a meta-prompt that flips the entire interaction model. Instead of you desperately trying to mind-read what ChatGPT needs, it interviews YOU first,” they posted.
It started as a 3 AM chat
In the post, the developer urges others to “keep experimenting” and to share what works. “This started as a 3 AM frustration and turned into something amazing because of all of you,” they wrote.
Shared by 'Prestigious Fan 118' on Reddit, the post has gone viral with nearly 10,000 upvotes and one thousand plus comments. "This is a solid idea," one user reacted to the original poster's message. "Is this a stupid take or in the time it took you to prompt 147 times could you have written the email yourself," another added.
