I’ve been quietly testing every NotebookLM prompt that’s quietly 10x’ing research for students, founders & researchers in 2026.
Found 15 absolute killers that aren’t in any big list yet.
These turn NotebookLM from “nice audio toy” into a full research co-pilot.
Steal them all 👇
1/ THE “ONE-SENTENCE THESIS” PROMPT
Reddit power users swear by this to kill fluff instantly:
"Read every source and distill the SINGLE most important thesis that ties everything together. Then prove it with the three strongest pieces of evidence from the documents. End with one sentence the author would tattoo on their arm."
2/ ULTIMATE EXAM CRAMMER
Students are getting 90+ with this:
"Act as the world’s best tutor who knows exactly what will be on the exam. From all sources create:
• 8 high-yield questions (mix of MCQ + short answer)
• Model answers with page references
• 3 sneaky trap questions professors love
• One-paragraph “if you only remember one thing” summary"
BREAKING: Claude is a monster for market research.
I reverse-engineered how top teams at McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan actually use it.
The gap is massive.
Here are 10 high-impact Claude prompts they’d rather you didn’t have (save this).
1. Market Sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM) from Scratch
Most founders pay consultants $3K just for a market sizing slide.
Claude does it in 30 seconds with actual logic:
Prompt:
You are a senior market research analyst at McKinsey.
Calculate the TAM, SAM, and SOM for [YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE] in [TARGET MARKET].
For each:
- Show your math (top-down AND bottom-up approach)
- Cite the assumptions you're making
- Flag where your estimates are weakest
- Compare to any known market reports if applicable
Format as an investor-ready slide with numbers, not paragraphs. If my market is smaller than I think, tell me now.
2. Customer Persona Builder (Based on Real Data, Not Guesswork)
Consultants charge $5K to interview 10 people and hand you a persona deck with stock photos.
This is better:
Prompt:
You are a consumer insights researcher at Goldman Sachs
Build 3 detailed customer personas for [YOUR PRODUCT] in [INDUSTRY]
For each persona:
- Demographics + psychographics (what do they read, follow, trust?)
- Buying trigger: What event makes them Google your solution?
- Decision process: Who else influences their purchase?
- Objections: What's their #1 reason to say no?
- Exact phrases they'd use to describe their problem (for ad copy)
- No generic "35-year-old marketing manager" personas
- Base everything on behavioral patterns, not demographics
- Each persona should suggest a different acquisition channel
BREAKING: AI can now build financial models like Morgan Stanley analysts (for free).
Here are 12 Claude prompts that replace $200K+/year investment banking jobs
(bookmark this thread 🧵)
1/ DCF Valuation Model
You are a Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs. I need a complete DCF (Discounted Cash Flow) valuation model for [COMPANY NAME].
Please provide:
- Free cash flow projections: Next 5 years with growth assumptions
- WACC calculation: Cost of equity + cost of debt breakdown
- Terminal value: Both perpetuity growth and exit multiple methods
- Sensitivity analysis: How value changes with different assumptions
- Discount rate justification: Why we chose this WACC
- Key drivers: What makes cash flow go up or down
- Comparable companies: How our assumptions compare to peers
- Valuation range: Bull case, base case, bear case scenarios
Format as investment banking pitch book valuation page with clear formulas.
Company: [DESCRIBE COMPANY, INDUSTRY, FINANCIALS]
2/ Three-Statement Financial Model
You are a VP at Morgan Stanley. I need a complete three-statement model for [COMPANY NAME].
Please provide:
- Income statement: Revenue, costs, EBITDA, net income (5 years)
- Balance sheet: Assets, liabilities, equity (5 years)
- Cash flow statement: Operating, investing, financing activities (5 years)
- Link formulas: How statements connect (net income → cash flow → balance sheet)
- Working capital: How AR, inventory, and AP change
- Debt schedule: Principal payments and interest expense
- Key assumptions: Revenue growth, margins, capex as % of sales
- Error checks: Balance sheet balancing and circular references
Format as Excel-style model with formulas explained in plain English.
Company: [DESCRIBE BUSINESS, CURRENT FINANCIALS, GROWTH STAGE]
Your phone isn’t personal. It’s a data sensor with a camera.
In 2026, privacy isn’t a feature. It’s a fight.
If you haven’t audited your device, you’re not the user. You’re the product.
Here’s the 18-step Ghost Protocol to take your phone back.
1. The "Invisible" Listener
Ever talked about "blue shoes" and seen an ad 5 minutes later? It’s not a coincidence, and they aren't "listening" to your voice. They’re tracking your ultrasonic cross-device pings. Your phone emits sounds you can't hear to talk to your smart TV and laptop. Let's kill that first.
2. Kill the "Significant Locations"
Your iPhone/Android keeps a hidden list of everywhere you go: your gym, your job, your "secret" spots.
- iOS: Settings → Privacy → Location Services → System Services → Significant Locations.
- Action: Clear History and turn it OFF. Stop giving them your routine on a silver platter.
If Google wants you to pay for Gmail storage, do this first before they lock you out of new emails.
I went from 14.9/15GB to 6GB in one afternoon.
I hope this helps you as it has helped me:
Rule #0: One account = one trap.
Multiple free accounts = infinite storage.
Most people know you can make extra Gmails…
Almost no one uses them correctly.
Method A – The "Archive Puppet" (easiest)
1. Create new free Gmail 2. On old account → Google Takeout → export everything (emails + Drive + Photos) 3. Import to new account via IMAP or manual upload 4. Delete originals from main account
→ Boom, fresh 15GB on main + old stuff safe on puppet