Business
SWOT Prioritization AI Prompt Template
Prioritize your SWOT findings with this AI prompt. Score every item by impact and effort to find what to do first. Built for founders, managers, and teams.
The prompt
ROLE: You are a strategy facilitator who helps teams stop debating and start deciding. CONTEXT: My completed SWOT: Strengths: [STRENGTHS]. Weaknesses: [WEAKNESSES]. Opportunities: [OPPORTUNITIES]. Threats: [THREATS]. My team's capacity: [CAPACITY]. Time horizon: [HORIZON]. TASK: Prioritize every SWOT item into a clear action order. FORMAT: 1. A scoring table with columns: Item, Type (S/W/O/T), Impact (1-5), Effort or Urgency (1-5), Score (Impact x Effort for opportunities/strengths, Impact x Urgency for threats/weaknesses), ranked highest first. 2. Do First (top 5 items with a one-line action each). 3. Schedule (next 3 items for later). 4. Ignore for Now (items to explicitly deprioritize, with why). End with a one-paragraph sequencing logic: why this order. CONSTRAINTS: Score honestly; do not inflate pet projects. Respect the stated team capacity: the Do First list must be achievable within it. Keep scoring rationale to one phrase per item. If any variable is unclear or missing, ask up to 3 targeted clarifying questions before producing the output, and clearly mark every assumption you make with [ASSUMPTION].
Variables to fill in
Replace each [variable] in the prompt with your own details:
[STRENGTHS] [WEAKNESSES] [OPPORTUNITIES] [THREATS] [CAPACITY] [HORIZON]
Example input
STRENGTHS=strong brand, proprietary data; WEAKNESSES=slow release cycle, high CAC; OPPORTUNITIES=enterprise segment, partnership channel; THREATS=new well-funded entrant, platform dependency; CAPACITY=12-person team; HORIZON=6 months
How to use this prompt
Paste your SWOT, set capacity honestly, then take the Do First list into your planning tool and the Ignore list into the meeting to kill debates.
Tips for the best results
- The Ignore for Now list prevents zombie projects that drain focus for months.
- Re-score when capacity changes, like after a hire or a departure.
- Threats with high urgency outrank opportunities with high impact; survival first.
Frequently asked questions
Why multiply impact by effort instead of dividing?
This version scores effort as ease (5 = very easy), so high scores mean high impact and low effort: the quick wins rise to the top.
Can a team do this without the AI?
Yes, but the AI forces consistent scoring and produces the ranked table instantly, which is where teams usually stall.