The PAST Framework
From random AI experiments to strategic clarity. Four questions that determine success or failure — at every level from organizational strategy down to a single prompt.
The PAST Framework
From Random AI Experiments to Strategic Clarity
Most AI implementations fail before they start — not because of bad technology, but because of unclear strategy. PAST asks four questions that determine success or failure, and works at every level from organizational strategy down to individual prompt engineering.
Purpose
What specific outcome are you trying to achieve?
Prevents vague goals and technology-first thinking
Audience
Who does AI serve?
Prevents designing for buyers instead of users
Scope
What are the realistic boundaries?
Prevents scope creep and trying to solve everything at once
Tone
How should AI align with your culture and voice?
Prevents generic AI slop and adoption failure
Quick Start: The Purpose Clarity Exercise
"Success means [specific measurable outcome] which will [business impact] by [timeline] as measured by [metric]."
If any part is blank, you're not ready to evaluate tools. Return to purpose definition.
Works at Every Level
- Organizational Strategy — Enterprise AI implementation and governance
- Team Workflows — Department-specific process optimization
- Individual Productivity — Personal workflow enhancement
- Prompt Engineering — Creating effective AI interactions
PAST in a prompt
When you apply the same four questions to a single prompt, they become Purpose (what outcome should this produce?), Audience (who will use or read the result?), Scope (what should the AI include, exclude, or respect?), and Tone (how should the result sound?). The Framework Prompter walks you through exactly this.
CC BY-SA 4.0
The PAST framework is open-source under CC BY-SA 4.0. Use, adapt, teach with attribution.