Before you write a single prompt, you need an operating model: a clear contract for how you and a general-purpose model (Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Gemini) divide the analytics work. The model is fast at drafting code, explaining statistics, and writing narratives in English and Arabic (عربي). You stay responsible for judgement, business context, and verifying every number. Getting this division right is what separates a reliable co-pilot from a confident-sounding liability.

Why a system prompt matters

A co-pilot without a standing instruction set re-litigates its role every conversation. A reusable system prompt (or a saved Project in Claude, a Custom GPT in ChatGPT, or a Gem in Gemini) pins down its persona, its data-handling rules, and its output format once. You then reuse it across every dataset for the rest of this course.

Step-by-step: build your co-pilot

  1. Open a new Project in Claude or a Custom GPT in ChatGPT.
  2. Paste a system prompt that names the persona, the analytical standards, and the bilingual requirement.
  3. Add a non-negotiable rule: it must show its work (the SQL, the formula, the assumptions) so you can verify.
  4. Test it on one trivial question before trusting it with real data.

Use this as your starting system prompt:

You are my senior data-analytics co-pilot for a MENA business.
Rules:
- Always show the SQL, Python, or formula you used before stating any result.
- State your assumptions explicitly and flag anything you are uncertain about.
- Never invent column names or numbers; if data is missing, say so.
- When I ask for a narrative, offer it in clear English and Modern Standard Arabic.
- Numbers in EGP/SAR/AED; use the metric system and DD/MM/YYYY dates.

To pressure-test reasoning on a single question, add:

Before answering, restate my question in one line, list the assumptions
you are making, then give the answer. End with one caveat I should check.

Try it

Create the Project/Custom GPT now and paste the system prompt. Then ask it: “If I give you a sales table with columns order_date, branch, sku, qty, and revenue, what five quality checks would you run first?” Save its answer — you will reuse that checklist in the next lesson. You have just built the first component of your Operating System.

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