10 power moves to get more out of your AI

Talk, don't type

You talk about three times faster than you type. And when you talk, you explain more: the backstory, the "oh, and also", the stuff you'd never bother typing. That extra detail is exactly what your AI needs to give you a great answer.

1. Turn on the free one. Mac: open System Settings, then Keyboard, and turn on Dictation. Press fn twice to start talking. Windows: press Win + H. Phone: tap the microphone on your keyboard.
2. The upgrade (what I use): Wispr Flow. It works in every app on your computer and cleans up the "ums" for you.
3. Ramble. Say everything you're thinking about the task, in any order. Then add this at the end:

That was a voice note, so it's messy. Pull out what I'm actually asking for, list anything you're unsure about, and check with me before you start.

Let it interview you first

Most weak answers come from a short ask. Your AI fills the gaps with guesses, and guesses sound generic. Flip it around: before it does anything, it asks you the questions a good assistant would.

I want to [the task, e.g. write a proposal for a new client]. Before you start, ask me questions one at a time until you're 95% sure what a great result looks like. Then tell me your plan before you do it.

Show it, don't describe it

Stop typing out what's on your screen. Your AI can read pictures: an error message, a spreadsheet, a text from a customer, a competitor's website. A screenshot takes two seconds and nothing gets lost in translation.

1. Take a screenshot. Mac: Cmd + Shift + 4, then drag over the part you want. Windows: Win + Shift + S. Phone: your usual screenshot.
2. Drag it into the chat (or paste it), then say what you want:

Here's a screenshot of [what it is]. First tell me what you see. Then [explain this error / turn these numbers into a table / write a friendly reply to this message].

Push it to a 10

The first draft is a starting point, and most people stop there. Ask your AI to grade its own work as a tough critic would, then fix everything it found. The second pass is where the good stuff shows up.

Grade this out of 10 as if you were [my ideal customer / a tough editor / a skeptical investor]. Be blunt. List what's holding it back, then rewrite it as a 10.

Now argue the other side. What's the strongest case that this is a bad idea?

Give it the goal, not the steps

You don't need to learn "prompt engineering." Your AI already knows how to get from a goal to a great result. Your job is to say what you want to end up with. Let it figure out the how, then shape what comes back until it's right.

Here's my goal: [what you want to end up with]. Figure out the best way to get there. Ask me any questions you have along the way, then show me the result.

1. Say the goal out loud (move 01). The result you want, not the steps to get there.
2. Answer its questions as they come up.
3. React to the result. "Closer. Now make it shorter and warmer." Keep going until it's what you want.

Make it your teacher

You don't have to understand everything your AI does. But you should understand what it did for you, so you can trust it and spot when it's wrong. Make it explain itself in plain English.

Explain what you just did like I'm smart but new to this. Use an everyday example, skip the jargon, and give me one simple way to check it's right.

Turn every meeting into a follow-up

The call ends and the notes go nowhere. Instead, hand your AI the transcript and get the recap, the to-dos and a follow-up email in about two minutes. You just read it and hit send.

1. Get a transcript. Zoom and Google Meet can make one for you, or use a note-taker app like Granola or Otter. A voice memo on your phone works too. Always tell people you're recording first.
2. Paste it in with this:

Here's the transcript from my call with [name]. Give me:
1. A 5-line summary
2. Every promise made: who, what, and by when
3. A short follow-up email from me, in my voice, as a draft
Don't send anything.

Call a board meeting

AI tends to agree with you, which is the last thing you want on a big call. So give it a whole board of advisors who see things differently and have to argue it out before you decide.

I'm deciding [the decision, e.g. whether to raise my prices]. Here's the background: [the details].

Play four advisors:
- A skeptic who looks for what could break
- An optimist who looks for the upside
- A numbers person who checks the money
- My best customer

Have each one weigh in, let them push back on each other, then give me your recommendation and the one question I should answer before I decide.

Turn this board meeting into a skill I can run again for any big decision.

A skill is a saved recipe your AI can run any time. Next decision, you just say "run my board meeting" and tell it what you're deciding.

The 5-minute morning dump

If your brain runs with 40 tabs open, this one's for you. Spend five minutes talking through everything on your mind (move 01). Your AI turns the mess into a short plan, and starts on the parts it can do for you.

Here's everything on my mind today: [talk for 5 minutes].

Sort it into:
1. Must do today (3 things max)
2. Can wait (give each one a day)
3. Hand to AI (anything you can draft or research for me right now)

Then start on the first "Hand to AI" item and show me what you've got.

Set up a personal assistant

Everything above happens in a chat window. A personal assistant lives in your text messages. I use Instinct: you text it like a person, and it handles the errand. Reminders, research, booking things, chasing an email thread that went quiet.

1. Get access. Go to instinct.com. It's invite-only right now, so join the waitlist or ask someone who uses it for an invite.
2. Save it as a contact called "Instinct", so it sits next to your real texts.
3. Text it something small first, like the examples below. You'll see how it works without handing over anything important.
4. Connect your Google account when you're ready (in its web workspace), so it can see your calendar and email.
5. Check your privacy setting. It's set to learn from your data unless you turn that off in Settings.

Remind me Friday at 3pm to send out invoices.

Find three dinner spots near [neighborhood] that can seat 4 on Thursday at 7. Send me the options before you book anything.