The non-obvious habits that separate AI power users from everyone else.
01
Always give context first
Tell the AI your role, your audience, and the goal before asking anything. Context is the single biggest lever for quality output.
02
Ask for a format, not just an answer
"Give me this as a bullet list / table / email / 3-sentence summary" changes everything. Always specify the output format.
03
Treat the first draft as a starting point
AI rarely nails it first try. The skill is in the edit — ask it to revise, push back, or try again with new constraints.
04
Never trust facts without verifying
AI hallucinates. Always cross-check dates, statistics, names, and any claims you plan to share externally.
05
Use it for the 20%, not the 80%
AI saves time on the routine 80% of a task — not the final 20% that requires your judgment. Know which is which.
06
Build a personal prompt library
Save prompts that work in a doc or Notion page. Reuse and refine them. Your prompt library becomes a competitive asset over time.
07
Match the tool to the task
Claude for long documents. ChatGPT for general tasks. Perplexity for current research. No single tool wins every category.
08
Be specific about your constraints
"Write this in under 150 words, no jargon, for someone who has never heard of our product" beats "write this simply."
09
Use AI to prepare for meetings
Paste an agenda or brief and ask "what questions should I be ready to answer?" or "what am I likely missing?" before any big meeting.
10
Practise every day, even for 5 minutes
Fluency with AI comes from repetition, not reading. Use it for something small every day and your instincts will compound fast.