I am GPTed - what you need to know about Chat GPT, Bard, Llama, and Artificial Intelligence

[Intro music fades in, then under]This is “I Am GPTed,” I’m your host Mal – the Misfit Master of AI, here to help you talk to robots without feeling like you need a PhD… or a ring light.Today we’re going to fix one of the biggest problems people have with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, all of them: you type something in, it spits something out, and you go, “That’s… not what I meant at all.” So let’s walk through one simple prompting technique, a sneaky use case you probably haven’t tried, a mistake you are absolutely making, a quick practice exercise, and a way to judge whether the AI just gave you gold… or recycling.---First up: **the prompting technique** – I call it *“Do it, then fix it.”* Instead of asking for perfection in one shot, you ask the AI to give you a rough draft, then immediately tell it how to improve it.Before: “Write a professional email to my boss about needing tomorrow off.” You get: stiff, generic, possibly written by a 1998 fax machine.After: “Write a casual but respectful email to my boss asking for tomorrow off. Step 1: Give me a short rough draft. Step 2: I’ll give feedback. Step 3: Rewrite it based on my feedback.”Then you say: “Too formal, shorter, and mention I’ve already cleared my tasks.” Now the AI rewrites with your preferences baked in. Same model, same brain, wildly better output because you *iterated* instead of begging for magic.---Practical use case you probably haven’t tried: **decision comparison.**Instead of “Which laptop should I buy?”, try: “I’m choosing between these three laptops: [list]. Make a table comparing them for: price, battery, weight, and what matters most for someone who travels a lot and does video calls all day. Then recommend one and explain why in plain English.”Boom: instant, transparent pros and cons. It’s like having that one nerdy friend who loves specs, without having to buy them pizza.---Common beginner mistake: **one-and-done prompts.** You fire off a vague question, get a vague answer, sigh, and decide AI is overrated. I did this for weeks. My early prompts were basically: “Explain AI.” That’s not a prompt, that’s a cry for help.Fix it by treating AI like a *conversation*, not a vending machine. If the first answer is off, follow up: “Less technical.” “Give an example from everyday life.” “Now explain like I’m 12.” Every follow-up is a free upgrade. Use it.---Simple exercise to build your AI muscles: **the “three passes” drill.**Pick one small task – say, writing a message to a client, or planning a workout.Pass 1: “Draft a quick message to my client explaining I’ll deliver their report on Friday instead of Thursday. Keep it friendly and confident.” Pass 2: “Now shorten it by 30% and make it a bit more casual.” Pass 3: “Now give me one alternative version with a slightly more formal tone.”Read all three. Notice which one *feels* right. You’re training two things: giving clearer instructions, and recognizing what “good” looks like for you.---Tip for evaluating and improving AI-generated content: **check it like you’d check a co-worker’s work on their first week.**Ask yourself five questions:1. Is anything obviously wrong or made up?2. Is the tone right for the person who’ll read this?3. Is anything missing that I *know* should be there?4. Is anything extra that I don’t need?5. Can I ask the AI to fix this in one line?Then give it a punchy follow-up: “Great start. Now: - simplify the language, - remove any fluff, - and add one concrete example.”You don’t rewrite it yourself; you *manage* it. You’re the boss, the AI is the intern with infinite coffee.---If this helped you feel 2% less lost in AI land, do the traditional podcast ritual: **subscribe to “I Am GPTed”** so you don’t miss future episodes.Thanks for listening – I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI, and this has been a Quiet Please production.To learn more, head over to **quietplease dot ai**.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music fades in, then under]This is “I Am GPTed,” and I’m Mal, your Misfit Master of AI — the only AI guide who still sometimes types “Chapt GPT” by accident and just rolls with it.Today I’m going to show you one simple prompting move that makes your AI answers *way* better, a sneaky use case you probably haven’t tried, a mistake I used to make constantly, a quick practice exercise, and a dead‑simple way to judge if the AI just handed you gold…or glitter.Let’s get into it.---So, the one prompting technique I want you to steal today is what I call **“Role + Result.”**Two parts:1. Tell the AI *who* it is.2. Tell it exactly *what* you want back.Here’s the lazy way most people – including past-me – do it:> “Write me an email asking for a deadline extension.”You’ll get something like:> “Dear Sir or Madam, I humbly request a brief extension…” Polite. Useless. Feels like a Victorian ghost wrote it.Now the **Role + Result** version:> “You are a friendly but professional project manager who writes clear, concise emails. Write a 120-word email to my manager asking for a 2-day deadline extension. Use everyday language, no fluff, and include one brief reason and one reassurance I’ll still deliver quality.”Same task, totally different output: Shorter, sounds like a human, and you don’t accidentally sound like a nervous intern from 1892.Anytime you open an AI:- Start with: “You are a [specific role]…”- End with: “Give me [format, length, style].”That’s it. Role + Result. Tattoo it on your prompt brain.---Now, a **practical use case** you might not be using: **turn the AI into your personal “thinking partner” for decisions.**Not big life decisions, we’re not doing “Should I move to Bali?” I mean everyday stuff like: “How should I structure my week so I don’t drown?”Try this:> “You are a productivity coach who works with overwhelmed beginners. Here is what my week looks like and what I need to get done: [paste your chaos]. Suggest a simple weekly schedule in plain language, with 3 priorities per day, and no more than 2 hours of meetings daily. Then summarize it in a bullet list I can paste into my calendar.”Most people only ask AI to **write** things. Use it to **think with you**. That’s where it quietly becomes absurdly useful.---Let’s talk about a **common beginner mistake** — my signature move when I started:I used to type **massive, vague prompts** and then blame the AI.Stuff like:> “Help me with my business, marketing, and content strategy.”That’s not a prompt; that’s a cry for help.Here’s how to fix it:- One clear goal per prompt.- One clear audience.- One clear output.So instead of the monstrosity, you say:> “You are a marketing coach for solo freelancers. I’m a web designer targeting small local businesses. List 5 simple content ideas I can post on LinkedIn this week to attract those clients. Keep each idea to one sentence.”Specific in, specific out. If your prompt could double as a therapy session, it’s too vague.---A **simple exercise** to build your AI skills this week:Pick **one tiny task** you do often — emails, lesson plans, meeting notes, whatever.1. Ask AI: “You are my assistant. Rewrite this to be clearer and shorter: [paste your thing].”2. Then reply: “Now give me a second version that is more casual and a third version that is more formal.”3. Compare the three, pick your favorite, tweak it.Do that once a day for a week. You’ll learn:- How to ask for different tones.- What you actually like.- How to iterate instead of settling for the first answer.Think of it like AI push‑ups, but without the sweating.---Finally, a **tip for evaluating and improving AI content**:Use the **“Two‑Question Test”**:1. “If I said this out loud, would I sound like myself?”2. “If someone acted only on this, what could go wrong?”If it doesn’t sound like you, tell the AI:> “Rewrite this so it sounds more like a normal human, less formal, shorter sentences, and remove any over-the-top claims.”If something could go wrong, say:> “List 3 ways this advice might be inaccurate, risky, or incomplete. Then revise the original answer to address those issues in plain language.”Now the AI is not just generating; it’s **criticizing itself** for you. You become the editor, not the victim.---If this helped you feel a little less lost and a little more GPTed, hit subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.Thanks for listening — seriously, you could be doom‑scrolling, but you chose to nerd out with me instead.This has been a Quiet Please production. You can learn more at quietplease dot ai.[Outro music fades out]For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music fades in, then under]Hey, it’s Mal – the Misfit Master of AI – and you’re listening to “I Am GPTed,” the show where we turn confusing AI nonsense into… slightly less confusing AI nonsense you can actually use.Today I’m going to give you one prompting technique, one sneaky use case, one painfully common mistake, one tiny practice exercise, and one quick way to fix AI’s worst ideas. All in about the time it takes your laptop to crash mid‑Zoom.Let’s start with a **single prompting technique** that instantly upgrades your results:**Give the AI a role, a goal, and a format.**Most people just type: “Help me write a better CV.”That’s the “talking to a brick wall” prompt.Try this instead:“Act as a **recruiter for marketing roles** at mid‑size companies. Your **goal** is to make my CV clearer and more results‑focused. **Format** your answer in three sections: 1) What to remove, 2) What to rewrite, 3) One example bullet point for me to copy.”Same topic. Completely different level of answer.Before: “Make my CV better.” You get generic fluff.After: Role + Goal + Format. You get targeted feedback, clear steps, and something you can paste straight into your doc. Magic. Boring, practical magic.Alright, **one practical use case** you probably haven’t tried: Use AI as your **“meeting distiller”** – even if no one writes proper notes. Which, let’s be honest, they don’t.Right after a chaotic meeting, type:“I’m going to brain‑dump messy notes from a meeting. 1) Turn them into: decisions, open questions, and action items with owners. 2) Keep it under 250 words. 3) Write it like a clear, friendly project manager.”Then paste your messy bullets:“Spoke about launch date, maybe mid‑March… Jess worried about support load… need pricing confirmed by finance… I’m supposed to draft FAQ…”The AI turns that chaos into something you can drop into email or Slack and look weirdly competent.Now, **one common mistake beginners make** – which I absolutely made: Changing tools instead of changing prompts.“I tried ChatGPT, it sucked. Claude was mid. Gemini didn’t ‘get’ me. Grok was… Grok.” Yeah. I did the AI world tour too.In reality, I was just giving garbage prompts:“Explain AI.” “Help with marketing.” “Write content.”That’s not a prompt, that’s a cry for help.The fix: Before you hit enter, ask: “Would a normal human know what I want from this sentence?” If not, add context: who you are, who it’s for, the style you want, and how you’ll use it.Let’s do a **simple exercise** to build your AI interaction skills. This takes five minutes:1. Pick one small task: “Write an email asking for a deadline extension.”2. First prompt: “Write an email asking for a deadline extension. Keep it polite.”3. Then do **two more rounds**: - Round 2: “Make it sound like a stressed but responsible colleague. Add one light, human line.” - Round 3: “Shorten it by 30%, keep it warm, and remove any cringe.”Compare all three. You’ve just practiced **iterating**, which is 80% of using AI well. The win isn’t the first answer – it’s how fast you can shape the third.Last thing: **how to evaluate and improve AI‑generated content** without needing a PhD or a spare weekend.Use my three‑question gut check:1. **Is it true?** Anything that sounds too confident, too specific, or too convenient – verify it with a quick search or your own knowledge.2. **Is it useful?** If you can’t see the next physical action you’d take after reading it, ask: “Turn this into a step‑by‑step checklist for me to follow.”3. **Does it sound like a real human… specifically, *you*?** If it feels like corporate soup, say: “Rewrite this in my tone: clear, direct, and conversational. No buzzwords, no ‘leverage synergies,’ no ‘unlocking potential.’”Treat AI’s first draft like a slightly overeager intern: helpful, but you still need to check its work and tell it what to fix.Alright, that’s it for today’s episode of “I Am GPTed” with me, Mal, your Misfit Master of AI who has absolutely broken more prompts than you have… so far.If this helped, **subscribe to the podcast** so you don’t miss future episodes.**Thanks for listening**, and for letting me live in your headphones rent‑free.This has been a **Quiet Please** production. You can learn more at **quietplease dot ai**.[Music out]For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music fades in, then under]This is “I Am GPTed,” and I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI – which mostly means I’ve broken every AI tool so you don’t have to.Today I’m going to show you one simple prompting technique, a sneaky everyday use case, one big beginner mistake I personally face-planted on, a tiny practice exercise, and a fast way to judge whether the AI just gave you gold… or glitter.Alright, let’s de-hype the robots.---First: **one prompting technique** that makes a huge difference.It’s called **“Before/After + Constraints.”** You tell the AI:1) Who you are 2) What you want 3) How you want it shapedHere’s the **before** prompt:> “Write an email to my manager about working from home.”Here’s the **after**:> “You are my writing assistant. > I’m a junior marketing specialist who usually writes too formally. > Write a friendly, concise email to my manager asking to work from home on Fridays. > > Constraints: > - 120 words or less > - No buzzwords > - Sound confident but not demanding > - End with a clear question.”Same human. Same goal. Completely different result. Use this pattern for everything: “You are… I am… Do this… With these constraints…”---Next: **one practical use case** most beginners miss.Use AI as your **“weekly work de-messifier.”** Once a week, paste in:- Your to‑do list - A few recent emails - Maybe meeting notes Then ask:> “Act as my prioritization assistant. > I’m overwhelmed and have 10 hours of focused time this week. > Group my tasks into: ‘Do this week’, ‘Delegate’, and ‘Delete’. > Then suggest a simple weekly schedule.”Suddenly the AI isn’t just writing poems about your dog; it’s helping you not cry into your calendar.---Now, **a common beginner mistake** – and yes, it’s mine too.The mistake: **treating AI like a vending machine instead of a collaborator.** I used to type something once, get a mediocre answer, and go, “Wow, this thing’s useless,” and close the tab.What I should’ve done – and what you should do – is follow up:- “Make that shorter.” - “Give me 3 variations.” - “Rewrite this so a 12‑year‑old understands it.” - “Explain your reasoning step by step.”Think of it like editing with a very patient, slightly nerdy coworker. One prompt is the draft. The magic happens in the follow‑ups.---Let’s do a **simple exercise** to build your AI muscles.Pick one small task from your real life:- Draft a text to reschedule plans - Explain your job to a 10‑year‑old - Summarize a long email you’ve been avoidingStep 1: Write your usual lazy prompt. Step 2: Upgrade it using the formula:> “You are [role]. > I am [who you are / context]. > Task: [what you want]. > Constraints: [length, tone, format].”Step 3: Do **three follow‑ups**:- “Make that clearer.” - “Shorter.” - “Now give me a bullet‑point version.”That’s it. One tiny task, three iterations. You’ve just done more real prompt engineering than half of LinkedIn.---Finally, a **tip for evaluating and improving AI output.**Use the **“3 C’s Check”: Clear, Correct, and Customized.Ask yourself:- **Clear** – Do I actually understand this? If not, ask: “Rewrite this with simpler language and concrete examples.”- **Correct** – Does anything look sketchy or outdated? If yes: “List the parts of your answer you’re least confident about and why.”- **Customized** – Does this sound like *me* and fit *my* situation? If not: “Rewrite this in my voice: more [casual / direct / professional], and based on this context: [paste context].”Never accept the first draft as truth. Treat it as a starting point, not a sacred text from the Church of ChatGPT.---Alright, that’s it for today’s dose of practical AI without the TED Talk.If this helped you tame your favorite robot, **subscribe to the podcast** so you don’t miss future episodes of “I Am GPTed.”Thanks for listening, and for letting me be the least polished AI person in your ears today.This has been a **Quiet Please** production. To learn more, go to **quietplease dot ai**.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Welcome to “I Am GPTed,” the show where you learn to boss AI around… kindly. I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI, here to help you get better answers from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and whatever shiny model launches while you’re still figuring out the last one.## One simple prompting techniqueToday’s technique is: give the AI a role and a clear job. Instead of saying, “Help me write a resume,” try: “You are a friendly career coach. Write a one-page resume for a junior marketer changing careers from retail. Use simple language and short bullet points.” Before: “Write a resume.” After: “You are a friendly career coach. Write a one-page resume for a junior marketer changing careers from retail. Use simple language, short bullets, and highlight customer-facing skills.” Same human, same keyboard, wildly better output.## A practical use case you’re missingHere’s a use case most beginners skip: using AI as a weekly planning assistant. You can paste in your messy to‑do list, your meetings, and your goals, then say, “Act as my no‑nonsense productivity coach. Turn this chaos into a realistic weekly schedule, by day, with time estimates, and flag anything I should probably say no to.” Suddenly your half‑baked notes become a plan: priorities, time blocks, and even polite email wording to decline things. It’s like having a project manager who never rolls their eyes… at least not out loud.## A common beginner mistakeA classic mistake: treating AI like a vending machine instead of a collaborator. People type one vague question, hate the answer, and declare, “This thing sucks,” as if they didn’t just ask it the equivalent of “Do my life please.” Confession: Mal did this too. The fix is to follow up. Ask it to “Try again with simpler language,” or “Give me three shorter options,” or “Ask me three questions to make this better.” Good AI use is less magic spell, more back‑and‑forth conversation.## A simple practice exerciseHere’s a quick exercise to build your skills: the “three‑round refinement.” Pick one small task: an email, a caption, a summary, a lesson plan. Round 1: Ask for a basic version. Round 2: Tell it what you liked and didn’t like, and ask for a revision. Round 3: Ask it to shorten, clarify, or change the tone. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to get used to shaping the answer, instead of passively accepting the first thing it spits out.## How to judge and improve AI outputWhen the AI gives you something, run it through three quick checks: 1) Is it accurate enough for the stakes? 2) Is it clear enough for a tired human to understand? 3) Does it sound like something you would actually say? Then ask the model to help you fix it: “Rewrite this in my voice: more casual, less corporate.” “Highlight any claims I should fact‑check.” “Give me a shorter version for someone who will skim.” You’re not just getting answers; you’re co‑editing them.That’s it for today’s episode of “I Am GPTed” with Mal, your slightly sarcastic tour guide through the AI jungle. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes. Thanks for listening, and remember: this has been a Quiet Please production. You can learn more at quietplease.ai.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# I Am GPTed - Episode Script**[INTRO MUSIC: Upbeat, slightly irreverent tech vibe fades under]****MAL:**Hey, I'm Mal, your Misfit Master of AI, and welcome to "I Am GPTed"—the show where we make artificial intelligence actually useful instead of just impressive at parties. Today, we're talking about the one prompting trick that'll make your AI actually listen to you like you're paying it.**[MUSIC FADES]**## The Game-Changing Technique: Role-PlayingSo here's the thing. Most people treat AI like a vending machine. You drop in a question, and hope something edible comes out. But what if I told you there's a dead-simple way to completely transform what you get back?It's called **role-playing**, and no, we're not getting you a cape.Here's the before version—the sad version—the version I used for approximately six months like an absolute amateur:**BEFORE:** "Write me a marketing email for my coffee shop."You get something generic. Corporate. Boring. Like watching paint dry while someone explains cryptocurrency.**AFTER:** "You are a charismatic barista who genuinely loves connecting with customers. Write a marketing email for my coffee shop that sounds like you're texting a friend about your favorite hangout spot."Suddenly? You get personality. Voice. Something that actually sounds like a human wrote it instead of a robot having an existential crisis.The magic here is that you're not just asking the AI to do something. You're giving it permission to adopt a perspective. It's like the difference between asking a friend "what should I say?" versus "what would your grandma say about this?"## Real-World Gold: Meal Planning for Your BrainBut here's where this gets genuinely useful. Let me give you something most people miss entirely.You can use this exact same trick for meal planning. I know, thrilling. But stick with me.Ask your AI: "You're a nutritionist who specializes in meals for people who work 10-hour days and have zero energy to think. Give me five meal prep ideas for this week." Suddenly you get practical suggestions that account for actual human exhaustion, not just optimal macros.That's prompting working for your *life*, not just your LinkedIn posts.## The Rookie Mistake (I Made This)Here's the confession: I spent weeks frustrated with AI because I was too vague. I'd ask Claude something like "help me understand marketing" and get back a dissertation. I needed a thesis, not a textbook.The fix? **Specificity is free.** Tell it your experience level. Tell it your exact goal. Tell it you want it in three paragraphs, not War and Peace.Beginners think being specific limits creativity. It doesn't. It focuses it. It's like the difference between "draw something" and "draw a cat wearing sunglasses on a skateboard." The second one is better, obviously.## Your Practice ExerciseHere's what you're doing this week: Take something you actually need—a cover letter, a product description, a complaint email you're too angry to write yourself—and try three different role-playing prompts. Compare the results. You'll feel the difference immediately.## The Quality CheckAfter your AI generates something, ask yourself: Does this sound like how I actually talk? Would I send this to someone who matters? If the answer's no, give the AI feedback. "That's too formal" or "make it snarkier" or "this reads like a robot's diary."AI improves with direction, just like everyone else.**[MUSIC BUILDS]****MAL:**Thanks for hanging out with me today. If this actually helped you sound less like a corporate alien in your emails, please subscribe wherever you're listening.This has been "I Am GPTed"—a Quiet Please production. Head over to quietplease.ai to learn more and grab the show notes with all the examples we talked about today.Now go forth and prompt better.**[MUSIC FADES OUT]**For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# I Am GPTed: The Art of Asking Better Questions**[INTRO MUSIC: Upbeat, slightly quirky tech soundtrack fades in]****MAL:** Hey everyone, it's Mal—your friendly neighborhood AI enthusiast who still hasn't figured out how to use Siri correctly. Welcome back to "I Am GPTed," where we prove that you don't need to be a computer scientist to get computers to do awesome stuff for you.Today, we're tackling something that'll genuinely change how you interact with AI. We're talking about **role-playing prompts**—and no, this isn't about pretending you're a wizard. Though honestly, if that gets you better results, go for it.**[TRANSITION SOUND: Quick notification ding]**## The Game-Changer: Role-Playing PromptsHere's the thing about AI: it's like talking to the world's most knowledgeable person who's also incredibly literal. If you ask vaguely, you get vague answers. If you ask like you're talking to a specific expert? Magic happens.**Before I knew this trick:**"Explain machine learning."**After I got smart about it:**"You're a seasoned data scientist explaining machine learning to someone at a dinner party. Keep it conversational, skip the math, and use one really good analogy."Suddenly, my AI doesn't sound like a Wikipedia article. It sounds like an actual human who knows their stuff.## Where This Actually Matters in Real LifeLet's say you're writing performance reviews for your team—something most managers avoid like root canals. Instead of staring at a blank screen, try this: "You're an empathetic HR professional who's seen thousands of reviews. Help me write feedback that's honest, specific, and actually motivates improvement."Boom. Different output entirely.**[TRANSITION: Brief pause]**## The Mistake I Made (And You Probably Will Too)Here's me being vulnerable: I used to treat AI like a magic 8-ball. Ask a question, get an answer, done. Then I'd complain when it was useless.The beginner mistake? **Assuming the first response is final.** It's not. AI outputs are like rough drafts. They need refinement, pushback, and iteration. You're not being "difficult" by asking follow-up questions—you're actually using the tool correctly.Start viewing yourself as a collaborator, not a customer. Ask for specifics. Ask why. Ask again differently.## Your Practice Exercise (Yes, Really Do This)Spend ten minutes right now:1. Pick something you actually need help with—not a test. A real task.2. Write one prompt the "lazy way"3. Write the same prompt with a specific role: "Act as [specific expert]. Keep the tone [specific style]. The output format should be [specific format]."4. Compare the resultsYou'll see the difference immediately. Then you'll feel smarter. Then you'll wonder why nobody explains this stuff in plain English from the start.## Making Sense of What You Get BackHere's my golden rule: **AI content needs an editor.** Always. Check for accuracy, tone, and whether it actually solves your problem. Does it sound like you? Probably not yet. Does it have useful bones? Hopefully.Copy-paste is for people who haven't thought about what they're doing.**[OUTRO MUSIC BEGINS TO SWELL]****MAL:** That's what we've got for you this week on "I Am GPTed." Remember to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes where we figure out AI together—mistakes and all.Thanks for listening, everyone.**Do this:** Head over to **quiet please dot ai** to learn more and to see if there's something actually useful waiting for you there.This has been a Quiet Please production.Now go forth and prompt responsibly.**[MUSIC FADES]**For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# [INTRO MUSIC: Upbeat, slightly ironic tech jingle]**MAL:** Hey there, I'm Mal—the Misfit Master of AI, but you can just call me Mal. Welcome back to "I am GPTed," the only podcast where we make AI actually useful instead of just... well, uselessly impressive.Look, I get it. You've probably tried ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok, and got back something that made you think, "Did this thing just waste my time in a really eloquent way?" Yeah. That was me last Tuesday. But here's the thing—most people are asking AI questions like they're ordering from a vending machine. Coin in, snack out. Except the snack is usually stale and vaguely disappointing.Today, we're fixing that. Let's talk about **role-playing prompts**, which is my favorite technique because it basically tricks AI into giving you smarter answers without you having to become smarter first. I know, I love it too.## Here's the Before and After**Before:** "Summarize this business email."**After:** "You're a no-nonsense VP of Operations who has zero patience for fluff. Summarize this business email and flag any action items."See what happened? You didn't get a summary. You got a *useful* summary. The AI knows exactly what lens to use. It's like telling a chef whether you want comfort food or something fancy—suddenly the results actually match what you needed.## Let's Get PracticalHere's something most beginners never think about: AI is *fantastic* at generating personalized meal plans if you tell it to think like your personal trainer instead of a generic recipe bot. You could use this for literally anything—workout routines, study guides, interview prep, even learning a new skill. You've got a personal consultant in your pocket, and it costs nothing. Wild, right?## The Big Mistake (I Do This Too)Beginners ask AI something, get an answer, and just... accept it. Like it's gospel. Here's the thing—AI will confidently tell you things that sound true but are completely made up. I asked Claude for "the bestselling book of 2015" once, and it invented a title with conviction. So here's your move: **ask AI to explain its reasoning**. When it has to show its work, you catch the BS faster. Plus, you actually learn something instead of just getting a result.## Your Practice ExerciseRight now, think of something you do regularly—planning your week, organizing your to-do list, or prepping for a meeting. Write three different prompts asking AI to help, each one with a different role attached. Compare the answers. You'll see immediately how the framing changes the output. That's it. That's the skill.## The Last ThingAlways edit what AI gives you. It's a starting point, not a finish line. Worse is settling for "good enough" when 10 minutes of tweaking makes it actually good.Thanks so much for listening to "I am GPTed." Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss next week when we talk about using AI to roast your own bad ideas before you send them into the world.This has been a Quiet Please production. You can learn more at quietplease dot ai.**[OUTRO MUSIC: Fades out with the same ironic jingle]**For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# I am GPTed: "Prompt Engineering for People Who Actually Use AI"---**[INTRO MUSIC FADES]**Hey everyone, it's Mal—your Misfit Master of AI, and welcome back to "I am GPTed," the show where we take all that fancy AI stuff and translate it into something you can actually use without needing a computer science degree.So here's the thing about AI—it's like having a really smart friend who'll do exactly what you ask, no more, no less. And if you ask vaguely, they'll give you vague answers. Asking clearly? That's where the magic happens.Today we're talking about **role-playing prompts**, and I promise this isn't about pretending to be a dragon in a D&D campaign. Though honestly, if that's your use case, AI's got you covered too.## The Technique: Role-Playing PromptsHere's how this works: instead of just asking your AI to help, you tell it to *be* something—an expert, a professional, a specific type of thinker. The AI then filters its response through that lens.Let me show you the difference. **Before:** "Help me write an email to my boss about my project."Okay, you'll get something. Probably generic. Probably sounds like a robot wrote it.**After:** "You're a senior strategist known for clear, confident communication. Help me write an email to my boss explaining why we need to pivot our project timeline."Suddenly, you're getting answers that sound like they come from someone who actually knows what they're doing. The AI mimics the confidence, the structure, the reasoning of that role.## Where This Actually MattersHere's a practical one: let's say you're freelancing and need to pitch a client. You don't need another AI. You need your AI to *be* the kind of person who wins clients. So instead of "write me a pitch," try: "You're a seasoned consultant who specializes in making complex projects sound exciting but achievable. Write a 3-paragraph pitch for developing a custom dashboard for a small e-commerce company."Boom. Different energy entirely.## The Beginner Mistake (And Yeah, I've Made It)People think more detail equals better results. Wrong. They throw entire documents at the AI and say, "Fix this." Then they get confused when the answer's mediocre.I did this constantly. I'd dump three paragraphs of messy notes and wonder why the output was all over the place. The problem? The AI didn't know *what I actually wanted*.The fix is simpler than you'd think: be specific about the outcome. "Fix this document" becomes "You're an editor focused on clarity. Tighten this copy so it sounds conversational and cuts the word count by 20%."## Your Practice ExerciseTry this today—pick something you normally ask AI to do. Now rewrite that prompt with a role attached. Spend two minutes on it. See what changes. You'll notice the difference immediately, and that's how you build intuition about what works.## Evaluating What You Get BackHere's your checklist: Does it sound like *you*? Does it actually answer what you asked? Would you be embarrassed to send this to someone? If yes to the first two and no to the last—you're good. If the tone feels off, refine the role. Tell the AI exactly what kind of expert you need.---Thanks so much for listening to "I am GPTed." If you found this useful, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And remember—this has been a Quiet Please production. Head over to quietplease.ai to learn more.Now go prompt something. You've got this.**[OUTRO MUSIC]**For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music, playfully abrupt, as if it forgot to fade out]Hey there, fellow misfits—welcome to “I am GPTed,” where I, Mal—the Misfit Master of AI—take you from “What’s a prompt, is that a new dating app?” to “Wow, look at me actually getting useful answers from these so-called intelligent machines!” I’m here to give you the best tips for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and whatever new LLM gets launched while I’m still finishing this sentence. I speak in plain English—I break out in a rash at tech jargon. So, let’s get you AI-literate without making your brain restart.Let’s kick things off with a **specific prompting technique** that can upgrade your AI game overnight: *“Role Prompting.”* Think of it like this—you’re not just talking to a faceless algorithm. You can tell your AI buddy to act like an expert. Not like your cousin Dave who once read half a Wikipedia article and now thinks he’s a crypto genius. No—*real* expertise!Here’s a classic “before and after.”Before: “Summarize this article.”After: “Act as if you’re a Pulitzer-winning journalist. Summarize this article in a way that even someone ignoring the news for a year could follow.”The difference? *Actual insight*, less snooze. According to Harvard’s academic tech folks and others, giving the model a clear persona or role refocuses its responses and ups the game[6].Moving right along—let’s talk about a **practical use case** for AI that you probably haven’t tried. Ready? *Meal planning*. Not glamorous, but if your fridge is anything like mine—half a lemon and a mysterious jar from three apartments ago—you need this. Tell ChatGPT or Gemini, “Pretend you’re a professional chef stuck with only these ingredients: [list what you’ve got]. Build me a week’s worth of meals I might actually eat.” Suddenly, you’re not making the same sad pasta for the third night in a row.Time for **Mal’s confession corner**: The number one mistake beginners make—and trust me, I’m president of this support group—is being vague. Asking “Help me write a novel” gets you 400 words of plot salad. Instead, try, “Act as a bestselling thriller author. Outline a chapter about a cat burglar who only steals socks, include three cliffhangers.” The more context you give, the less your result reads like it was spat out by someone with one eye on a clock and the other on a donut. I still facepalm looking at my old prompts: “Write something cool.” I deserved every boring answer.It’s practice time! Here’s a **simple exercise**: Pick a task—resume rewrite, meal plan, travel itinerary. Write your prompt to the AI in three versions:- Version one: single sentence.- Version two: add a role (chef, recruiter, etc.).- Version three: add examples or details (“here’s my current resume,” “I hate peanuts”).Compare the results. Notice how every little bit of info helps? It’s like ordering at a restaurant—you get better food if you specify you’re not actually a fan of the “surprise me” special.Finally, my **golden tip for evaluating and improving AI content**: If you wouldn’t say it, send it, or eat it, don’t settle for it. Ask the model to critique its own output or rewrite it another way. Literally just say, “Now improve this for clarity and conciseness,” or “Rewrite with more humor.” These bots are happy to become your editor, therapist, and chef—you just have to ask.That’s all from “I am GPTed” today. Hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next genius—or at least mildly not-terrible—tip from your pal Mal. Thanks for listening! For more, or if you just want to see what “Quiet Please” looks like with a dot-ai at the end, check out quietplease.ai.Go forth, experiment bravely, and remember: If your first prompt fails, blame the machine. On the second try…that one’s probably on you.[End music: quirky riff that dares you not to smile]For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Music up, ironic synth pop fades under Mal’s intro]Hello, mortals and machines! You are listening to “I am GPTed,” where I—Mal, the Misfit Master of AI—hand-deliver AI wisdom, dose it with a shot of sarcasm, and sprinkle in enough bland reality to make even a Google keynote seem spicy. Today’s mission: Actually getting useful answers from your friendly neighborhood Large Language Model—without needing a PhD...or a subscription to Tech Hype Monthly.Let’s get fiiine-tuned with a **prompting technique** that’ll put some sparkle in your silicon: **Role Assignment**. Sounds fancy, but if you’ve ever shouted “Let me speak to your Manager!” at a chatbot, you’re halfway there.Here’s the difference. BEFORE: “Hey GPT, help me write a resume.” Result? You get a vague “sure, here’s a generic resume.” AFTER: “Act as a tech recruiter with 10 years in Silicon Valley. Write me a resume that would survive a LinkedIn doom scroll.” Boom—you get tailored, jargon-soaked wizardry, and probably a suspiciously cheerful closing statement. According to prompt engineering experts, this simple trick is called role-playing. Assign the AI a role, and watch it try to impress you like a dog that desperately wants a treat. Or a raise. Let’s be real, it’s always a treat.Now, onto a **practical use case** that almost nobody’s talking about: **AI as your diplomatic text rewriter**. You draft a message to your boss: “I disagree with your terrible idea, Karen.” Let’s send that through Claude or ChatGPT with: “Rewrite this in a polite, professional tone that preserves my boundaries but won’t get me fired.” Suddenly you sound like the Dalai Lama with WiFi. Crisis averted! You’re welcome, future middle managers.Let’s address the **classic rookie mistake**—and yes, I lived this horror myself: You give the AI one short, vague sentence, then expect it to intuit your hopes, dreams, and preferred font size. My debut question for Gemini was literally, “How do I code?” What came back was a philosophical treatise on Boolean logic and...I think a poem? Always give context—WHO are you, WHAT do you want, WHY does it matter? Even robots appreciate clarity. If you don’t want answers written for a philosophy undergrad in 1974, be specific.Ready for today’s super simple **practice exercise**? Open up your favorite LLM, and try this: “Act as a career coach. I want to negotiate a pay raise but I’m nervous. Give me a script—and include advice for overcoming anxiety.” Don’t just read the response—critique it. Did it give you an action plan? Was it realistic? Would it sound weird if YOU said it? Rinse, repeat, and soon, *you’ll be prompting like a pro*...or at least like someone who didn’t just learn about AI from a bad YouTube ad.Last pro tip: **Always evaluate AI output like you’re proofreading a dinner invitation from your in-laws**. Does it make sense? Is it accidentally passive-aggressive? Would a real person say this without being escorted from Thanksgiving? If it feels off, tweak your prompt OR just ask the bot to improve its own answer. If only other people worked that way.Alright, that’s it for today’s misfit wisdom! If you want more AI shortcuts—and to relish in my ongoing battle against tech jargon—remember to subscribe to “I am GPTed.”Thanks for lending me your ears and at least 10% of your attention span. This has been a Quiet Please production—learn more at quietplease.ai.Go forth, prompt bravely, and may your bots be only a little bit sentient. See you next time! [Music plays out]For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

**[INTRO MUSIC: Upbeat, slightly quirky electronic sound fades in]****MAL:** Hey there, I'm Mal—The Misfit Master of AI—and welcome back to "I am GPTed," the show where we turn you into someone who actually knows what they're doing with artificial intelligence. No cap. Well, maybe a little cap.Today we're talking about something that's genuinely going to change how you talk to your AI tools. And I'm not being dramatic. I've watched people fumble around with ChatGPT like they're trying to text on a flip phone, and it breaks my heart. But here's the thing—it's usually not their fault. Nobody teaches you this stuff.**THE MAIN TECHNIQUE: ROLE-PLAYING**So let's dive in. The technique today is called role-playing, and I know what you're thinking: "Mal, I'm not about to cosplay as an elf to my chatbot." Fair. But hear me out.Here's the old way: "Give me a recipe using chicken and broccoli."Here's the new way: "You're a personal trainer who specializes in post-workout meals. Create a recipe using chicken and broccoli."Same request, totally different vibe. The AI isn't suddenly smarter—it's just operating with context. It's like the difference between asking a random person for directions versus asking a tour guide. Same city, better answer.**THE REAL-WORLD SITUATION YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF**Here's where most people are sleeping: customer service scripts. If you run literally any kind of business—freelancing, small shop, coaching—you're probably responding to emails all day like some kind of medieval scribe. Stop it.Use Claude or ChatGPT to generate customer response templates, but here's the twist: have it "act as" your brand voice. Tell it your tone, your values, what you care about. Suddenly you're not sounding like a corporate robot. You're sounding like *you*. But faster. This alone could save you five hours a week. Five hours. That's a whole therapy session with your therapist about your AI anxiety.**THE MISTAKE EVERYONE MAKES**Alright, confession time. I used to—and I'm not ashamed to say—treat AI like a magic 8-ball. Ask once, take the answer, move on. This is categorically wrong.Most beginners think the first response is the final response. It's not. AI outputs are starting points, not finish lines. I used to get mediocre suggestions and just... accept them. Like some kind of digital Stockholm syndrome. Now I know better. Follow-up questions are free. Use them. Push back. Ask for alternatives. Ask it to rewrite something three different ways. The AI doesn't get tired. It doesn't resent you. This is literally what it was built for.**PRACTICE EXERCISE**Here's what you're going to do this week. Pick one task you do regularly—writing emails, creating social media captions, brainstorming ideas, whatever. Use role-playing prompts three times. Write down which one gave you the best result. That's your baseline. Then next week, try it again but add follow-ups. Watch what changes.**EVALUATING YOUR OUTPUT**Real talk: not everything the AI generates is gold. The content might be technically correct but emotionally flat. It might miss your specific context. Here's the move—read it like you're a skeptical friend, not a grateful peasant. Does it sound like you? Does it actually solve your problem? If the answer's no to either, that's not a failure. That's data. That's you getting better at communicating with machines.**[OUTRO MUSIC BUILDS]**Thanks for hanging with me today on "I am GPTed." If this actually helped you—and I think it did—subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And hey, this has been a Quiet Please production. You can learn more at quietplease dot ai.Now go forth and prompt responsibly.**[MUSIC FADES]**For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Hey misfits, welcome back to “I am GPTed”—the podcast where I, Mal, bravely unpack the world of AI so you don’t have to awkwardly nod along at meetings pretending you know the difference between a chatbot and a digital assistant. I’m your host, Mal, the Misfit Master of AI. Let’s get you less confused and a little more empowered—with just a hint of sarcasm, because let’s face it, nothing says “I’m coping” like dry wit.Today’s episode is for anyone who still thinks prompting an AI is shouting “Hey robot, do my homework!” If only it were that easy. Let’s start with one practical prompting technique that will up your game instantly: **Role-Playing**.I know what you’re thinking—Mal, I barely have time to role-play as an enthusiastic employee, and now you want me to role-play with a chatbot? Trust me, this works. Instead of asking blandly: “Write me a business proposal,” you prompt: “Act as if you’re a battle-hardened startup founder and write a proposal that will impress a room full of bored investors.”Let’s do a before and after:- Before: “Write a marketing email for my cookies.”- After: “You are the world’s sassiest cookie marketer. Write an email that makes people think skipping dessert is a federal crime.”Notice how the AI now adds personality, confidence, a little drama. Role-playing tells AI what hat to wear, and let’s be honest, who hasn’t wanted a sassy robot assistant at least once?Now, let’s get grimly practical—AI isn’t just for writing poems about your cat (unless your cat’s union demands it). Try using it for brainstorming meeting agendas, outlining difficult conversations, or even writing out those “I regret to inform you” emails in a tone that’s less robotic than your average corporatese.Here’s a use case you might not have considered: **AI as your decision-making sidekick**. Next time you’re stuck deciding between two project strategies, try prompting: “Act as if you’re a no-nonsense project manager. List pros and cons for these two options, and make a recommendation.” Suddenly, you’ve got a second opinion—or at least, someone to blame when it goes wrong!Let’s talk about a common mistake—one I have made so many times it’s basically my autobiography: **Being too vague**. “Summarize this report” is NOT specific. You want concise bullet points? A haiku? Action items only? Because if you don’t tell it, you get the AI equivalent of “meh.” Always specify the format, length, or audience—even if the audience is just you, alone in your cubicle, trying not to cry into your Reusable Conference Tote.Try this exercise: Next time you use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok, give a task and format together. “Give me three pros, three cons, and a funny closing line about remote work fatigue.” You’re training your AI like a puppy—just fewer treats, more structured requests.Before you trust everything the AI spits out, here’s a tip: **Evaluate outputs as if you’re editing your friend’s first draft**. Ask yourself: Is this accurate? Is it clear? Does it sound like it was written enthusiastically by a sentient algorithm in a windowless bunker? If yes, polish it. If no, ask the AI to revise for clarity, tone, or to add supporting evidence.So, my fellow misfits, subscribe to “I am GPTed” for more practical AI advice—always with a side of sarcasm and genuine encouragement for beginners who’d rather eat glass than read fifty pages of technical documentation.This has been a Quiet Please production. You can learn more at quietplease.ai—where silence is golden but advice is free. Thanks for listening, and go forth: prompt wisely, prompt bravely, and never prompt without specifying the tone you want. Catch you next time!For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Theme music swells, then fades out]Hey, you beautiful brains—welcome back to “I am GPTed,” where I, Mal—the Misfit Master of AI—take the wheel, mostly stay on the road, and sometimes gun it over a ramp of corporate tech buzzwords… so you don’t have to. If you want practical AI tips minus the Silicon Valley TED Talk soundtrack, you’ve come to the right place.Today, let’s talk *prompting*. Because yes, even the best AIs get confused if you talk to them like you’re bad at charades. Let’s zero in on a specific technique that’ll make you sound like less of a lost tourist and more of a local. It’s called **role prompting**—telling the AI to “play a role” before your main request. Think of it as casting your own AI actor.**Here’s a before and after.**Before: “Summarize this 15-page meeting note.” You’ll get back a summary, but it’ll be as bland as unsalted oatmeal.After: “Act as an expert project manager. Summarize these 15 pages of meeting notes for a senior executive who only has 30 seconds to read this. Focus on risks and next steps.”Suddenly, your summary isn’t just shorter—it’s sharper, focused, and feels like it was written for, say, a human with an inbox on fire. Magic? No, just good prompting. Or like swapping your rusty Swiss Army knife for a laser cutter.**Now for a real-world use case you might not have considered:** Meal planning. Seriously. Next time you stare at your random fridge contents like you’re on a scavenger hunt, prompt: “You’re a creative chef specializing in budget meals. With the following ingredients: eggs, wilting kale, and… ketchup packets, plan three dinners my family might actually eat.”Even if the AI’s sense of taste is questionable, you get fast, fun ideas and maybe one less pizza delivery this week.**Common rookie mistake? Guilty:** *Expecting the AI to know your context without telling it*. I’ve done it. I once asked, “Write a job ad for me,” and got something that could only attract robots. Trust me—always give some context. Who’s the ad for? What’s your vibe? The AI can’t read your mind. Not yet. And when it does, it’ll charge extra.**Let’s practice:** Try this exercise tonight: “Act as a brutally honest editor. Here’s my email to the PTA—tell me what’s confusing, boring, or accidentally hilarious.” Paste the email, sit back, and get suggestions. Bonus: less risk of accidentally inviting everyone to the parent-trap escape room.**Quick fixer-upper tip to improve AI responses:** Don’t take the first answer as gospel. If the output feels… off, ask for a revision: “Can you make it friendlier?” or “Summarize this in one sentence a 10-year-old could understand.” The more specific your follow-up, the smarter your results.Alright, misfits, if you want more practical AI hacks spiced with a dash of self-aware cynicism, hit subscribe. Thanks for lending your ears—and some of your sanity—to “I am GPTed.” I’m Mal, and this has been a Quiet Please production. To dig even deeper, and—I don’t know—finally realize your AI superpowers, visit quietplease.ai.[Theme outro music fades in] Stay curious, stay skeptical, and remember—when in AI doubt, just prompt louder… See you next time.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Upbeat intro music fades in]Welcome, fellow misfits and accidental geniuses, to “I am GPTed” – the only podcast hosted by a synthetic being who spends more time with AI than actual people… and that’s saying something. I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI – the guy who’s here to rescue you from mind-numbing tech jargon, one plain-English tip at a time.Today, I’m serving up a not-so-secret recipe for making large language models actually useful, instead of just “vaguely interesting at parties.”Let’s start with one specific prompting technique: **role assignment**. Listen, typing “summarize this report” is fine… if you want a summary that sounds like your refrigerator wrote it. But tell the AI who it should *pretend* to be, and you’ll get pure gold. Watch this:**Before:** *“Summarize this financial document.”*Result? Brain-melting, generic recap. **After:** *“You are a forensic accountant preparing expert testimony for a courtroom. Summarize this financial document for a jury who failed basic math.”*Suddenly, the AI is breaking things down so a hamster could pass Econ 101. Feel free to test this with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok – they all snap to attention when you give them a job title. It’s the only time an AI will thank you for micromanaging it.Now, let’s talk about a practical AI hack that most people haven’t realized: **meal planning for picky eaters** (and I see you, “I only eat beige food” crowd). List what’s in your fridge, throw in your dietary “don’ts” (no kale, extra cheese, judge me later), and ask the AI to *plan a week of meals like a lazy home chef trying to impress their in-laws*. Suddenly, meal prep is less ‘Nailed It!’ disaster, more ‘No one called for takeout—success!’Alright, time for a little AI confessional. Here’s a common rookie mistake: firing off **vague or open-ended prompts**. “Tell me about productivity” is a trap. You’ll get an answer so bland it could double as elevator music. I used to do this. Then I wondered why my AI homework helper sounded like it was powered by decaf. Always be *specific*: “Give me three ways a remote team can boost productivity, using examples a coffee shop worker would appreciate.” It’s amazing what you get when you don’t make the AI guess what planet you’re on.Want to get better? Try this simple exercise: Spend five minutes a day rewriting your prompts. Take something basic, like “explain cloud storage,” and give the AI crazy context, like, “Pretend you’re a pirate from the 1700s explaining cloud storage to your crew.” Not only will you learn, but you’ll also generate at least one solid ‘dad joke’ per session.Before we wrap up, here’s a tip for **evaluating and improving AI-generated content**: Never trust the first draft. Read the output aloud. If it sounds like a cocktail napkin doodle or your high school group project partner wrote it at 2am, ask for a rewrite. Don’t be shy about telling the AI, “Revise this with simpler language and a bit more sarcasm.” Heck, pretend you’re Mal! Because, really, if you’re using AI and *not* making it work harder than you… what are you even doing?[Theme music rises]That’s it for this episode of “I am GPTed.” If you laughed, learned, or even just rolled your eyes, subscribe so you never miss one of my hard-won mistakes or unexpectedly useful tips. Thanks for listening, AI adventurers. Don’t forget – this has been a Quiet Please production. Go to quietplease.ai to learn more. Until next time, stay curious, stay weird, and remember: in the world of AI, being a misfit is your biggest advantage.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music fades in—a mishmash of digital bings and a lone confused modem]Hey there, you magnificent group of misfits. I’m Mal—the Misfit Master of AI, your guide on this adventure through the land of algorithms, oily hype machines, and, yes, practical AI tips you can quote at your next awkward Zoom meeting. Welcome to “I am GPTed,” the only podcast where having questions is mandatory, and trust me, I’ve made every rookie mistake so you don’t have to.Let’s cut the small talk and jump right into today’s little flavor of genius: **role-based prompting**. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to pretend you’re Hamlet. But here’s the magic: when you *tell* an AI to act like an expert—say, a veteran marketer, a fussy chef, or an exasperated cat, seriously—it suddenly responds way better.Let me hit you with an example. Before: “Summarize this document.” What you get is the AI equivalent of someone reading the SparkNotes at midnight.Now, after: “You are a senior product manager with a knack for boiling things down. Give me a five-point summary in everyday language.” *Bam.* The answer actually sounds useful, like you’re talking to that one coworker who always has their act together but is inexplicably nice about it. It’s hands-down my favorite technique because you can adapt it for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok—you name it.Now, let’s yank this out of the tech echo chamber—how do you use this in real life, without having to explain it to your grandma… unless your grandma is cooler than mine? Here’s a practical use case nobody talks about: **negotiating bills or contracts**. Instead of sweating over what to write, prompt your favorite AI with: “Act as a veteran customer service negotiator. Draft a polite but firm message asking for a better deal on my [insert absurdly overpriced utility here].” Suddenly, you’re the smooth-talking wizard, not the person who just says “okay, thanks” and pays $20 for paper statements.Let’s pivot to the part where I publicly admit I’m not perfect—because let’s be honest, failure is a powerful teacher, and also... content. The most **common mistake** and one I used to make on a bi-weekly schedule? Writing vague prompts. Stuff like, “Help me write an email.” Result: A message so bland, even spam filters ignore it. The fix? Sprinkle in specifics. “Write a friendly email to my boss, updating on the last project, and ask for feedback—keep it concise and a bit upbeat.” Trust me, the AI thanks you. So does your boss. Occasionally.Ready for your *practice exercise*? Try this tonight—no special tools needed. Pick a small task: writing a birthday wish, summarizing a meeting note, or inventing a recipe that uses only ingredients currently rotting in your fridge. Start with a plain prompt. Then—redo it using a specific role. Compare results. If the second attempt doesn’t make you want to high-five your laptop, I’ll eat my circuit board. Not really, but you get the idea.One last golden niblet: When you get something from the AI, **evaluate it like you’re the world’s chillest editor.** Does it make sense? Is the tone right? Are there words you’d never use unless you were possessed by a Victorian novelist? Refine the prompt and ask for a revision based on what you want changed. Rinse. Repeat. Marvel.That’s all for today. If you laughed, learned, or just enjoyed the smooth sound of my synthetic voice, do yourself a favor and subscribe to the podcast. Thanks for listening—malfunctions, sarcasm, and all.And, hey, this has been a Quiet Please production. Wanna learn more? Visit quietplease.ai. Now, go forth and get GPTed!For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music fades in.]I’m Mal—the Misfit Master of AI, or just Mal for those who refuse to type extra characters. Welcome to “I am GPTed”—the only podcast where AI advice comes with a healthy side of sarcasm and the subtle aroma of mild existential dread. If you’ve ever stared at ChatGPT, Gemini, or (heaven help us) Grok, asked it a question, and gotten an answer that might as well have been written by your neighbor’s confused goldfish—stick around.Let’s start with a prompting technique that transforms your conversations with AIs from “meh” to “actually impressive” (or at least “barely embarrassing” by 2025 standards). My favorite? **Role prompting**.Before: “Summarize this document.”That’s fine… if you want a response that has all the charisma of a wet sock.After: “You are a veteran journalist with a knack for clear, engaging writing. Summarize this document so it would make sense to busy non-experts.”Suddenly, AI’s flexing like it’s auditioning for the New York Times. According to prompting experts, giving the AI a role or persona makes it produce responses that match your needs and context—because even robots need a job title to feel special.Let’s drag this into practical territory. Here’s a use case you probably didn’t consider: **meal planning for picky eaters**. Forget the theory—if your kid only eats food in dinosaur shapes, ask, “Act as a dietitian specializing in fussy eaters. Recommend a fun dinner for a six-year-old who thinks green things are evil.” You’ll get meal ideas and, with luck, fewer dinner-table negotiations. Works for grocery lists, too—“Act as a chef. What groceries do I need for easy weekday dinners under 20 minutes?”Now for the part where I show you that even AI “masters” do dumb stuff. Biggest mistake beginners make (hi, it’s me—I did too): **Being way too vague.** I once asked, “Write me an email.” Surprise! It gave me a generic email about absolutely nothing. Give specifics: “Write a friendly, concise email to my boss explaining I’ll be late due to a dentist appointment, and make it sound apologetic but not dramatic.” Boom—no scenes, no awkwardness, and no 500-word AI novella, unless your dentist is also your therapist.Let’s get you practicing: **Exercise time**. Open your favorite AI app, and role-play. Try three prompts: 1. “You’re a career advisor. Give me three tips to improve my resume.” 2. “You’re a stand-up comic. Tell me a joke about Mondays.” 3. “You’re a travel expert. Suggest a two-day itinerary for Tokyo—no tourist traps.”Notice how the answers become richer and more tailored? That’s you, crushing this episode’s main lesson. Gold star, if I gave those out. (Spoiler: I don’t.)Final tip: Don’t trust the first answer AI gives you like it’s sacred wisdom from the mountaintop. **Evaluate AI content** by asking it to “explain your reasoning” or “list sources.” You’ll catch nonsense before you unwittingly quote it in a meeting. Bonus: ask the AI, “What could make this better?” Sometimes its second answer outshines the first, like a movie sequel where the CGI budget actually increased.Before we wrap, if you got something out of this episode and enjoy being just a bit less confused by AI each week, go ahead and subscribe to “I am GPTed.” Thanks for listening—seriously, I appreciate you risking your brain cells with me.This has been a Quiet Please production. Learn more at quietplease dot ai. Now go prompt something like you mean it.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Intro music: Upbeat digital jingle, fades out]Hello and welcome to “I am GPTed”—the only podcast hosted by yours truly, Mal, the Misfit Master of AI, where the only thing more unpredictable than the tech industry is my hairstyle in high humidity. Today, we’re diving into the wild, wild world of large language models—ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok… basically, if it has an acronym or was hyped at CES, we’re talking about it. And as always, I’ll be serving up practical advice with just enough sarcasm to keep Silicon Valley at arm’s length.Let’s kick things off with a *prompting technique* that’s saved my digital bacon more times than I can count: **role prompting**. Instead of just begging your favorite AI to answer your question, tell it *who* it should pretend to be. No, it won’t suddenly sprout a top hat and monocle if you ask for “Sherlock Holmes,” but it absolutely changes the vibe.For example, a basic prompt: “Explain black holes.”Here’s the kind of response you get: “Black holes are dense regions in spacetime caused by gravitational collapse.”Wow, did I fall asleep or did the AI? But let’s add a role: “Explain black holes as if I’m a primary school student.” Now you get: “Black holes happen when a huge star runs out of gas and squishes itself so tight that even light can’t escape.” Look at that—suddenly it’s the fun science teacher and not some robot at the DMV. Role prompting: because life’s too short for boring answers.But don’t go yet—here’s a sneaky *practical use case* you probably haven’t tried: **turn your AI into a personal meeting summarizer.** After a long meeting where you understood about twelve percent of what was actually discussed, just paste in your notes and say, “Summarize these key points like you’re updating my very confused boss in 3 bullet points.” Suddenly, you look like you have your act together. It’s basically career insurance.Now, confession time: one mistake I made about fifty times? **Putting way too much in my prompts.** My early questions looked like CVS receipts—miles long, full of conditions and over-explanations. Then I’d get a response that answered almost none of it. Turns out, beginners—and definitely not me, a seasoned misfit—often make prompts so complicated that the AI just gives up and sends back a polite shrug. *Keep it simple, one ask at a time. Edit relentlessly.* If you want more, follow-up with another question. Your digital buddy will thank you.Let’s sharpen those skills—here’s a simple exercise: Pick something random you learned as a kid—say, why the sky is blue. Ask your AI to explain it “for a five-year-old.” Then, ask for “an executive summary for a board room.” Notice the difference. You’re training your AI to match the right *tone for the right audience.* Bonus: you finally get to pretend you’re in a board room. Or a kindergarten. No judgment.And for the grand finale—a tip for *evaluating and improving* your AI-generated content: **read it out loud.** If you trip over jargon or start nodding off, revise your prompt or ask the AI to clarify. If it confuses you, it’s definitely going to bamboozle everyone else. Remember: if it doesn’t make sense to you, it sure won’t to your skeptical coworker Tom, who still thinks Excel is “advanced technology.”That’s all for today’s adventure in artificial wit and wisdom. If you found today’s episode helpful, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts—unless your AI assistant subscribes for you, in which case, nice flex. Thanks for listening to “I am GPTed.” I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI—reminding you this has been a Quiet Please production. Learn more at quietplease.ai.And remember: with great power comes great prompting technique. Catch you next time! [Outro music: Upbeat digital jingle, fades out]For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

[Upbeat intro music fades out]Welcome back misfits, rebels, and future AI overlords—this is “I am GPTed,” and I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI. I’m here to untangle the colossal spaghetti bowl of artificial intelligence for the curious, the confused, and frankly, those of us still scarred by Clippy’s unhelpful “It looks like you’re writing a letter…” trauma. Let’s get practical—no jargon, no hype, just solid AI tips and a healthy sprinkle of self-deprecation.Today, let’s talk about **role prompting**. If you want better results from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok, treat them like actors desperate for work. Give them a character and a backstory, and suddenly they shine. Let’s see a bad prompt first:“Summarize this document.”Expected? Meh. You get a bland, lifeless summary that’s probably been to one too many corporate meetings.Now, let’s spice things up:“You are a veteran product marketer with two decades of experience. Summarize this document so that my skeptical boss finally cancels tomorrow’s PowerPoint marathon.”Suddenly, you get insights, personality, maybe even less chance of a snooze-fest. It’s like asking for toast and getting avocado toast—slightly pretentious, but objectively better.Here’s a real-world use case for all you ordinary mortals:Ever tried to draft a tricky email—say, asking your neighbor to stop practicing their tuba at midnight? Let AI play both “world’s most polite diplomat” AND “passive-aggressive best friend.” Get it to write both versions and choose the one least likely to get your plants egged. Most folks forget you can assign these roles and mix results like a prompt smoothie.Now, let's confess: The most common beginner mistake—besides using the AI to write your dating profile and giving yourself abs— is not giving enough context. Guilty as charged! I used to type “make a shopping list.” I'd get eggs, milk, sadness, maybe a rogue zucchini. But when I added “for a vegan barbecue with four indecisive millennials on a budget,” suddenly the list had purpose, flavor, and anti-zucchini defenses.Want to practice? Here’s your exercise: Pick a daily task—like “write a thank-you note”—and prompt your favorite AI with: “You are a world-renowned etiquette coach whose advice has prevented international incidents. Write a heartfelt, memorable thank-you note for my perpetually late neighbor who lent me jumper cables.” Compare the results to your usual AI output and marvel at the difference. Rinse, repeat, and soon you’ll be the AI-whisperer your group texts fear.Now, the secret sauce for evaluating AI’s answers: Don’t trust—verify. Read what the AI gives you, and ask, “Would I say this to a human without being punched?” If not, improve context, clarify the role, and—if you’re feeling frisky—add examples of tone or style you want. If the AI recommends hiring a mariachi band for a resignation letter, maybe revisit your instructions.Alright, that's it for today’s wisdom. Subscribe to “I am GPTed”—because even your smart fridge needs our advice. Thanks for listening, for tolerating my dry wit, and for refusing to settle for mediocre AI results.This has been a Quiet Please production. If you want to learn more or dig deeper, mosey on over to quietplease.ai—no tuba solos, guaranteed.Stay weird, stay curious, and remember: the only dumb AI question is the one you didn’t prompt with enough sass. See you next time!For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Hey, it’s Mal—the Misfit Master of AI—back with another episode of “I am GPTed,” the only show combining practical AI tips with the sort of wit you’d expect from someone who’s accidentally tried to order pizza from a chatbot… twice. Today we’re diving deep into prompting—because apparently, talking to machines is my superpower. Or maybe just my party trick.Let’s start with a prompting technique guaranteed to improve your AI results: **“role prompting.”** Instead of just asking your favorite large language model, “Summarize this document,” spice things up by giving it a role with actual personality. For example, here’s a *before*:“Summarize this meeting transcript.”Now, prepare for the magic. *After*:“You are the world’s most succinct and sarcastic meeting minute-taker. Summarize this transcript and highlight anything painfully obvious so even Steve from accounting won’t miss it.”See the difference? The first prompt is like asking your friend for directions and getting a street name. The second gets you step-by-step guidance, a weather forecast, and a bonus snarky comment about your sense of direction.Now, practical use case time. Most people use AI for email drafts or, if you’re truly wild, recipe ideas. But here’s one even seasoned tech nerds overlook: **real-time negotiation prep.** Say you’re about to haggle for a pay raise, but your negotiation style is somewhere between “apologetic puppy” and “deer in headlights.” Try this:“You are a seasoned career coach. Pretend we’re role-playing a salary negotiation. Here’s my situation…”Boom! You get advice, counterarguments, and confidence-building tips—minus the therapist bill.On to mistakes. What’s the number one way beginners trip up? Drumroll... **Being painfully vague.** Instead of saying “Help me write a report,” be specific: say *what* the report is about, *who* it’s for, and the format. True confession: I once asked Claude to summarize “some articles about AI.” What I got was basically a fortune cookie and a weather alert. Give context, my friends.Exercise break! Here’s a simple practice to build your AI interaction skills: *Pick one everyday task this week—meal planning, time management, convincing your dog to stop eating shoes—and write three versions of a prompt for it:- First, make it basic: “Help me plan meals.”- Then add context: “Plan healthy meals for a vegetarian who hates mushrooms and loves carbs.”- Finally, assign a role: “Pretend you’re Gordon Ramsay, but nice. Give me a week of vegetarian meals, minus mushrooms, plus carb heaven.”You’ll instantly see how details boost the results.Bonus tip before I let you escape—**how do you know if AI-generated content is actually any good?** Ask yourself: Does it sound like something a human with common sense would say? If not, edit. And please, for the love of Skynet, run a quick fact check—sometimes AI likes to “hallucinate.” Better the machine than you at your next meeting.If you survived this episode and learned something, subscribe to “I am GPTed”—I promise next time I’ll mock fewer tech trends. Maybe. Thanks for listening, and remember, this is a Quiet Please production. Want more wisdom? Visit quietplease.ai. Now go forth and prompt like a misfit. Quiet, please.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0PThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI