Prompting Curiosity

You don't need to know everything AI can do to start using it, in fact, thinking about all the possibilities is likely the very thing that’s preventing you from getting started. In this episode I walk through 4 big picture steps for how to get started using AI (to do things, not just answer questions) in a way that won’t overwhelm you. My biggest piece of advice: stop looking at what everyone else is building, start with your own problems, and when you get stuck, just ask the robot. Main Topics Covered Blue tsunami LFGWho this episode is forUsing AI to do things, not just answer questionsStep 1: Picking a platformStep 2: The safety fall-backStep 3: The best place to startStep 4: PersonalizationAdvanced features like connectors, plugins, Skills or modelsHow I used AI this week: Randomizing my coaching group call order Links & Resources for This Episode Read this episode's Curious CompanionSubscribe to the Prompting Curiosity newsletterSubmit a QuestionVisit the WebsiteFeeling curious AND generous? Click here to support the podcast. Chapters (00:00:05) - Intro and episode preview(00:00:57) - Today's topic: using AI without overwhelm(00:02:51) - Step 1: Pick any AI platform(00:03:37) - The Anthropic/OpenAI co-founder switch(00:04:41) - Step 2: Always just ask the robot(00:06:26) - Step 3: Use AI to solve real problems you have(00:08:18) - Avoiding overwhelm from comparing to others(00:09:27) - Communication skills and natural language with AI(00:11:22) - Step 4: Adjusting personalization settings(00:14:37) - Advanced features: connectors, models, skills(00:16:33) - Recap of the four steps(00:17:23) - How I Use AI This Week: randomizing crew updates(00:19:32) - Closing remarks and newsletter info

Ever been mesmerized by a 100-page AI report you didn't actually need? That's heftnosis, a word I made up (and am very proud of) that describes the AI attraction and excitement that comes from equating output volume with value. In this episode I explain why I don’t label this verbosity-bias as slop, why so many new AI rollouts (Claude Duet included) feel more desperate than helpful, and why responsible AI use starts with asking yourself "Do I actually need all of this? Is it actually helpful?" I'm still very pro AI and I still want you to be ambitious with it, but more is not better. Better is better. Main Topics Covered An introduction to Heftnosis Why I hate the term "slop" Verbosity bias and ChatGPT being "too chatty" The Claude Duet limited rollout "Do I actually need all of this? Is it actually helpful?" The marketing for AI is backwards: here's a solution, go find a problem A friend's questions and how answers differ with vs. without heftnosis AI hacks, breaches, and the bike lock approach How I used AI this week: Patching a WordPress security vulnerability Links & Resources for This Episode Read about Claude Duet Read this episode's Curious Companion Subscribe to the Prompting Curiosity newsletter Submit a Question Visit the Website Feeling curious AND generous? Click here to support the podcast. Chapters (00:00:05) - Introduction to Episode 68(00:00:50) - Defining 'Heftnosis' - AI Output Volume vs Value(00:02:40) - Claude Duet and Agent Overkill(00:05:33) - Marketing Backwards: Solutions Looking for Problems(00:06:30) - Judging When AI Assistance Is Actually Needed(00:08:10) - Closing the Loop on Heftnosis(00:08:53) - AI Security Risks and Staying Informed(00:11:28) - How I Used AI This Week: WordPress Security Fix(00:13:33) - Outro and Newsletter Info

Inspired by a recent article I read, written by an engineering manager at Anthropic, this episode zooms out to look at the bigger picture and dives into the question of whether we are being ambitious enough with AI. We are no longer working with the AI of 2023, and in light of how capable present-day AI has become, I think that we can ask more of it. A certain level of tech tenacity will always be required in order to get the output that you want. This episode looks to consider how much creative ambition is also required. Main Topics Covered The inspiration for this episodeAre we being ambitious enough with AI?Building a website for a client with the help of AI"AI can't do that" and "AI sucks at that"Abstraction and the built-in friction that stops usSaying less to AI and getting a better outputTech tenacity and creative ambitionMy feelings about the AI naysayersHow I used AI this week: Using Gemini's image generator to mock up my dream property Links & Resources for This Episode Read Felix’s articleRead this episode's Curious CompanionSubscribe to the Prompting Curiosity newsletterSubmit a QuestionVisit the WebsiteFeeling curious AND generous? Click here to support the podcast. Chapters (00:00:04) - Intro to Prompting Curiosity(00:00:38) - The 'Be More Ambitious' Article Origin(00:02:25) - Building a Website with Claude(00:03:16) - AI Capability and Overcoming Skepticism(00:04:17) - Understanding Abstraction in AI Use(00:05:22) - From Detailed Prompts to Outcome-Focused AI(00:06:57) - Dreaming Bigger: Raising the Ambition Ceiling(00:08:31) - On AI Naysayers and Personal Values(00:11:14) - Rebranding and Navigating AI Criticism(00:13:08) - This Week's AI Use: Dream Property with Gemini(00:15:15) - Closing and Newsletter Info

In this episode I break down OpenAI's latest rollout, Dots, an always-on agent that lives inside ChatGPT and keeps doing things even after you've closed the chat. I cover what a Dot is, how it works, the logistics around pricing and access, the rules and guardrails, and what Dots can do. I also share my thoughts on abstraction in the agentic era and what the launch of Dots (and Meta Muse) speaks to in the bigger picture. Main Topics Covered My experience with DotsSo...what is a Dot?The personification of AI agentsHow it worksLogistics: Access and "deeper work"Rules and guardrailsWhat can Dots do?Meta Muse vs. OpenAI DotsAbstraction and the agentic eraHow I used AI this week: Gemini inside of Gmail Links & Resources for This Episode Watch Nate Herk’s comparison of Dots and Meta MuseListen to Ep. 61: Everyone Gets an Agent: Meta Muse and the Ongoing Race to AGI Read this episode's Curious CompanionSubscribe to the Prompting Curiosity newsletterSubmit a QuestionVisit the WebsiteFeeling curious AND generous? Click here to support the podcast. Chapters (00:00:05) - Intro and episode setup(00:00:38) - What is Dots? Overview and naming(00:03:08) - Personification and avatar design critique(00:03:50) - How Dots works: setup and communication(00:05:32) - Single chat thread design and workflow(00:06:32) - App connections and capabilities(00:07:20) - Pricing and plan availability(00:08:34) - Cloud hosting and technical infrastructure(00:09:30) - One dot per account policy(00:09:53) - Safety rules and guardrails(00:11:21) - Prompt injection and monitoring safeguards(00:12:35) - What can Dots actually do? Use case breakdown(00:14:27) - Comparing Dots to Metamuse(00:16:12) - Abstraction and the shift away from prompting(00:17:39) - Closing thoughts on Dots(00:18:07) - How I used AI this week(00:19:54) - Wrap up and outro

No gatekeeping here. In this episode I share my current AI tech stack, breaking down everything from my daily driver to my “once in a while but good to know about” tools. AI is inside of literally everything these days, and the majority of it isn’t helpful at all. I’m here to share the things that I actually use and that truly move the needle for me. Main Topics Covered My daily driver for AIHow I use the other LLMsMy favorite AI notetakerThe best AI voice dictation softwareHow I actually use DescriptMy favorite use-case for Gemini NotebookHow I used AI this week: Claude Design to mock up a website Links & Resources for This Episode Listen to Ep 45: Stop Typing, Start Speaking: Wispr Flow Explained Listen to Ep 25: Google NotebookLM: The Best AI Tool You've Never Heard OfRead this episode's Curious CompanionSubscribe to the Prompting Curiosity newsletterSubmit a QuestionVisit the WebsiteFeeling curious AND generous? Click here to support the podcast. Chapters (00:00:05) - Intro and Episode Overview(00:01:22) - AI Limits and Rapid Change(00:02:20) - Claude as Daily Driver(00:03:37) - Granola: AI Note Taker(00:06:05) - Whisper Flow: Voice Dictation(00:07:51) - Descript: AI Video Editing(00:09:44) - Google Notebook LM / Gemini Notebook(00:12:28) - Wrapping Up the Tech Stack List(00:13:11) - How I Used AI This Week: Claude Design(00:16:49) - Closing and Newsletter Info