Overcoming the Challenges of AI Prompt Writing
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Elevated, the podcast helping you build a better Kitchen & Bath Design business through innovation and modernization. I’m your host, Brandy Lawson, and the topic of this episode is one of the trickiest parts of mastering AI: challenges of AI prompt writing.
Mastering AI Prompt Writing
If you’ve tried this, you might wonder why it feels so impossible to get what you want from the AI bot? Well, first things first—prompt writing is a new skill. It’s much like learning to ride a bike. When kids learn to ride, they either start with a strider bike, focusing on balance, or training wheels to work on balance and pedaling with fewer risks. The bike won’t tip over if they mess up, right? Becoming a master at prompt engineering is no different. You can’t expect to jump right into the “Tour de France” of prompt writing from the get-go! It takes time, a ton of patience, and buckets of support to build up that muscle.
And yes, there is support available to ease you into this new skill. Just like those training wheels, there are awesome resources out there to help you get started. Tools like FlowGPT and OptimusPrompt.ai are prompt libraries that can feel like having a pocket full of experts. FlowGPT, for instance, is a vibrant community where the best new prompts are shared and discovered. It’s likely that once you start exploring the prompts there you’ll get even more ideas about what AI is capable of.
Essential Resources for Effective AI Prompt Writing
If diving deep is more your style, LearnPrompting.org offers a free, open-source course that walks you through communicating with AI from the basics to advanced techniques. Using a course allows you to learn at your own pace and be able to chart your progress. One more resource is Snackprompt.com, where you can explore, upvote, and share the best AI prompts for popular platforms like ChatGPT and Bard.
Even with the great support of prompt libraries and courses, mastering prompt writing isn’t just about figuring out the writing part. It’s about pulling back the curtain on your thinking process. It’s tough—because, hey, we’re not used to doing this! Our brains are hardwired for shortcuts, instinctively trying to minimize effort, which is exactly the opposite of what’s needed when crafting AI prompts.
Confronting Decision-Making Biases Through AI Prompt Writing
In his book Clear Thinking, Shane Parrish shares that we’re essentially blind to the processes we use to make decisions unless we actively try to unearth them. And there are myriad forces driving our decisions—everything from personal biases to biological influences. Prompt writing, in all its transparency, forces us to confront these influences head-on. Uncomfortable, you bet! Worth it? Jury’s out… Just kidding! Very much worth it.
When our team first started using AI, that learning curve felt like Everest. In those early weeks, using AI wasn’t saving us time at all. We fell into the trap of fixing AI’s outputs manually without feeding those edits back into AI. But here’s the golden nugget we discovered: continuously updating AI by feeding back those edited outputs helps it learn and refine the kinds of outputs we need. This feedback loop is absolutely critical to effective use of AI.
So, what’s the game plan if you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck? Practice, practice, and—yep—you guessed it—more practice. Be patient with yourself. Building a new skill doesn’t happen overnight. Seek help when you need it, and most importantly, let AI guide you as well. AI is a phenomenal teacher that can help you reflect on and refine your prompts.
Empowering Teams Through Transparency
Furthermore, prompt writing is going to become an absolutely essential skill very soon. And even if AI isn’t yet a part of your day-to-day operations, developing this skill has broader benefits. By making your thinking more transparent, you empower yourself and your team to make better decisions. It’s a chance to share valuable insights within your organization, creating a collaborative environment where everyone is better equipped to make decisions that align with the company’s goals.
In the next episode, we’ll be talking about how AI can read your handwriting and help you reduce the friction of consolidating information from multiple inputs and sources.
Like what you heard? Never miss an episode by subscribing – head over to listentoelevated.com to subscribe, or share with a friend. Everyone deserves to have less stress and more impact!
