SO much has been written about prompt engineering — it was even a consideration for a career at one point (until AI took that away as well 😉 ) — but now that we are over that hype curve, it’s time to focus on how and when to listen to AI to help grow a business.
Have you ever watched a software engineer ask a question of an AI agent? You should. AI seems smart when you ask it any question but you’ll quickly understand that the quality of the ask makes all the difference.
Early prompting instructed you to tell the AI what they were supposed to be. “You are a 20-year marketing expert in CPG…”. This was obviously to frame the question before you asked “how do I grow my business without spending too much money?”
The answer will either be impossible or obvious.
What a software engineer has that you don’t (or aren’t using) is their intimate knowledge of their profession. They code for a living. They understand what is possible and what isn’t. They get the language. They interpret the outcome and make their questions better. They also have a finite outcome they are trying to get to.
They aren’t trying to solve ALL their problems, find EVERY answer, build their ENTIRE app in one question.
AI is unbelievably helpful but the hard truth is that, to use it for good, is to understand your business and goals and path before asking it anything. AI may tell you what you should do but it’s your experience that should guide you on what to ask.