The Step Most People Skip When Using AI
One thing I’ve learned the hard way: Most people don’t get value from AI because they stop at the first answer. Here’s a simple workflow I use that consistently turns okay prompts into high-ROI outputs: Step 1: Optimize the prompt first I start by telling AI: “Make this prompt the highest-performing prompt possible with the highest ROI.” Then I paste my actual prompt underneath it. This alone upgrades the thinking, structure, and clarity before I even ask for an answer. Step 2: Answer the optimized prompt Once it rewrites the prompt, I tell it to answer it. Already better than anything I would’ve written on my own. Step 3: Force a harsh grade Then I say: “Grade this output from 1–10, with 10 being the best possible.” Important rule: 👉 It’s not allowed to give a 10. It has to explain: - Why it scored it that way - What’s missing - Where it could be stronger Step 4: Force the upgrade Finally, I say: “Now make this a 10/10.” It rethinks the entire response and gives a significantly stronger version. Why this works - You’re separating thinking from answering - You’re forcing critique instead of accepting the first output - You’re using AI like a senior operator, not a chatbot This is how you get leverage instead of just content. If you’ve been getting “meh” results from AI, try this exact process once and you’ll immediately feel the difference. Momentum > perfection.