AI for the Curious · aiforthecurious.comSection 03 · last reviewed 2026-09-24
Cheatsheet: Getting productive
Prompting, thinking with AI, everyday jobs, and choosing the right tool. One page, free for everyone.
Section 03 · last reviewed 2026-09-24 · tool facts as of September 2026
Say the answer in your head, then tap the card to check.
Key terms
- Five ingredients
- task, context, constraints, example or role, tone and format
- Follow-up moves
- narrow it · correct it · show it · ask me first
- Four modes
- collaborator · tutor · brainstorm partner · reviewer
- Sycophancy
- the tendency to tell you what you want to hear
- Real limits
- dates, budget, who's coming, pace
- Prepare, don't replace
- health, money, legal: a professional decides
- Specialist tool
- one job done better (images, transcripts, sources)
- Cloud vs local
- servers far away vs your own device
When this happens, do this
| When… | Do this |
|---|---|
| The answer is generic | Add context and an example. |
| It got one fact wrong | Correct it in one line; keep the rest. |
| You want honest feedback | Ask for the 3 weakest points against criteria. |
| A long chat is drifting | "Summarize what we've decided so far." |
| A plan ignores your life | Give real limits: dates, budget, people, pace. |
| You hit a free-plan limit once | Wait or switch tools; pay only if it keeps happening. |
Copy-ready
A strong prompt
Help me [task].
It's for: [who, and what's going on].
Limits: [length, must-include, must-avoid].
Like this example: [a sample you like].
Tone and format: [how it should sound and look].
Study buddy
Be my study buddy for [topic].
One question at a time; wait for my answer.
Hints before answers. Quiz me at the end.
Ask a document
What changed, what do I need to do and by when,
and what should I ask about?
Choose a tool
Help me choose a tool for [job]. What matters most is [x].
Three options from different companies, free first,
with one weakness each and where my data would go.
Before you send
- Did I say who it's for and what's going on?
- Did I give limits and a shape?
- For learning: did I ask for hints, not answers?
Before you rely on it
- Dates, prices, hours: check the source.
- Contracts: check the original.
- Private data: cloud, local, or no AI?
Never do this
- "Make it better" without saying how.
- Let it do the part you need to learn.
- Sign or pay based on an AI summary alone.
- Paste health forms, ID, or bank details into a cloud chatbot.
From the lessons: Prompting Fundamentals · Thinking With AI · Everyday AI · Choosing the Right Tool