I used to burn so many brain cycles trying to perfect my thinking before I'd even start building.
I'd sit there, second-guessing every angle of my idea. Should it work this way? What about that edge case? Maybe I need to rethink the whole thing? By the time I felt "ready," half the day was gone and that initial spark is turning into a grind, which might even prevent me from shipping it at all.
Now I use this simple pattern for everything—coding projects, writing something (like this newsletter), recording a video, strategic planning...
- Describe my rough idea to AI (messy and incomplete is fine)
- Ask AI to give me numbered clarifying questions with suggested assumptions. These are easy for me to reply "yes" or course correct.
- I ask it to suggest gaps or ways to extend it. Sparks ensue...
- Then, having built up this context layer by layer, we can iterate on the thing.
Flipping the script: We've gotten so used to crafting the perfect prompts for AI, but I actually like to have AI prompt ME. It pulls out my best ideas and creativity that I didn't even know were there.
Think about it—generating good questions and good answers is double the cognitive load. When AI handles asking constructive questions, I can pour all my mental energy into the responses. My creativity flows better when I'm responding rather than initiating.
