Use AI as a Thinking Partner

You can use AI for a quick answer, but you can also use it as a sounding board to structure messy thoughts, question assumptions and explore possible blind spots.

Start with the full context

Do not ask only "What should I do?" Give the situation, the constraints, what you already tried and what a good outcome would look like.

Instead of: "How should I price my product?"

Try: "I am launching a SaaS tool for freelancers. My costs are X, comparable tools charge Y-Z, and my audience is price-sensitive. I am torn between freemium and a flat fee. Help me compare the trade-offs."

Think out loud

Share your reasoning even if it is unfinished. AI is useful when it can react to your assumptions, not just your final question.

Try prompts like:

• "My instinct says option A because..., but I am worried about... What am I missing?"
• "Which assumption in this plan is weakest?"
• "What would make this decision reversible?"

Ask for alternatives

A good AI conversation should widen your options before it narrows them. Ask it to generate approaches you have not considered.

Useful prompts:

• "Give me three different ways to solve this."
• "Play devil's advocate. Why might this fail?"
• "What would someone with the opposite viewpoint say?"
• "What is the simplest version of this plan?"

Iterate before you decide

Treat the first answer as a draft. Push back, add constraints and ask for a sharper version.

For example:

• "Make this more concrete."
• "Now optimize for speed instead of quality."
• "What would you remove?"
• "Turn this into a checklist I can use today."

Use the suggestions to sharpen your own judgment, not to hand the decision over to AI. Check important claims against reliable sources before acting.