How do I get better results from AI?
Most owners try AI once, get a generic answer, and write it off. The difference between a vague result and a useful one is usually not the tool — it's how the request was set up. A little context goes a long way.
What makes a good request
- Tell it who you are and who you're writing to. "You're a plumber drafting a short email to a homeowner" beats "write an email."
- Say what you want and why. "A one-paragraph summary I can paste into a proposal, no jargon" — specific beats open-ended.
- Give it your raw material. Paste the notes, the data, the messy draft. It works better with what you already have.
- Treat the first answer as a draft. Ask it to shorten it, make it warmer, cut the fluff. Iterating is where the quality shows up.
A quick framework
Who you are, who it's for, what the task is. One or two sentences of setup.
Format, length, tone, what to include and what to avoid. The clearer the target, the better the shot.
Follow up: shorten it, warm it up, cut the jargon. Two rounds beats one long prompt.
Key point — Treat AI like a sharp but literal assistant. The more context and specific direction you give, the better the result.
I'm David. I build AI that runs on your machines.
Twenty years in engineering leadership, now helping small and mid-size businesses put AI to work without handing their data to a cloud. If you'd rather I build it than you learn it, let's talk.
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