A successful first AI project doesn’t need a new system or a large budget. It needs a manageable task and a clear idea of what “better” would look like. Start with assistance you can review, rather than an automated action you cannot easily undo.
Step 1: name the task, not the technology
Ask yourself: “What do I do repeatedly that feels as though it should be easier?” Write down one task, how often it happens and roughly how long it takes. A recurring follow-up email or weekly meeting agenda is a sensible candidate.
Choose something with a predictable shape and low consequences if the draft is wrong. Avoid sensitive customer records, financial decisions or an urgent piece of work for your first attempt.
Step 2: use one tool and one safe example
You can explore ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, but you don’t need accounts with all three. Pick one, check its current terms and use fictional or public information. Free access may have limits; you can still learn a great deal from a simple text task.
Tell the tool the task, audience, tone, length and format. Include the facts it is allowed to use and explain what it should do when information is missing.
A PRACTICAL STARTING POINTHelp me draft a [type of email] for [recipient type] about [topic]. Use a friendly, professional tone and keep it under 150 words. Include only these facts: [non-sensitive facts]. Use placeholders for missing details and finish with one clear next step.
Step 3: review before you reuse
Read the draft as if it had been written by someone new to your business. Is anything inaccurate? Does it sound like you? Is the next step clear? Ask for a revision, then edit the final version yourself.
If checking takes longer than writing it normally, simplify the task or add clearer instructions. An experiment that teaches you a limitation is still a useful result.
Step 4: build a small prompt library
Save the instructions that worked in a shared document. Add a note about when to use them, the information required and the checks needed before anything goes out.
- A prompt for an enquiry reply.
- A prompt for a weekly update using approved notes.
- A prompt for outlining a proposal, without invented commitments.
- A short checklist for accuracy, tone and privacy.
Make a little space this week
Set aside twenty minutes for one safe experiment. Save a prompt you would genuinely use again, then try it on a second example. If you get stuck, bring the task—not a technical brief—to a conversation with Scott.
Ask Scott a question