Field Note: The Problem with "Just Ask AI"
Last month, I watched a company spend over $2,000 on ChatGPT Plus accounts because their team "needed better AI." Same prompts, same inconsistent results, now with a bigger bill.
The problem was not the AI. It was the missing framework.
Or consider this: when you are explaining complex compliance services to clients who speak Spanish as their first language, you cannot rely on "just prompt better." You need systematic intelligence that works the same way every time, regardless of which AI tool you are using.
That is the constraint most professionals face now: AI is everywhere, but frameworks for using it systematically are rare. The companies that figure this out first will have an unfair advantage that lasts until their competitors catch up.
Which might be 12-18 months. Maybe less.
From Inconsistent to "Way Easier" in 6 Weeks
What is notable here: This was not about learning more product knowledge or improving language skills. It was about having a systematic way to approach each conversation. The framework made the constraint (technical complexity plus bilingual communication) into a solvable pattern rather than a daily struggle.
Judgment Gate: 3 Tests Before You Build
- Is the problem defined as a decision?
"Make better presentations" fails. "Choose which 3 data points matter most" passes. - Is a boundary named explicitly?
"Improve communication" fails. "Explain in under 2 minutes to non-technical clients" passes. - Is the primary metric's penalty clear?
"Increase engagement" fails. "Reduce time-to-close (penalty: extended sales cycles cost $X per week)" passes.
These are not steps in a process. They are criteria you use to judge whether a framework will actually work before you waste time building it. Most AI outputs fail all three tests, which is why they feel generic and do not transfer across situations.
3-Minute Micro-Win
Try this right now with something you are working on:
Take your current AI output (anything you are using for work: email template, presentation outline, process documentation)
Rewrite the core problem as a decision question:
Name one boundary:
"Must complete in 5 business days with zero IT support needed"
Pick your primary metric and state what it penalizes:
"Time to first productive output (penalty: each extra week delays revenue by $X)"
Notice the difference? The "after" version can actually be evaluated. The "before" version just generates more generic advice.
What Decision Are You Making This Week?
What decision are you making this week that still feels fuzzy? Reply with one sentence. I read every response and use the best ones (anonymized) for future case studies.
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