Give Your AI Assistant a First Task It Can Understand
In this Short, I use the idea of a fresh intern to make prompting less mysterious.
An intern might be capable and enthusiastic while knowing very little about my particular project. A model also needs the relevant context in front of it. Naming a role is a start; explaining the task matters more.
For a writing exercise, I would specify the audience, the format, and the idea to communicate. A small sample can show the voice more clearly than a string of adjectives.
Read the first attempt before adding instructions. What did it misunderstand? Which missing detail would have prevented that?
The point is not to pretend the AI understands like a person. It is to make the request clear enough that its output can be judged and corrected. Start with one task, give useful context, and keep your own editorial judgment involved.