Work, side projects, and everyday life

How I Use AI

Mostly to get the messy thing in my head into a form I can actually do something with.

Sometimes that means a clearer recommendation at work. Sometimes it means a website, a photography lesson, or figuring out dinner. These are a few ways I use it, with starting points you can steal.

Selected workflows · At work + outside it

At work Claude

Pressure-test a decision

Before I recommend adding, replacing, or consolidating a tool, I talk through the use case, the current stack, and the constraints. Vendor documentation and requirements give the conversation something concrete to work with.

What I bring
The problem, current systems, vendor docs, and the constraints I can’t wish away.
What I get back
A first-pass comparison and the questions I need to take back to the vendors.
Starting prompt

I’m evaluating a tool for [use case]. Here’s our current stack and the constraints: [context]. Compare these options against my requirements. Separate documented capabilities from assumptions, and flag what I need to verify with each vendor.

At work Claude

Turn a brain dump into documentation

I know how the process works. Writing it down is another matter. I ramble through the steps, edge cases, and “oh, also” bits, then use AI to put them into an order someone else can follow.

What I bring
The messy explanation, including exceptions and things I usually forget to mention.
What I get back
A structured draft, plus questions about gaps before it’s ready to share.
Starting prompt

I’m going to brain-dump a process. Wait until I say I’m done, then ask about gaps, contradictions, and edge cases. Turn the answers into steps someone with zero context could follow. Include prerequisites and troubleshooting.

At work Claude

Make the technical thing understandable

An implementation detail isn’t always the thing leadership needs to hear. I use AI to help connect the technical change to the business risk, the decision needed, and what changes for the people using the system.

What I bring
Technical details, who I’m talking to, and the decision I need from them.
What I get back
A clearer explanation and likely follow-up questions.
Starting prompt

Help me explain [technical change] to [audience]. They need to decide [decision]. Lead with business impact, explain what changes for users, and flag missing information rather than inventing costs or timelines. Keep the explanation under 200 words.

Outside work Claude · Claude Code

Get a project out of my notes app

I use Claude to think through ideas and Claude Code to build them. This website, a French Press calculator, and SendReady are examples of projects I’ve brought to life with AI-assisted coding.

What I bring
An idea, who it’s for, and what “done” should look like.
What I get back
A plan I can build from, followed by something I can try and revise.
Try the French Press calculator
Starting prompt

Help me scope [project idea]. Who is this for, what problem does it solve, and what is the smallest useful version? Ask about the important unknowns before proposing features. Define what done looks like.

Outside work Claude

Get a second set of eyes on a draft

For my newsletter and blog, I use AI as an editing partner: tightening drafts, finding unclear sections, and pointing out where I’m being self-indulgent. I want the writing to still sound like me.

What I bring
My draft and what I’m trying to say.
What I get back
Specific editing suggestions I can accept, reject, or argue with.
Starting prompt

Read this draft as an editor. Where is the point unclear, where am I repeating myself, and where am I asking too much of the reader? Suggest focused edits and explain why. Keep my voice and don’t rewrite the whole piece.

Outside work Claude

Make learning fit the thing in front of me

I asked for a photography course built around my Sony a6000, my lenses, and the subjects I actually shoot. I also built an interactive learning app for my Flipper Zero. A specific device and a practical exercise give me somewhere to start.

What I bring
My equipment, skill level, and what I want to learn to do.
What I get back
A sequence of lessons with hands-on assignments.
Starting prompt

Design a beginner course for [equipment or topic], focused on [goals]. Teach one concept at a time and include a practical assignment and a self-review checklist. Flag equipment-specific instructions I should check against the manual.

A starting point, not a magic spell.

The prompts here are useful places to begin. The conversation after the first answer is where I can explain what it missed, add context, and make the result fit.