The Startup Ideas Podcast
The best businesses are built at the intersection of emerging technology, community, and real human needs.
“These are magic words. You might want to screenshot this”
What It Means
Specific prompting phrases like 'think step by step' and 'adopt the persona of an expert' trigger significantly better AI responses.
Why It Matters
Reveals that AI models have been trained to respond differently to certain trigger phrases, giving users access to higher-quality reasoning modes.
When It's True
When using current language models that have been trained on AI research literature containing these specific methodological phrases.
When It's Risky
If overused without understanding context, or if AI models change their training to make these phrases less effective.
How to Apply
Use 'think step by step' for complex reasoning tasks
Use 'adopt the persona of an expert' for domain-specific knowledge
Use 'critique your own response' for self-correction
Example Scenario
“For a complex business analysis, include 'think step by step' and 'adopt the persona of a management consultant' to get more structured, professional reasoning.”
Related Knowledge
Context is king
The more specific context you provide to AI systems, the better and more customized their outputs will be
It is the era of the idea guy
Current AI capabilities make it easier than ever to execute on ideas, shifting value to idea generation and curation
We're definitely in a gold rush
Current moment represents exceptional opportunity to create value using AI tools before they become commoditized
There will never be another wealth creation event like AI
AI represents unprecedented opportunity for individual wealth creation
Skills are reusable bundles of instructions, scripts, and resources
AI agent skills are structured packages that give AI assistants specific capabilities
It is the era of the idea guy
Technical barriers are lowering, making market insight more valuable than pure technical skills