It was 11:17 p.m. on a Monday. I remember that because my laptop was already halfway closed and I had one sock on.
We’d been stuck on a product copywriting issue for over a week. Four rounds of edits, multiple team threads, two “quick syncs,” and it still read like a sales pitch written by someone allergic to simplicity.
Out of sheer frustration (and slight caffeine-fueled stubbornness), I typed this into ChatGPT:
“Write a product copy that doesn’t sound like it wants to sell me something. Make it sound like it respects my intelligence.”
What came back wasn’t perfect.
But it didn’t try too hard.
It didn’t shout.
It didn’t say “innovative” 17 times.
It sounded… human. Like a friend who really liked the product but wasn’t trying to impress me.
I stared at the screen, smiled, and pasted it into Slack with the caption:
“Okay. Finally. It speaks fluent non-cringe.”
That’s when it clicked.
Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t in the answer.
It’s in how you ask the question.
AI Isn’t Magic. It’s Just a Really Good Listener (If You Know How to Talk to It)
Since that night, I’ve stopped “commanding” AI and started talking to it.
You can shout:
“Generate 10 product descriptions.”
And you’ll get… 10 product descriptions.
Stiff. Robotic. Probably mentions “solutions” and “synergy.”
Or you can say:
“Write this like a friend who’s quietly impressed but doesn’t want to oversell.”
And suddenly, the AI sounds more like someone you’d actually trust.
It’s like asking your spouse, “Can you pick up milk?” versus
“Can you grab milk that won’t make the kids cry and doesn’t expire tomorrow?”
The second one gets results.
Prompts That Sound Silly—But Seriously Work
Here are a few gems I’ve used that actually shifted my workflow:
They sound like inside jokes. But they work—because they carry intent, tone, and personality.
And when you give AI those ingredients, it doesn’t just spit out answers.
It understands you.
Final Thought
The prompt that changed everything wasn’t clever or technical.
It was just… honest.
And that’s the real shift:
AI isn’t a genie.
It’s a mirror.
If you feed it vague, you get vague.
If you feed it clarity, curiosity, and a little humor—suddenly, it’s your best brainstorm partner.
So the next time your AI results feel off, don’t upgrade the tool.
Just upgrade the prompt.
Regards,
Rupesh
P.S.
What’s the weirdest, smartest, or most effective AI prompt you’ve ever used?
Drop it in the comments. I’ll feature a few on my profile—no judgment if one of them starts with “okay imagine you’re a pirate…”
Let’s build better inputs—together.
