The simplest way to get 10x better GenAI outputs

Ever notice how AI sometimes feels like it's playing a guessing game with what you really want? Here's a prompt technique that's like giving AI a PhD in mind reading (okay, not quite, but close enough).

The secret? Get AI to interview YOU.

Instead of hoping AI magically understands your needs, try this: explicitly ask it to ask you questions. Think of it like turning AI into that super-thorough colleague who always knows exactly what clarifying questions to ask before starting a project.

Here's the magic formula:

Add this to the end of any prompt:

“Before you begin, please ask me as many questions as you need to be 95% confident to do an excellent job.”

Want to level it up?

Add specific areas you want the AI to probe:

"Before starting, please ask me questions about: our brand voice, our target customer's specific challenges, competitors we want to differentiate from, and any industry-specific terminology preferences."

Then you may add additional pieces such as:

“Consider things like tone, format, length, style, audience, and any specific elements that would help you nail this brief” or “consider the logical arguments I have made and ensure you understand the brief without making assumptions.”

Depending on what you’re asking the GenAI to do.

Here’s an example.

Let's say you need a sales email. Instead of:

"Write a sales email about our new project management software"

Try:

"Write a sales email about our new project management software. Before you begin, please ask me as many questions as you need to be 95% confident to do an excellent job. Consider things like tone, format, length, style, audience, and any specific elements that would help you nail this brief."

The AI will write a bunch of questions – sometimes in dot points and sometimes in numbered lists. Just respond “1. (answer) 2. (answer)” etc..

The difference?

Instead of getting a generic email, you'll get meaningful questions to respond to:

• Who's your target audience?

• What's their biggest pain point?

• What makes your software unique?

• Any specific features you want to highlight?

• Preferred length?

• Any specific CTA?

Why this technique works so well

• Forces clarity in your own thinking

• Catches blind spots you might have missed

• Results in much more targeted outputs

• Saves time on revisions

• Creates a collaborative dialogue rather than a one-shot attempt

Want to seriously level it up?

Offer the AI multiple rounds of Q&A until it has that 95% confidence you were after.

Give it a shot today

Next time you're working with AI, instead of hoping it reads your mind, let it interview you first. You might be surprised at questions you hadn't even considered - and how much better the final output becomes.

One final (pro) tip:

Save the questions and your answers. They often make an excellent basic creative brief for future projects.