1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: AI is great at doing it what we tell it 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: to do, but that can also be a problem. Instead 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: of challenging us, it often acts like a polite, even 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: sycophantic assistant, doing exactly as asked without pointing out flaws 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: or blind spots. Today, I'm joined by Inventium's AI expert, 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: Neo Applin, to explore how we can use AI differently 7 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: as a devil's advocate, a creative partner, and even as 8 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,279 Speaker 1: a stand in audience to help spot weaknesses in our 9 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,919 Speaker 1: thinking and uncover new perspectives. In this chat, you are 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: going to learn some very practical prompts to make AI 11 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: your best and most useful collaborator, not just your obedient assistant. 12 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about habits, rituals, 13 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: and strategies for optimizing your day. I'm your host doctor 14 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: to Amantha Imba. Two years ago, I completely overhauled how 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: I work with Genai, and I am now saving over 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: forty hours every single week. That is no exaggeration, and 17 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: that is exactly why my company, Inventium, created the Genai 18 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: Productivity Upgrade. It's a twelve week course designed to move 19 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: you from Jenai dabbler to productivity machine. There is no fluff, 20 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: just practical strategies that will pay off from week one, 21 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: saving you at least ten hours every single week. We 22 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: are going to teach you how to automate the grant work, 23 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: use AI as your second brain to excel at your job. 24 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: Learn how to create AI agents that we knew back 25 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: hours every time you use them, and so much more so. 26 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: Whether you're a complete beginner or already using AI, we 27 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: have got you covered. We start with prompting fundamentals and 28 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: we go all the way through to advanced automations and 29 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: agentic AI. We kick off on October fifteen and spots 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: are limited. Visit inventtium dot com, dot au, forward slash 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: genai hyphen cohort to secure your place now And yes 32 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: that's a long link. It's also in the show notes. 33 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: If you're looking for it and you've literally got nothing 34 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: to lose, there's a seven day money back guarantee. So 35 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: go to the show notes, hop on the link and 36 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: join our program today. So why do we need AI 37 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: to help us point out our blind spots? Like, what's 38 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 1: the problem that it's solving here? 39 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: We as humans, we're lazy. We were supposed to be 40 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 2: cognitively lazy. What that means is if we saw everything 41 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 2: and we did everything that we needed to do, we 42 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 2: would run out of time and energy. So what we 43 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 2: do is we fall into patterns, and those patterns might 44 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 2: be we do the same thing every single day, the 45 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: same way, and that's fine for some things. But when 46 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 2: you're doing things like you know, strategy or reports or 47 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: things that are different than having a different perspective and 48 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 2: being challenged on those things is really valuable. Because AI, 49 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 2: believe it or not, it's been built as a helpful assistant, 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: so for some reason, it always then becomes a little 51 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: bit like a cheerleader, sometimes a bit sycophantic, but in 52 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 2: reality it'll go along with any pattern you want. So 53 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 2: getting AI to instead of going along with those patterns, 54 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: to actually challenge you and ask questions, it becomes an 55 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 2: awesome creativity tool and helps you get out of those 56 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 2: ruts a little bit unstuck. 57 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: So how do we turn AI from being this sycophantic, 58 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: obedient assistant into a collaborative kind of sparring partner. 59 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: You tell it too, believe it or not, So there's 60 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 2: different ways you can do it. By one, you can 61 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: just say, hey, I want you to challenge me in 62 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: the ways that I'm thinking things like that. I love 63 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: using it as a devil's advocate. So it might be 64 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: for a particular piece of work. You might say, Hey, 65 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: I'm doing this. Here's the work. I want you to 66 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 2: review it from this perspective. What ways can it be improved? 67 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: What am I missing? Are there any things that I've 68 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: gotten wrong here? Getting it to really review and critique 69 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: what you're doing and provide suggestions is an excellent, excellent 70 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: way to do it. Also, other ways just might be simple, 71 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 2: which is is there a better way to do this? 72 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 2: Or Hey, for this audience, what would they want to 73 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: see that's not there? Are there other ways I can 74 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: approach the task. You can ask these questions. Now, it 75 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: doesn't always come up with gold every time because it 76 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 2: doesn't know all the background and all those kind of things, 77 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: but it does have different perspectives and it's up to 78 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 2: you to go, Wow, that's a really good one. I 79 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 2: didn't think of that, and then you can incorporate that 80 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 2: in your work. 81 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, I might say that's something I love about AI 82 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: that it can help me see things from completely different 83 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: perspectives and you know, put myself in people's shoes that 84 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: I would you know very little about. So what tips 85 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: do you have on how we can get the AI 86 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: to help us really easily see things from are the 87 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: people's customers perspectives. 88 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 2: We do things for people always with clients or customers 89 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: or staff members or other team members. So you can 90 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 2: get AI to step in the shoes of these people 91 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: just by telling AI who those people are and what 92 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 2: their perspectives are. So it might be a customer, it 93 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 2: might be a client, might be a boss, it might 94 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: be a prospective persona that you might have, so like 95 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 2: a busy person with these particular needs, a downstream user 96 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: in the process. So I want you to say to AI, 97 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 2: I want you to be in the shoes of this person. 98 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: Want to look at it from their perspective? How would 99 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 2: they look at this, What would they want to see 100 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 2: that's not there? Which bits would they get worried about, 101 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: which questions would they have, those kind of things, But 102 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 2: really be clear about the kind of person and the perspective, 103 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 2: and AI can really jump in those shoes very effectively. 104 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: Now, a lot of listeners would be giving presentations as 105 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: part of their work and trying to come up with 106 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: new ideas whether that be products or services or all 107 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: sorts of things. How can AI help test these things, 108 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: whether it be a presentation that's pretty high stakes, or 109 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: maybe some kind of an idea that you're thinking about 110 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: for your customers. 111 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 2: First, I got to say that AI can't actually be 112 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 2: that person, can't actually be that audience member, but it 113 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: can be a clue. It can be a hint as 114 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: to what that person might think. So think of this 115 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 2: as like a pre test or a sparring partner as 116 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: opposed to the final boss. But you can give it 117 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: that perspective. You say, here's the audience, here's a perspective 118 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 2: they'll probably have, and then ask it where are the 119 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 2: bits that they might find too risky, Where are the 120 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 2: bits that in my presentation they might find boring or 121 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 2: they might lose interest, or where are the bits that 122 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: they might find surprising and they may want more information 123 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 2: those kind of things. Also, you can ask then ask 124 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 2: AI what the kind of perspectives are of these people, 125 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 2: What are the jobs that they are trying to achieve, 126 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 2: what are their needs, what are their desires, what are 127 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: their goals? And then you can figure out whether your 128 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 2: work will fit within those as well. So it's really 129 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 2: like an empathy tool from a robot, which sounds ridiculous, 130 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 2: but it's great as a first step before you then 131 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 2: go to the actual human out there, so you can 132 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 2: then potentially something have something which lands better for you 133 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 2: and for them. 134 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's really interesting in the context of 135 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: innovation work, which obviously Inventium does a lot of, and 136 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: previously to really get any idea or any kind of 137 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: feedback around an idea of what customers think, you'd have 138 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: to spend quite quite a bit of effort finding customers, 139 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: talking to them and so on. And what I really 140 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: like about AI is you can almost get that first pass. Like, yes, 141 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: as you say, it doesn't replace human feedback, but it 142 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: is better than just going blindly into creating a business 143 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: case where you haven't really put yourself in the customer's shoes. 144 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: What like, do you have some go to prompts that 145 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: you use when you're trying to get AI to adopt 146 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: a certain persona or customer profile, Like how do you 147 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: typically approach that? 148 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: It depends on what you're doing, of course, but it's 149 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: about giving AI the brief so this is my customer, 150 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 2: these are the kind of needs that they might have 151 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: if they've got a particular role. So I'm doing a 152 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 2: presentation to the senior executive team. Don't just say senior 153 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 2: executive team. Say to AI, who's on that team? Say 154 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 2: to AI all the things you know about those people 155 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 2: and what their jobs are and what they're trying to achieve. 156 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 2: If you even add in things like I don't know 157 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 2: strategies and things like that for the senior executive team, 158 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 2: then we'll know that as well, but also stomers and clients. 159 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 2: So you can say, these are the types of customers 160 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 2: that we've got, Here's what they've done in the past, 161 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: these are the kind of problems they've had in the past. 162 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 2: More information you can give AI the better. But even 163 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: with that, AI can still come up with some other 164 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 2: ideas for you, which is great. So what you could 165 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 2: say is I know very little about these people AI, 166 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 2: what are the things that they would want? What are 167 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 2: their drivers? We are their goals and get AI to effectively, 168 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 2: you know, put itself in those shoes and it can 169 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 2: come up with some amazing things. So instead of being 170 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 2: cold and not being prepared here you're pretty warm and warm, 171 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 2: warm to medium warm and hot before you even get 172 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 2: in front of their customer because you've been practicing with AI, 173 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 2: and AI is effectively giving you different perspectives from different 174 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 2: people before you get to that final meeting, that final presentation, 175 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: that final sales pitch. 176 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,559 Speaker 1: Okay, so a lot of different ways to use AI 177 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: to help us point out our blind spots. If a 178 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: listener was going to just do one thing differently today 179 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: in how they work with AI, what would you recommend 180 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 1: that be? 181 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 2: First off, don't let AI be you me yes man, 182 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 2: so tell it work with me, be a critical, inspiring partner, 183 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: help me improve my things, and then get it to 184 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 2: help you to review your things, just as if it 185 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 2: was your customer, your client, your audience, and you'll be 186 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 2: surprised of what it comes up with. Now, don't accept 187 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 2: every idea that it has, don't accept every critique that 188 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 2: it has because it may not be appropriate for you, 189 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 2: but you might find that there's some amazing things in there. 190 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: If you do want to incorporate with your work, you do. 191 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 2: So don't let it be your yes man. 192 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: Let it. 193 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,719 Speaker 2: Know what your clients and your audience are, and then 194 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 2: take some of those pieces of advice so that you 195 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 2: can actually improve your work. 196 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: Awesome, Thank you so much for sharing such great advice. Again, Neo, 197 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: thank you. I hope you are now feeling inspired to 198 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 1: use your AI in a different way today and turn 199 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: it from a sycophantic assistant into a true thinking partner 200 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: that actually critiques your thinking rather than just agrees with 201 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: everything that you say. If you are looking to take 202 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: your AI skills up to the next level, Inventium's GENAI 203 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:27,199 Speaker 1: productivity upgrade is kicking off on October fifteen, and there 204 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: is a link to more info and bookings in the 205 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: show notes. If you like today's show, make sure you 206 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: hit follow on your podcast app to be alerted when 207 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 1: new episodes drop. How I Work was recorded on the 208 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: traditional land of the Warrengery people, part of the Cool 209 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: and Nation. A big thank you to Martin Nimber for 210 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: doing the sound mix.