They say "AI is transforming everything. AI will 10X your productivity. AI is the future."

But 92% of companies trying to use AI are failing to see meaningful returns according to data from Nvidia.

Let me say that differently: for every dollar businesses are spending on AI tools, software, and consultants, most are getting pennies back in actual business value.

But the 8% who ARE winning with AI aren't doing it because they're smarter or have bigger budgets. They're following a different playbook, one that actually works for businesses like yours.

I'm going to break down the four things successful companies do differently, stripped of all the technical jargon and corporate-speak.

1. Stop Buying Tools and Start Solving Problems

Here's how most businesses approach AI:

• Hear about ChatGPT or some new AI tool

• Get excited about the possibilities

• Buy the tool or sign up for a service

• Mess around with it for a few weeks

• Get frustrated and abandon it

• Repeat with the next shiny AI tool

Sound familiar?

The problem isn't the tools. The problem is you're starting in the wrong place.

The Right Way: Work Backwards From Your Problems

Companies that succeed with AI do something radical. They figure out what problems they're trying to solve BEFORE they buy anything.

Here's the process that actually works:

Step 1: List Your Real Business Problems

What's eating up too much time? Where are you losing money? What tasks make you want to scream? What bottlenecks are slowing growth?

Step 2: Pick Your Battles

Not everything needs AI. Choose problems based on quick wins (what can show results fast to prove this works?), high impact (what would actually move the needle on revenue or time?), and feasibility (do you have what you need to make this work?).

Step 3: Then, and Only Then, Look for Solutions

A Real Example

Let's say you run a consulting business. You might identify: "I spend 10 hours a week writing client proposals," "Following up with leads falls through the cracks," and "I'm constantly answering the same client questions."

Now you can look for AI solutions specifically designed to handle proposal writing, lead nurturing, or customer support. You're shopping with purpose, not hope.

Stop chasing AI tools. Start chasing solutions to actual business problems. The tool is just a means to an end.

2. Use Systems That Actually Work Together

The Frankenstein Approach Doesn't Work

Here's what typically happens. You get ChatGPT for writing. Add Jasper for marketing copy. Try some automation tool you saw on Twitter. Use Zapier to duct-tape everything together. Spend hours troubleshooting when things break. Waste days searching Reddit for answers.

You end up with a Frankenstein's monster of tools that barely work together and require constant babysitting.

What Works: Integrated Systems

The businesses seeing real results use complete systems where everything works together out of the box.

What This Looks Like:

Tools that talk to each other naturally. Pre-built templates and workflows you can use immediately. Updates that don't break everything. Support from people who actually understand the whole setup.

Think about it like this: You wouldn't build a car by buying an engine from one company, wheels from another, and a steering wheel from a third, then try to make it all work together. You'd buy a car where someone already figured out how all the parts work together.

The Real Cost of DIY

Every hour you spend troubleshooting integrations, searching forums for answers, figuring out why something stopped working, or learning a new tool from scratch is an hour you're NOT spending growing your business.

The companies winning with AI? They pay a little more upfront for systems that just work, then they get back to actually using AI to make money.

What to Look For

Can you get started quickly without being a tech expert? Do they provide templates or proven workflows? Is there real human support when you need it? Do they regularly improve the system? Can it grow with your business?

Paying for simplicity and integration is cheaper than free tools that waste your time.

3. Get Expert Help (You Can't Do This Alone)

The Lonely Struggle

Most business owners try to figure out AI completely on their own. Watch YouTube tutorials. Read blog posts. Join Facebook groups. Try things randomly. Get frustrated and quit.

Here's the problem: 44% of businesses say lack of expertise is their biggest obstacle to AI success.

You wouldn't try to do your own legal work or build your own website from scratch (well, some of you would, but you probably shouldn't). Why are you trying to become an AI expert on top of running your business?

What Successful Businesses Do Differently

They get help from people who've already solved the problems they're facing.

This doesn't mean hiring a full-time AI team. It means finding the right partners: consultants who've implemented AI in businesses like yours, tools that come with expert guidance included, communities where you can ask questions and get real answers, and training that's specifically designed for business owners, not engineers.

The best help comes from people who've seen your exact problem before. They can say, "Oh, we've solved this for 20 other businesses. Here's what works and what doesn't. Avoid this common mistake. Here's the fastest path to results."

A Real Example

Imagine you want to use AI to handle customer service inquiries. You could spend 40 hours learning about AI chatbots, try building something yourself, troubleshoot for another 20 hours, maybe get something barely working, and give up after three months.

Or you could find someone who's already set up AI customer service for similar businesses, pay them to implement a proven system, get trained on how to use and improve it, and start seeing results in weeks instead of months.

The ROI Question

"But isn't expert help expensive?"

Think about it this way. What's more expensive: paying for expertise and succeeding in 2 months, or struggling alone for 6-12 months and possibly failing?

Your time has value. If you bill at $100/hour and waste 60 hours figuring things out yourself, that's $6,000 in lost billable time, plus the opportunity cost of not having AI working for you those 6 months.

The fastest path to AI success runs through people who've already walked the path. Stop trying to be the hero who figures it all out alone.

4. Build for Tomorrow, Not Just Today

The Scaling Problem

Here's a scenario. You spend months getting AI working for your current needs. It's handling your customer volume, your content production, or whatever you implemented it for.

Then your business grows. Suddenly the tool can't handle the increased volume. You hit usage limits you didn't know existed. Everything slows down or breaks. You have to start over with different tools.

This happens all the time because people build for today without thinking about tomorrow.

Think Bigger From the Start

The businesses that succeed with AI think about scale from day one.

What happens when we 2X our business? Can this grow with us or will we hit a wall? What's the real cost as we scale? Will we need to rebuild everything in a year?

Real-World Example

Let's say you're using AI to write social media posts.

Short-term thinking: "I need to post 3 times a week, so I'll use this cheap tool that gives me 10 posts per month."

Long-term thinking: "I want to scale to daily posts, maybe expand to multiple platforms, possibly add client services. I need a solution that can handle 100+ posts monthly without breaking or getting prohibitively expensive."

The difference? The first approach saves $20/month today but forces you to migrate to a new system (and relearn everything) six months from now. The second might cost more upfront but supports your growth.

The Foundation Principle

Think of AI implementation like building a house. You don't build on sand just because it's cheaper. You don't skip the foundation to save time. You plan for the full house, not just one room.

Same with AI. Choose solutions that can grow with you, even if they're slightly more expensive or complex than the bare minimum.

But I'm Not Ready to Scale Yet

You don't need enterprise-level solutions. But you do need to ask: Is there a clear path to scale with this tool? Will I hit hard limits that force me to switch? Am I building on a foundation that can grow?

Save yourself the headache of rebuilding everything in a year. Choose solutions that can scale with your ambition.

Putting It All Together: Your AI Success Roadmap

Let's recap the four things that separate the AI winners from the strugglers.

Solve Problems, Don't Chase Tools. Start with business problems, not AI tools. Pick battles you can win quickly. Only then find the right solutions.

Use Integrated Systems. Stop building Frankenstein solutions. Pay for tools that work together. Value your time over tool costs.

Get Expert Help. You can't (and shouldn't) do this alone. Find people who've solved your exact problems. Think of it as investing, not spending. (Heck, that’s what I’m here for)

Build for Scale. Choose solutions that can grow with you. Think 2-3 years ahead. Avoid platforms with hard limits.

The Real Reason Most AI Projects Fail

Here's the truth nobody wants to say out loud.

Most AI projects fail not because the technology doesn't work. They fail because business owners jump in without a plan, try to cobble together random tools, refuse to get help, and build for today while ignoring tomorrow.

The 8% who succeed? They avoid these mistakes by following the four principles above.

Your Next Step

Stop reading articles about AI. Stop collecting more tools. Stop waiting for the "perfect time."

Today: Write down your top 3 business problems. Circle the one that wastes the most time or costs the most money. Spend 30 minutes researching solutions specifically for that problem.

This Week: Reach out to 2-3 providers who specialize in solving your specific problem. Ask them: "Have you solved this for businesses like mine?" Get real numbers on how long it takes, what it costs, and what results you can expect.

This Month: Choose one solution and commit to implementing it properly. Get whatever help you need to do it right. Give it 90 days to show results.

Start small, but start right. One properly implemented AI solution that actually solves a real problem is worth more than a dozen half-implemented tools sitting in your bookmarks folder.

The Bottom Line

AI isn't magic. It won't solve problems you haven't defined. It won't work if you cobble together random tools. And it won't succeed if you try to become an AI expert instead of focusing on your business.

But if you start with real problems, use integrated solutions, get expert help, and build for scale, then you can join the 8% of businesses seeing real returns from AI.

The companies in that elite group aren't smarter than you. They're not better funded. They just followed a different playbook.

Now you have that playbook too.

The question is: What problem are you going to solve first?

Need help with that? That’s what I’m here for.

Brad Costanzo

In 1950, a food company discovered something strange about human nature. It changed everything we know about effort and success.

In the 1950s, General Mills had a problem.

Their new cake mix was perfect. Just add water, stir, bake. Foolproof. Fast. Everything the modern housewife wanted.

Nobody bought it.

They brought in psychologists to find out why. What they discovered changed everything we know about human nature and effort.

The housewives felt guilty. It was too easy. Where was their contribution? Their skill? Their sense of creation?

General Mills made a counterintuitive decision. They made the product harder to use. They removed the powdered eggs and required fresh ones.

Suddenly, women had to crack eggs, measure oil, add milk or water

Sales exploded.

That single egg represented something profound: the human need to contribute meaningfully to our own success.

We think we want things to be easier. We do. But we also need to feel we've earned our outcomes.

IKEA discovered this too.

People pay more for furniture they assemble themselves, even when it's objectively inferior to pre-made alternatives.

The labor creates love.

The effort creates attachment.

The struggle creates value.

Empty Victories

AI offers us the ultimate "just add water" experience.

Push a button, get a blog post. Click here, generate a marketing campaign. Let the algorithm handle your strategy, thinking, creativity.

It's seductive. It's convenient. It feels like progress.

But it's the same trap the cake mix fell into.

When the machine does everything, what's left for you?

Not the satisfaction of creating something meaningful. Not the deep understanding that comes from wrestling with problems. Not the confidence that builds when you solve challenges yourself.

Just dependency.

It’s challenging to avoid this.

And it’s why I don’t sell tools. I teach frameworks and processes so that my clients don’t become morons.

Be the Chef, Not the Cook

A cook follows recipes. A chef creates them.

When I teach people to use AI in their business, I teach them to be chefs, not cooks.

Yes, I show people the easy buttons. The shortcuts that save hours. But that's just the starting point.

Most people want to be cooks, just following the AI recipe someone else gave them. Push this button, get that result.

The real training is about becoming the chef.

Learning to define what you want before you prompt.

Understanding the fundamentals that help you refine what you get back.

Define + Refine

These are the skills that separate dabblers from experts.

Anyone can push a button and get generic output.

But can you craft a prompt that captures your brand voice? Can you refine the output until people can't tell you used AI at all?

The Choice That Defines You

You can let AI do your thinking, make your decisions, create your content.

Step back and become a consumer of machine-generated output.

Or you can become the conductor of your own AI orchestra, understanding when to push the easy button and when to get your hands dirty with strategy and human insight.

The first path leads to dependency. The second leads to mastery.

The people thriving in the AI learned to define what they want clearly and refine what they get relentlessly.

AI amplifies whatever you bring to it. Bring shallow thinking, get shallow results. Bring deep strategy and creative vision, get breakthrough outcomes.

What are you bringing to the mix?

The entrepreneurs who will dominate the next decade aren't the ones who eliminate effort, they're the ones who focus their effort on what matters most. If you want to learn how to be one of them, I'm here to help.

What's the difference between "I expect you to have this done by Friday" and "Can we agree on what's realistic for Friday?"

One sentence creates resistance. The other creates partnership.

One makes people want to rebel. The other makes them want to deliver.

One puts all the responsibility on them. The other shares it between you.

Most people think these are just different ways of saying the same thing.

They're not.

Expectations don't create accountability. They create rebellion.

Agreements create both accountability and commitment.

The moment you say "I expect..." you've triggered something in the other person's brain that makes them less likely to give you what you want, not more likely.

As you’ll read below, “Accelerated intelligence” isn’t just about the artificial type. Today we’re going to explore a nearly tech-free version to accelerate your relational intelligence.

The Word That Kills Connection

The word is "expect."

Think I'm being dramatic? Try this experiment right now: Remember the last time someone said "I expect you to..." to you.

Feel that sensation in your body? The slight tightness in your chest? The urge to defend yourself before you even know what they expect?

That's your nervous system screaming: "I wasn't put on this planet to live up to your mental benchmarks."

Where This All Started for Me

I first learned this from leadership coach Steve Chandler, and it shattered everything I thought I knew about communication. He made a distinction so simple yet profound that once you see it, you can't unsee it: the difference between expectations and agreements.

And this is my contribution to the philosophy.

I started paying attention to my own language. I was walking around with expectations everywhere, expecting my team to read my mind, expecting clients to behave certain ways, expecting my wife to somehow intuit what I needed.

The shift away from expectations has been one of the most practically useful changes I've ever made.

But first, let me show you why expectations are psychological poison.

The Trap That Never Ends

With expectations, only two outcomes are possible:

Outcome 1: They don't meet your expectation
→ You feel disappointed, betrayed, angry

Outcome 2: They do meet your expectation
→ You feel... nothing. ("That's what I expected.")

You're trapped between misery and emptiness. What kind of life is that?

But here's what's really twisted: People become addicted to disappointment.

The drama of unmet expectations starts feeling more alive than things working smoothly. You unconsciously create situations where you can feel let down because disappointment has become your primary way of engaging with life.

I know this sounds insane, but watch people who constantly complain about others "letting them down."

Notice how animated they become when describing their disappointments? They're getting a hit from it.

Expectations Are Energy Vampires

Expectations are exhausting in a way most people never recognize. You're running a background program that's constantly monitoring: "Are they doing what I think they should be doing?"

Your attention gets hijacked by this surveillance system instead of focusing on what you can actually control. It's like having a judgmental roommate in your brain who never shuts up.

Meanwhile, the person you're expecting things from feels this energetic pressure, even when you haven't said anything out loud. They start managing your emotions instead of focusing on results.

What Actually Works

Here's the alternative that changed everything: Replace expectations with agreements.

An expectation is a demand disguised as a standard. An agreement is a collaborative commitment.

Instead of: "I expect this project done by Friday"
Try: "What's realistic for getting this completed? What would you need from me to hit Friday, and what could you commit to if that's not possible?"

Notice the shift? You're no longer trying to control an outcome while avoiding responsibility for creating the conditions that make success likely.

How This Plays Out

Picture this scenario: A manager needs 200 units completed by Friday for a customer delivery.

The Expectation Approach: Manager sends email: "I expect 200 units completed by Friday for Johnson."

Friday arrives with 150 units. Everyone's upset. Customer's disappointed. Team feels like failures. Manager questions their competence.

The Agreement Approach: Manager sits with supervisor: "We need 200 units by Friday for Johnson. What's realistic?"

"With current staffing, I can guarantee 150. Give me one extra person and I can commit to 200."

"I'll find the extra person. With that help, what can I count on?"

"Friday, guaranteed."

See the difference? The agreement revealed the real constraint (staffing) instead of just creating frustration about the symptom (missed deadline).

But here's what's really happening beneath the surface...

The Hidden Psychology

People break expectations often but rarely break their word.

When someone voluntarily commits to something, they take psychological ownership. Their identity becomes tied to keeping that commitment.

But when they're just trying to meet your expectation, they're performing for you, not owning the outcome.

There's a neurochemical difference too.

Agreements activate brain reward systems tied to autonomy and mastery. When someone says "I can commit to..." they're exercising choice, which releases dopamine.

Expectations, on the other hand, trigger threat responses.

Even reasonable expectations often produce unreasonable resistance because the person isn't rebelling against the task, they're rebelling against the loss of agency.

The 3 Levels of Agreement

Not all agreements work the same. The most powerful ones operate at different levels:

Level 1: Transactional "I'll handle the budget if you take the client presentation" Useful but limited to specific exchanges.

Level 2: Relational "Let's agree to give each other 24 hours before discussing heated topics" More foundational and about how you'll treat each other.

Level 3: Aspirational "We're both committed to making this the best quarter yet, what would that look like?" Most powerful because they align people around shared vision.

Where It Gets Personal (And More Intense)

This principle becomes nuclear-level powerful in intimate relationships, where expectations often mask needs we're afraid to express directly.

"I expect you to call when you're running late" might really mean "I need reassurance that I matter to you."

The expectation is an indirect way of trying to get the need met without the vulnerability of asking directly.

Instead, try: "Could we create an agreement about schedule changes? I get anxious when plans shift; not because I don't trust you, but because my mind goes to worst-case scenarios. What would work for both of us?"

But what happens when agreements break down? This is where it gets really interesting...

When Things Go Wrong

Here's the beautiful part: When agreements break, you get a completely different conversation than when expectations aren't met.

With expectations: "You disappointed me." (Creates shame and defensiveness)

With agreements: "We have a problem to solve together." (Creates partnership)

The first conversation is about blame and character. The second is about systems and solutions.

The Radical Possibility

Ready for the most counterintuitive idea? You can live with no expectations of anyone, ever.

This doesn't mean being passive or having no standards.

It means holding standards lightly, as preferences rather than demands. You create agreements when you need something specific. The rest of the time, you stay open to surprise.

When you expect nothing, everything positive becomes a pleasant surprise. When you need something, you negotiate for it directly.

The Leadership Evolution

Moving from expectations to agreements represents fundamental maturation:

• From parental authority ("Do this because I said so") to peer collaboration ("Let's figure this out together")

• From being right when others fail to getting results that actually work

• From managing through disappointment to leading through partnership

It requires giving up the psychological comfort of being "right" when others fail, in exchange for the practical power of actually getting results.

Most leaders aren't ready for this trade-off. You can be.

The Challenge of Reprogramming How You Communicate

This shift requires rewiring patterns most of us learned in childhood from families that used guilt, obligation, and disappointment as control mechanisms.

Moving to agreements means developing new emotional muscles around direct communication and collaborative problem-solving. It's changing your entire relational operating system.

Some days you'll catch yourself mid-expectation and feel embarrassed by how automatic it's become. That's normal. You're literally reprogramming decades of conditioning.

Getting Ahead of the Problem with AI

(Ok, I couldn’t completely leave Artificial Intelligence out of it, after all, it’s how we accelerate our ability to do this effectively).

Here's something most people haven't considered yet: AI might be your secret weapon for breaking the expectation habit before it starts.

You're already using AI for writing, planning, and problem-solving. Why not use it to rewire how you communicate about commitments?

Here are some example prompts that let you get ahead of expectations and settle on agreements (after all, this stuff takes practice).

Before sending that email saying "I expect the report by Tuesday," try this prompt:

I need to communicate with my team member about getting a report completed by Tuesday. Instead of using expectations, help me craft an agreement-based request that explores constraints and creates buy-in.

For difficult personal conversations:

My spouse often runs late and I usually respond with "I expected you to be on time." Help me create an agreement-focused approach to this recurring issue that addresses my underlying need without creating defensiveness.

For performance issues:

I'm frustrated that [team member] keeps missing deadlines. Help me have an agreement-focused conversation instead of an expectation-based complaint session.

The proactive approach - use AI to audit your communication before problems arise:

Review my upcoming conversations and commitments. Help me identify where I might default to expectation-based language and suggest agreement-based alternatives.

What you're really doing is training AI to be your "agreement coach" helping you catch yourself before you fall into expectation patterns and offering collaborative alternatives in real-time.

The beautiful part? The more you practice this with AI, the more natural agreement-based thinking becomes. You're essentially using artificial intelligence to rewire your relational intelligence.

Your Assignment (If You Choose to Accept It)

Pick one relationship where you're carrying heavy expectations where you regularly feel disappointed or frustrated with someone's behavior.

Instead of expecting, try requesting an agreement:

"I've been expecting you to [X], and I realize that's not fair to either of us. Could we sit down and create an agreement that actually works for both of us?"

Watch what shifts in them, in you, and in the space between you.

Bottom Line

Expectations are about the past, how you think things should work based on previous experience.

Agreements are about the future, what you're creating together going forward.

One keeps you trapped in cycles of disappointment and blame. The other moves you toward partnership and possibility.

The choice, as always, is yours.

But choose quickly. Every day you wait is another day of needless disappointment, wasted energy, and damaged relationships.

The people in your life are waiting for you to stop expecting them to be different and start working with them to create something better.

P.S. If this resonates, forward it to someone carrying too many expectations. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is help someone stop expecting so much from the people they care about.

I just wrapped a conversation with Perry Belcher on my podcast. He’s built and exited more companies than most people have ideas. He co-founded Digital Marketer. Created Traffic & Conversion Summit. And built empires from overlooked assets.

But this conversation wasn’t about marketing tactics. It was about how to think.

Perry doesn’t look for opportunity where everyone else does.

He looks for neglected leverage. What he shared was tactical, specific, and designed to make you uncomfortable in the best way.

Pressure Prompting: Forcing AI to Think Differently

AI is usually treated like a content shortcut. Perry uses it like a business development tool.

He calls the technique “pressure prompting.” Most people ask AI for summaries or checklists. Perry keeps pushing until it spits out insights that feel too sharp to be safe.

He showed how he took a $0.15 sourdough starter and repositioned it as a $20 pet. His AI engine identified a strange behavioral truth—customers were naming their starters, nurturing them, even mourning them. He packaged them accordingly, complete with names, stories, and birth certificates.

The $10 Million Janitor Play

One of Perry’s favorite examples: a janitor who owns the sanitation contracts for every major sports stadium in the country. He runs a national operation with over 6,000 employees and clears eight figures a year.

There’s nothing glamorous about it. That’s why it works.

Perry seeks out these forgotten industries. When he acquires a business, he’s looking for outdated systems and broken processes.

Most small businesses are operating with 30-year-old workflows. Add basic automation and smart tools, and you can unlock massive returns almost immediately.

The 7-Second Purchase Window

Perry explained a rule that changed how I think about buyer psychology: if a visitor doesn’t act within the first seven seconds, they’re no longer deciding—they’re rejecting.

The longer they linger, the more likely they are to find reasons not to buy. Traditional persuasion models are built on long-form logic. Perry’s model favors visceral clarity. Lead with emotional precision, not information density.

SBA Acquisition Loophole

Few entrepreneurs realize what recent SBA policy shifts make possible.

You can now acquire a $500,000 business with just $50,000 down. Minimum credit score? 640. These terms are widely underutilized, and Perry estimates nearly all sellers are unaware they even exist.

His preferred approach: locate the underappreciated #2 operator inside the target business. Offer them compensation, equity, and operational control. You retain ownership. They run the company. The deal closes. The business keeps moving.

Hot Dog Cart, Meet Predictive AI

Even the simplest businesses can be transformed.

Perry ran an analysis on a basic hot dog cart. By using AI tools, he showed how to increase revenue by 150% or more:

• Use traffic heat maps to choose peak-time locations

• Introduce surge pricing during high-traffic hours

• Predict inventory to avoid waste

• Automate social follow-ups for loyalty

This is about about extracting every possible efficiency from an ignored business model.

The Restlessness That Builds Empires

Perry touched on something I’ve felt for years but never had language for. Many entrepreneurs lack the brain chemistry that lets most people feel “done.” The reward mechanism isn’t wired to be satisfied.

This isn’t about ambition. Perry argues it’s neurological—an actual difference in satisfaction wiring. That restlessness builds. It doesn’t plateau.

How I’m Applying This

This conversation changed my operating system:

• I’m using pressure prompting to extract better answers from AI

• I’m re-evaluating all design elements based on human fear and trust, not aesthetics

• I’m exploring SBA-financed business acquisitions with operations-focused partners

Then check out perrybelcher.com and growthhacking.com if you want more of his brain.

The next high-leverage move probably won’t look like an opportunity. That’s why most people miss it.

AI isn’t magic — it’s just pattern recognition.

(Did you recognize the sentence above as being AI-written? It wasn’t. I wrote that but it had 2 tell-tale signs of “ChatGPT wrote this”. Do you know what they are?)

Once more, AI recognizes patterns, something that humans have excelled at for hundreds of thousands of years.

That’s one of our superpowers.

Chances are YOU can recognize AI writing when you see it, even if you aren’t an expert at AI, you’re an expert at patterns.

Here's how I used AI to extract some of AI's worst writing and then used AI to prevent AI from writing like AI.

(And you know THAT sentence wasn’t written by AI!)

When You Know What You Hate But Can't Describe It

The two patterns I used in the first sentence are the em-dash or “—” and the antithesis with a pivot phrase.

First pattern: AI loves using em-dashes. We humans rarely use them in casual writing, but every AI model treats them like punctuation candy.

Second pattern: The antithesis and pivot phrase.

Ever read something like this: "It's not about X, it's about Y" or "This isn't just A, it's B."

I didn't even know this pattern had a name until I asked ChatGPT directly: "Most LLMs including ChatGPT love to use the writing pattern of 'It's not X, it's Y' in many different situations. What do you call this writing pattern?"

Answer: The Antithesis and pivot phrases.

Now I had names for my frustrations, time to remove them!

Next move: map the enemy territory.

My ChatGPT prompt: "What are some other telltale patterns that ChatGPT and other LLMs tend to use or overuse which might be spotted by humans?"

The response revealed an entire catalog of robotic tics.

Here’s what ChatGPT said to me:

1. Antithesis and Pivot Phrases

• Pattern: “It’s not X, it’s Y.”

• Why it’s overused: Feels clever and persuasive but becomes formulaic.

• Example: “It’s not just about saving time, it’s about reclaiming your life.”

2. Prefatory Abstractions

• Pattern: Starting sentences with vague setups like:

  • “In a world where…”

  • “When it comes to…”

  • “In today’s fast-paced society…”

• Why it’s overused: Attempts to sound profound, but delays the real point.

• Example: “In the realm of productivity, consistency is key.”

3. Triadic Phrasing (Rule of Three)

• Pattern: Grouping three concepts with rhythm and parallelism.

• Why it’s overused: It mimics persuasive speech but feels too rehearsed.

• Example: “Fast, reliable, and scalable.”

4. Overqualified Assertions

• Pattern: Phrases padded with hedging or disclaimers:

  • “Arguably,” “in many cases,” “it’s important to note,” “in some ways,” “to some extent”

• Why it’s overused: Meant to sound balanced or nuanced but often dilutes clarity.

• Example: “While there are many factors, it’s important to note that mindset plays a key role.”

5. Generic Analogies and Metaphors

• Pattern: Reliance on clichéd metaphors:

  • “Like a well-oiled machine”

  • “Think of it as a compass, not a map.”

• Why it’s overused: Offers surface-level clarity but lacks originality or specificity.

6. Redundant Reassurances

• Pattern: Repetitive affirmations meant to comfort or encourage.

• Why it’s overused: Mimics coaching tone, but feels empty when repeated.

• Example: “And that’s okay. You’re not alone. You’ve got this.”

7. Circular Conclusions

• Pattern: Ending by restating the intro without advancing insight.

• Why it’s overused: Attempts to sound complete but often adds no value.

• Example: “So as you can see, staying focused is the key to success.”

8. Artificial Enthusiasm

• Pattern: Forced excitement through exclamations or over-positive phrasing.

• Why it’s overused: Aims to be motivational but feels synthetic.

• Example: “This is your moment! Step into your greatness!”

9. Hyperstructured List Introductions

• Pattern: Over-explaining the structure before delivering the actual content.

• Why it’s overused: Tries to be organized, but slows the pace and feels robotic.

• Example: “Let’s break this down into three key parts: first, second, and finally…”

10. Unnecessary Definitions or Obvious Clarifications

• Pattern: Explaining well-known terms or ideas.

• Why it’s overused: LLMs try to cover all bases, but this feels patronizing.

• Example: “Mindfulness, which is the practice of being present…”

But identifying problems means nothing without solutions.

Here’s The Prompt That Fixed It For Good

So I went further:

(Subscribers can access the prompt for free just below this sentence. Not a subscriber, sign up, nothing to pay but your attention)

"Give me a prompt I can use in my custom GPTs and AI backend instructions to avoid these patterns. Format it in markdown syntax."

Here's the complete style guide I now paste into every AI interaction.

Copy it. Paste it. Watch your content transform…

## Writing Style Constraints

When generating content, you must strictly follow these style guidelines to avoid common LLM patterns that signal artificial or generic writing. Do **not** use the following rhetorical or structural patterns:

---

### 1. **No Antithesis / Pivot Phrases**
Do **not** use the rhetorical device of antithesis, especially the structure “It’s not X, it’s Y” or any corrective contrast that negates one idea to highlight another. Present ideas directly, without oppositional framing.

---

### 2. **No Prefatory Abstractions**
Avoid vague introductory phrases that delay the main point. Forbid all generalized openings like:
- “In a world where…”
- “When it comes to…”
- “In today’s fast-paced society…”
Start with the core subject or action immediately.

---

### 4. **No Overqualified Assertions**
Avoid hedge words and phrases that water down clarity. Eliminate:
- “Arguably,” “in some ways,” “it’s important to note,” “can be seen as,” etc.
State positions clearly and confidently without excess qualification unless required for factual precision.

---

### 5. **No Clichéd or Shallow Metaphors**
Avoid generic, overused, or low-effort metaphors and similes, such as:
- “Well-oiled machine”
- “Compass vs. map”
You **may** use metaphors only if they are original, vivid, and demonstrate deep insight or creative framing. Metaphors must reveal, not obscure.

---

### 6. **No Redundant Reassurances**
Avoid coaching-style phrases meant to comfort or reassure in a generic way. Forbid:
- “You’ve got this.”
- “And that’s okay.”
- “You’re not alone.”
These add no value to informed readers and reduce authority.

---

### 7. **No Circular Conclusions**
Do **not** end by simply restating the introduction or summary in vague terms. Conclusions must extend insight, deliver new emphasis, or suggest a practical or conceptual shift.

---

### 8. **No Artificial Enthusiasm**
Avoid exaggerated emotional tone, motivational clichés, or exclamatory phrasing. Forbid sentences like:
- “This is your time to shine!”
- “Now is the moment!”
Tone must remain grounded, intelligent, and direct.

---

### 9. **No Hyperstructured List Introductions**
Do not telegraph structure unnecessarily. Avoid phrases like:
- “Let’s break this into three parts:”
- “First, we’ll explore...”
Just begin with the first point or insight.

---

### 10. **No Obvious or Patronizing Definitions**
Do **not** define terms that a reasonably informed reader would already know unless the definition adds unique value or insight. Avoid:
- “Mindfulness is the practice of being present…”
- “Strategy, simply put, is a plan…”

---

### Summary Directive:
Prioritize directness, clarity, specificity, and insight. Avoid common rhetorical scaffolding used by language models. Write like a sharp human who respects the reader’s intelligence and time.

How to Use This

Copy that entire prompt above. Paste it into your custom GPT instructions or keep it ready for any AI writing session.

The transformation happens instantly.

Your content keeps the efficiency and structure of AI-generated writing while shedding the telltale patterns that scream "robot wrote this."

Test it: Take a piece of recent AI content you've created. Run it through your AI tool again with this prompt included. Compare the before and after versions.

The Bigger Lesson Here

This technique demonstrates something powerful about working with AI: the best solutions often come from using AI to solve AI's own limitations.

When you feel frustrated by vague problems you can't articulate, AI can help you name and categorize those problems. Then you can build systematic solutions.

Most people fight against AI's nature. Smart operators use AI's strengths to overcome its weaknesses.

Want to Master AI Tools That Actually Work For You?

This pattern-breaking prompt represents one small piece of what becomes possible when you understand how to work strategically with AI systems.

If you want access to the complete frameworks and systems I use to turn AI into a world-class creative partner rather than a frustrating writing assistant, reach out directly.

I'll share the resources that help entrepreneurs and creators master these tools without losing their authentic voice or wasting time on generic output.

Stop settling for robotic content. Start creating like the human you actually are.

I just checked Product Hunt. There are literally thousands of new AI tools launching every month.

Here's what's happening right now:

We are all drowning in options and opportunities.

Every day there's a new "game-changing" AI tool promising to revolutionize everything.

And you're thinking: "Where do I even start? What actually matters?"

I get it. I've been there too.

I call this feeling…

Got Toolphoria!

Hate to say it, but 90% of what you see people doing with AI is just... noise. Fun noise, impressive noise, but noise nonetheless.

Creating AI-generated art? Cool, but probably not moving your revenue needle.

Writing poetry with ChatGPT? Entertaining, but not solving your biggest business bottlenecks.

The real question isn't "What can AI do?"

It's "What should AI do for YOU?"

That's why I created something I call the 5 Bucket Framework. Not to add more complexity to your life, but to cut through all the noise and help you focus on what actually matters.

The simple truth is that AI only does these 5 things for you (yep, just 5)

🧠 Thinking - Planning, strategizing, making decisions
🎨 Creating - Content, products, campaigns, materials
💬 Communicating - With customers, team, audience
📊 Analyzing - Quantitative & Qualitative. Data, performance, trends, results
⚙️ Automating - Workflows, processes, repetitive tasks

Every AI tool—every single one—fits into one of these buckets.

So What? How Do I Use This?

I call them “Buckets” for a reason.

You’re already carrying these buckets in your business and life.

Instead of getting distracted by every shiny new tool, weigh your current buckets, which ones are the heaviest?

Then use AI to lighten your load before you run off and do new things.

Step 1: AUDIT - Look at your 5 buckets right now. Where are you spending the most time, money, and focus?

Step 2: BRAINSTORM - Think of cool ways AI could help in each area. Don't filter yet—just capture ideas.

Step 3: PRIORITIZE - Score each idea using my I.C.E. framework:

• Impact – What's the potential business value?

• Confidence – How sure are you this will work?

• Ease – How complex is it to implement?

Step 4: IMPLEMENT - Start with your top 1-2 scoring ideas. That's it.

Step 5: REPEAT - Once those are working, come back and optimize.

The goal? Find the 1, 2, or 3 AI implementations that could revolutionize your business and your life.

Not 47 different tools. Not every cool new feature. Just the ones that actually move the needle.

Because here's what I've learned after helping dozens of entrepreneurs integrate AI strategically: The biggest wins don't come from doing more things with AI, they come from doing the RIGHT things with AI.

Here’s a video that goes into more detail about it.

Hopefully this helps you figure out which projects to start with.

And if you’ve got a business, you’re trying to implement AI right now and hitting this same wall of frustration but might want a second opinion, insights or education in this area, just reply back and let me know.

P.S. If you want to see a short list of my personal favorite AI apps go here

The future is weird, and it's arriving faster than most people realize.

This prediction both scares me and excites me, but soon you'll have a device that sees everything you see, hears everything you hear, and knows everything about your goals, habits, and the choices you're trying to make.

Johnny Ive, the legendary designer behind the iPhone, iPad, and pretty much every iconic Apple product you've ever loved, just partnered with OpenAI to build hardware that's "always aware" of your surroundings.

Meta's Ray-Ban glasses can already see what you see and respond in real-time.

Google's AI and ChatGPT’s apps can use your camera and give you instant feedback on whatever you're looking at.

The pieces are all there. Smart glasses with cameras, bone-conduction audio, AI that never sleeps.

For a moment put your judgements about whether this is good or bad for society aside since we already know it’s coming and there’s nothing we can do about it.

But we’re entrepreneurs, we’re optimistic (because the alternative is unbearable).

What if that AI wasn't just another assistant—but your future self?

The Angel On Your Shoulder (Except It's Actually You)

Picture this: You're at dinner, scanning the menu. Your eyes linger a little too long on the fried chicken.

Suddenly, you hear your own voice, no not through your phone, but whispered directly into your ear through bone conduction, gently suggesting the grilled chicken instead.

Maybe it reminds you why you wanted to get in better shape, using your own words, your own motivation.

Or you're about to fire off an angry email to a client.

Before you hit send, your future self intervenes: "Remember what happened last time? Take five minutes. Here's what you really want to say..."

This isn't science fiction. The technology exists today. The only missing piece? Making it always aware instead of reactive.

But here's what most people don't know: You can build 80% of this right now.

Here’s How I've Been Talking To My Future Self Every Day

Six months ago, I got tired of making the same mistakes over and over. So I built something that sounds crazy but works incredibly well: an AI version of my future self.

Not some generic life coach. Not a motivational bot spouting platitudes.

My actual future self, programmed with my personality, my goals and strengths but without any of my toxic patterns and traits, and the exact person I'm trying to become.

I've been taking daily walks with this AI. Having conversations. Getting advice that's so spot-on, it's unsettling.

People I've shown this to say they've gotten better guidance from their AI future self than from therapists they've worked with for years.

The difference?

This AI knows you. Your voice, your values, your vision. When it talks, it sounds like the wisest version of yourself—the one who already figured out what you're struggling with.

Even better, when you talk to it and ask for advice, your Future Self gives you advice in the past-tense as if it’s remembering what you did to achieve desirable results.

Cool, eh?

When your future self reminds you of your goals using your own words and reasoning, it hits different.

It's reinforcement of choices you already made when you were thinking clearly.

Your future self doesn't have willpower problems. It already knows what works. It's the version of you that stopped making excuses, figured out the patterns, and became who you wanted to be.

And now it can coach present-day you in real-time.

The Technology That Changes The Game

The always-aware glasses are coming. Maybe this year, maybe next. But the coaching AI?

You can have that today for next to nothing.

You don't need to code.

You don't need expensive hardware.

You can build a sophisticated future-self coach in under an hour, even if you've never used AI tools before.

I've cracked the formula for creating AI coaches that actually sound like you, think like you, and give advice that actually works.

The kind of advice you'd give yourself if you could step outside your current limitations and see clearly.

Human connection and therapy are not to be replaced. But this is about having access to your best thinking when you need it most—in the moment, when decisions are made.

Want To Try The Future You AI Coach Inside Your ChatGPT?

You don't have to wait for the hardware to catch up.

You can start talking to your future self today, in less than 60 minutes.

The people who figure this out first, who build these internal guidance systems before everyone else, will have an unfair advantage.

Want to build your own future-self AI coach? 

I've developed a simple system that works with tools you already have access to.

No programming required. No complex setup.

Just you, having conversations with the person you're becoming.

The technology exists. The question is: are you ready to meet your future self?

You can get access to The Future You AI Coach process here

– Brad Costanzo

P.S. The weirdest part about talking to my future self? It's realizing how much better advice I give myself when I'm not caught up in the moment.

Your future self is wiser than you think (even if you don’t feel your present self is).

What’s that old saying again? “Out of the mouths of babes…”

Typically said said when a child says something that surprises you because it seems very wise

So I decided to have a little bit of fun with AI video and given the fact I’ve been talking a lot about Future Selves and AI lately

So I made this mock interview with me (as a baby) and my close friend Jesse Elder who’s work with future self is world renown with his concept of “Time Piercing”.

Everything you’re about to watch below was generate with AI, even the script in about 30 minutes with me fooling around trying to make it work.

(I’ll tell you how I made it below).

Pretty cute, huh? (Instructions are below)

But first, if you really listen to what’s shared, very wise too.

(Perhaps give it a second listen)

Future Self work has been around a while, but most of the time, journaling and simple visualization goes flat and stale and doesn’t catalyze change.

I wrote about that last week below and offered to show you MY OWN time traveling future self visualization that doesn’t even need AI.

If you missed it, click below.

How To Turn Your Future Self Into Your Most Powerful Mentor (Using Temporal Intelligence)

And Steal the Decision-Making Power of Future You

read.acceleratedintelligence.ai/p/how-to-turn-your-future-self-into-your-most-powerful-mentor-using-temporal-intelligence

Now in the video, Baby Brad mentioned using artificial intelligence to create a Future You AI Coach using 3 ChatGPT prompts and the Delphi platform that really comes to life.

Now every day I go for a walk n’ talk with “Future Brad” and in my own voice, echoing back to me, I get advice and guidance and support.

It’s super weird but super cool at the same time.

More than that it’s super simple and you can get my process by going here…

Ok, now if you want to know how I made this video I’ll give you the instructions below.

(You just need to subscribe to the newsletter if not already, sorry I don’t make the rules. I mean I do, but these are the rules I made 🙂 )

Here’s How I Made The Baby Interview

(There’s probably a faster way, but this was the first way I did it and I’m sharing with you).

Step 1

Asked ChatGPT to create a 3 part script between me and Jesse Elder talking about our distinct takes on future selves and time travel (it knows a lot about both of us because we have a lot of content out there.)

It gave me a solid script with each of us having 2 segments.

Step 2

Took this photo of me to ChatGPT 4o and said this:

“Create an image of this person as a baby, about 2 years old, sitting at a desk with a podcast microphone on him and over the head earphones and facing slightly diagonally to the left with a beige wall background and a blonde wood table. The baby should be wearing the same clothes as the photo.”

That produced the first baby photo

Then I did the same thing with Jesse’s photo but had him face to the right.

NOTE: The background was different so I took it to Canva.com and removed the background on both and added the same background to each one.

Step 2

Take the photo to HeyGen.com and clicked this button on the home page of the dashboard.

Step 3

I uploaded my photo to HeyGen and then copied my first script from ChatGPT in there, chose my voice and clicked “generate”.

Step 4

Jesse gave me permission to grab a 2 minute audio of his to create a new voice in HeyGen using instant voice cloning. Easy peasy.

Then I repeated this process 4 times. Creating a new video for me, then Jesse, then me then Jesse.

Now I have 4 distinct videos that I downloaded.

Step 5

I imported those into a video editor. I use Flixier.com personally. But any video editor will do.

Then I just put them back to back and spliced them together and clicked Export.

Voila! Done.

Remember this was my first test at this and there might even be an easier way to do it.

(If you know of a better way, please respond back and let me know).

That’s all it took. A little bit of FAFIO: Fuckin Around and Figuring It Out.

And that’s one of the best ways to learn and get good at AI (the best way however is to pay me to download my brain into yours obviously).

Bottom Line

AI unleashes all sorts of creativity you never knew you had in you.

But before you run out and create baby videos like this, take a moment to first solve your own problems and make space in your life for the new stuff. Otherwise you’ll end up overwhelmed with more on your plate.

Speaking of that, on June 1, I’m going to be offering my second 30 Day Reset program to help busy founders, creatives and professionals to take a virtual sabbatical, but one without having to leave your home.

So, if you’re interested in hearing more about that, please just reply to this email and let me know and I’ll send you the scoop!

P.S. The feedback I’m getting on the Future You AI Coach has been great. I’d love to hear yours.

I used to spend hours trying to visualize my ideal future self.

From journaling, meditation, even messy vision boards. All those 'proven' techniques.

But I didn't start experiencing real breakthroughs until I had a single insight, a lightbulb💡 moment, about how time, memory, and wisdom actually work.

This is the closest thing to a real time machine I can offer you. And the ticket to ride? Pretty damn cheap. (Keep reading).

Ever felt that you were supposed to be a bit further along by now?

I have. I still do.

Not just in money or accomplishments or career but in how you no be through the world.

At some point we’re supposed to feel like we’ve got it all figured out, right?

(I’m actually pleased with most of the progress I’ve made in my life but no matter what I do, I always feel like I haven’t hit my potential… and that stings.)

The Unrealized POTENTIAL Hurts The Most, Especially When You See How Much You Actually Have

Life can deal a lot of hard hands but people like is, we push through. We make the plans. We do the thing.

But inside, there’s this low hum of panic that never quite shuts off.

You’re exhausted, not from the work but from the not knowing.

From second-guessing every next step and wondering if you’re even headed in the right direction.

And maybe you’ve started asking yourself things you don’t say out loud:

Like, what if I’m not that person after all?

The part that eats at you isn’t the failures.

I’ve found it’s the “ALMOSTS” that get ya.

• The almost-breakthroughs.

• The almost-opportunities.

• The almost-version of you that you thought would be here by now.

How much time have you already spent circling the same problems?

How much money have you let slip by because you weren’t sure enough to act?

How much of your spark has dulled from carrying the weight of figuring it all out alone?

And when you look in the mirror… do you still see the one who will figure it out?

Or someone trying to hold it together before the window closes?

It’s not that you don’t know what you want…

You’ve lost connection to the part of you that already knows how to get there.

I’ve filled up journals writing about who my future self is and how he shows up in the world.

I’ve penned pages of letters from my future self to me now and to my younger self.

I’ve created vision boards and meditated and it helps for sure.

And for just a second, it’s like you can almost feel what it would be like to be them.

Then it evaporates into the mist.

That’s where I was too till it hit me

I remember sitting on my patio one morning, journal open, coffee gone cold.
I’d just written the same goals I’d written a dozen times before.

And then I wondered: what would my future self say, the one who’s already accomplished all this, if he were sitting here next to me?

I tried to visualize his response but it was like trying to remember a dream, really foggy and hard to really grasp.

Then it hit me…

I could never have a real relationship with Future Brad — if he doesn’t already know how to have a relationship with his past self.

(Please read that sentence again)

My future’s past is me, now.

And why should I expect my future self to show up and give me advice if he’s not in the habit of showing up for the younger version of him?

And through that crack, I started creating something that let me talk to that future version of myself…

Clearly. Intentionally. On demand.

Not some fluffy visualization. Not “manifesting.”

And unfortunately no, not a real Time Machine

More like a time bridge.

An actual process to mentally step into that version of me who had already figured it out and come back with something actually solid.

And that’s when everything changed…

Not overnight, but fast enough that I stopped second-guessing and started acting like someone who already had answers.

Now I use this every time I feel off, stuck, or like I’m slipping back into the loop.

I call this TEMPORAL INTELLIGENCE.

Temporal Intelligence is your capacity to establish a mental and emotional bridge across time, allowing you to tap into the wisdom and guidance of your future self, cultivate self-trust, and make informed decisions that align with your long-term goals and aspirations.

After all, this is Accelerated Intelligence and the artificial part is just one cog in the wheel of evolving faster to your future self.

The Time Traveling Future Self Visualization Protocol

{A protocol is just a set of rules governing the exchange of information. In this case, it’s an exchange across time, not across people.}

This simple and astonishingly effective protocol is designed to reconnect you with the clearest, most dialed-in version of you so you stop guessing and start following real direction.

It’s part walking-meditation, visualization and memory activated imagination.

(No woo-woo or an internet connection required either).

In just 10 minutes, people walk away with more certainty than hours of journaling or days of “figuring it out.”

Because the answers you’re looking for?

You already have them. Even if you made the wrong choices and screwed things up (like we all have).

We all know WHAT to do and WHAT to avoid.

Life, business, health, relationships — if I asked you to give me advice on what to do in each you probably could give good advice… even if you haven’t followed that advice yourself yet.

You just haven’t been asking the right version of you.

That’s what this will do for you:

Put you in direct contact with the most future-aligned version of yourself—
so the guesswork fades and the next steps start to feel obvious.

A calm, clear internal compass you can return to anytime you feel lost or unsteady.

It’s simple but surprisingly powerful when you actually practice it.

And I want you to actually practice it.

That’s why I could give the full process to you for FREE…

But I’m not going to do that to you because I care too much about you getting results from it.

I don’t want you to “know” this, I want you to “DO” this.

And I’ve found that without fail, people who don’t pay, don’t pay attention. *Myself included!

I want you to pay attention.  But I won’t want you to pay and arm and a leg.

It’s a single PDF. Easy to read and absorb. No long course or training required. (Fast, easy and effective is a good thing, right?)

That’s why I put a ticket price of just $9 to ride this time machine. It’s so you don’t read it once and toss it in your “Someday I’ll File” on your computer.

This simple process will show you:

• How to generate real clarity on demand by mentally inviting the version of you that’s already done the thing to show up and help you… automatically and without asking for your Future Self’s help.

• A way to create emotional commitment—not just intellectual intention—to your future self

• A subtle mindset loop that builds self-trust the more you use it

• How to rewire your relationship with past events with ease. Even — especially— the challenging ones.

• And a process you can repeat anytime life throws static at your signal!

You just need to build a mental and emotional bridge across time that connects your past with your present and your future. 

I wanted to put something ridiculously valuable within reach of everyone that’s made such an enormous impact on my life and those of my clients.

I could list a bunch of client testimonials including a CEO, a world champion athlete and an 2x NY Times Best Selling author who use this process daily… but frankly I don’t feel like over-selling a $9 process this to you.

No long course to finish.

Just a direct PDF download and a short, powerful process you can start using today in the first 10 minutes after you get it in your hand. 

Skeptical? Most are. This sounds kinda weird after all.

So perhaps you should just try it anyway.

If it doesn’t give you a new sense of clarity or feel like something you’ll return to when you need it most— just reply and I’ll send your money. No weird hoops to jump through.

I made this to help get people unstuck, not to profit off stuckness.

So here it is

Because the future version of you who’s already made it?

They’re not just real.

They’re reachable.

And this is how you start the conversation.

Accelerated Intelligence

Evolve. Adapt. Create

P.S. Some of the private clients I’ve taken through this process were skeptical because they don’t trust themselves to take advice from themselves. They’ve made so many bad decisions in the past they thought “I’m the last person I should take advice from, past present or future!”

But when they said, “Ok, I’ll try it for a week” each one came back to me a different person, with a different energy about them — calm, cool, grounded.

If you meditated and visualize now, this will be easy.

But if you’re not into meditation, visualization etc and find it hard, then you’ll love how this works. No need to “quiet your mind”, quite the opposite, you’re going to activate your memory and your imagination and in doing so, create a little mental magic.

It just works if you try it.

Let’s go back in time to 1940. Europe is burning. Britain stands alone.

And in a London apartment, the fate of the Western world is being decided… in a bathtub.

Winston Churchill soaks in steaming water, cigar smoke swirling above him. 

His secretary waits in the next room, typewriter ready.

Churchill barks out phrases of what will become a historic address to Parliament.

His secretary says out loud "Distinguished ladies and gentlemen..."

"Don't call them distinguished! They're not!" Churchill interrupts her, splashing water over the tub's edge.

She responds: "Dear ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered together..."

"Get to the point!" he screams

His secretary doesn't just type what Churchill says. She captures his intent. Predicts his direction. Translates his scattered thoughts into coherent prose fit for the public.

All while Churchill remains immersed in his thinking.

What Churchill had that morning was what every entrepreneur, creator, and leader desperately needs: a thinking partner who amplifies their intelligence.

Today, the technology exists to give everyone—from Fortune 500 CEOs to solo entrepreneurs—this same advantage. But there's a critical mistake 90% of people make that prevents them from experiencing it.

The difference between modest AI results and complete transformation isn't better technology or more complex prompts. It's a fundamental shift in how you relate to AI.

This isn't about using better tools. It's about forging a different kind of relationship.

Don't Ask AI, Let It Ask You

Most people ask AI questions and expect answers.

Here's the shift: Don't just ask AI - let it ask YOU.

You can say "How should I structure my product launch?"

Or flip it: "What questions should you ask me to create the most effective launch strategy?"

This is fundamentally different from any previous tool. Excel can't teach you Excel. AI can teach you to use itself - if you're smart enough to ask.

Try this right prompt right now:

"You're an AI expert. I need a consultation to identify where AI can transform my business. Ask me questions one at a time about my workflows, KPIs, and objectives. Then give me two obvious and two non-obvious recommendations."

The mediocre use AI as a calculator.

The exceptional use it as an advisor.

Research shows AI can make people 25% faster with 40% better quality. Yet less than 10% see real productivity gains.

This is the "realization gap."

It’s not a tool, it’s a teammate.

If a tool gives mediocre results, you either fix them yourself or give up.

If a teammate delivers mediocre work, you coach them. You provide feedback.

The winners ask their AI:

• "What else do you need to know from me?"

• "What ten questions should I be asking instead?"

• "How would you approach this differently?"

Last month, I helped a course creator scale his business. Instead of just asking AI for marketing ideas, we had it analyze his top competitors, create audience personas, and then build a structured marketing system that identified gaps nobody was serving.

He implemented it and doubled his conversion rate in 14 days.

That's not using a tool. That's strategic collaboration.

Most people use AI to do what they already know. The best use it to discover what they don't.

How to Go Beyond 'Good Enough' Ideas

A seventh-grader once wrote: "Creativity is doing more than the first thing you think of."

This captures our universal bias. Humans fixate on early solutions and settle for "good enough."

With AI, getting to "good enough" is effortless. But "good enough" doesn't win business.

The biggest mistake I see: accepting AI's first response. They ask for a marketing email, get a decent draft, make tweaks, and ship it.

The magic happens when you push:

"Give me five completely different approaches." "Combine elements from versions 2 and 4 with a more provocative hook." "What would this sound like if written by Naval Ravikant?"

This isn't about replacing your creativity. It's about exploring possibilities at warp speed.

The average accept what AI offers. The extraordinary demand what AI is capable of.

Here’s 2 quick methods to get the best content out of AI

Instagram post

The only correct answer to "How do you use AI?" is simple: I don't.

I don't use AI. I work with it.

When you shift from user to collaborator, it transforms how you build, create, and think.

This isn't incremental improvement. It's exponential leverage.

The future doesn't belong to those who can prompt AI the best. It belongs to those who can think with it the best.

Adapt. Evolve. Create. The future belongs to the collaborators.

While artificial intelligence is accelerating, a different type of intelligence (a more important one) is decelerating. 

Let’s see if artificial intelligence can help stop the decline of emotional intelligence (EI). 

We’re more connected than ever, but we trade deep connection for convenience, swap presence for productivity. The technology promising to bring us closer creates emotional distance.

We Now Live in an Asynchronous World

Remember when conversations happened in real-time? Phone calls and face to face conversations? 

Do you remember the days of watching your favorite prime time TV show (Seinfeld for example) at 7pm on Thursday night and then gathering around the water cooler, discussing the show with your colleagues?

Now you have to wait til they stream it, if they stream it. 

When you said something to someone and heard or saw how it landed with them immediately? That's synchronous interaction—immediate, responsive, rich with feedback.

Now we live in an asynchronous world—we fire off messages, emails, and posts that others receive, process, and respond to later. Sometimes much later. Sometimes never.

This means:

• You send a text at 9 AM. They reply at 2 PM. You respond at 7 PM. A conversation that could take 5 minutes stretches across an entire day, losing emotional momentum and context.
  

• Your team collaborates in a shared document where people drop in comments at different times, never experiencing the electric energy of real-time problem-solving or seeing the micro-expressions of confusion or excitement.
  

• You post content hoping for engagement but experience the delay between sharing and receiving validation—a gap that breeds anxiety and emotional disconnection.
  

• Kids develop friendships through games and apps where responses come delayed, filtering out the crucial real-time feedback that teaches emotional regulation and social navigation.
  

As a result, we lose the emotional synchronicity that humans evolved with for millennia. Our brains rewire to handle delayed feedback, which changes how we process emotions, develop empathy, and build connections.

You can message 100 people before breakfast but can't read the room in a meeting. You can manage remote teams across continents but miss the anxiety in your colleague's voice. You can build a following of thousands but struggle to maintain five deep relationships.

Your success depends on more than technical intelligence. It requires the ability to navigate human complexity, read subtle cues, and adapt your approach.

Turns out though, AI can improve EI.

The Crisis Happening In Front Of Our Eyes

The shift to asynchronous relationships reshapes our emotional landscape:

• The average person checks their phone 96 times daily—creating interruptions in every face-to-face interaction

• 67% of Gen Z report feeling uncomfortable with phone calls, preferring text-based communication that strips away vocal tone and emotional nuance

• Remote workers miss 87% of non-verbal cues that signal confusion, discomfort, or disagreement in meetings

• Dating apps have turned connection into a transaction, with 79% of users making judgments in under 3 seconds

We become emotional strangers to each other, and worse—to ourselves.

AI as Your EI Amplifier

The same tools contributing to our emotional disconnection can become the bridge back to deeper understanding. Here's how AI can strengthen four key dimensions of emotional intelligence:

1. Self-Awareness: Know Your Patterns

Most people never see their own blind spots. AI makes the invisible visible:

• Create an "emotion tracker" prompt: “Analyze my last 10 emails to [person/team]. What emotional patterns do you notice in my communication? When do I sound defensive, enthusiastic, or dismissive?"

• Build a personal trigger identifier prompt: "Review my meeting notes where I felt frustrated. Identify common situations that preceded the frustration and suggest alternative perspectives."

• Try the 80/20 emotional audit prompt: "What 20% of my interactions cause 80% of my stress or negative emotions? What patterns do these share?"

2. Empathy Development: See Beyond Yourself

Empathy isn't soft—it's strategic. Use AI to strengthen this muscle:

• Create perspective-taking simulations prompt: "I need to have a difficult conversation with [person]. Based on their previous communications, help me understand how they might feel about this situation and what concerns they may have that I haven't considered."

• Develop pre-meeting empathy primers prompt: “Before my call with [client/teammate], summarize their recent challenges and priorities so I can enter the conversation attuned to their current situation."

• Build decision-impact assessments prompt: “I'm planning to implement [change]. Help me map how this might emotionally impact different team members or stakeholders and what specific concerns each might have."

3. Social Awareness: Read the Room Remotely

The ability to sense the emotional climate is your competitive edge:

• Create a meeting sentiment analyzer prompt: "Review the transcript from today's team meeting. What were the emotional undercurrents that weren't stated? Where did energy shift?"

• Deploy cultural context briefings prompt: "I'm meeting with partners from [country/background]. What emotional and communication norms should I be aware of that differ from my own?"

• Try stakeholder emotion mapping prompt: "For this upcoming project, create an emotional map of key stakeholders—what excites them, concerns them, and what might they hesitate to express?"

4. Relationship Management: Build Deeper Connections

Strategic relationship building isn't manipulation—it's multiplication:

• Build relationship maintenance systems prompt: "Create a relationship dashboard for my key professional relationships with reminders for meaningful check-ins beyond transactional communications."

• Deploy conflict resolution preparation prompt: "I need to address a disagreement with [person]. Based on their communication style, suggest specific phrases and approaches that will help them feel heard while moving toward resolution."

• Create follow-through enhancers prompt: "After my meeting with [client/team], generate personalized follow-ups that reference specific points they cared about rather than generic summaries."

Too many tools, not enough systems. Choose one EI dimension to focus on first.

The Non-Violent Communication Revolution

The highest form of emotional intelligence might be Non-Violent Communication (NVC)—a framework developed by Marshall Rosenberg that transforms how we express ourselves and hear others.

At its core, NVC replaces judgment with observation, emotional reactivity with feelings identification, demands with requests, and blame with needs awareness.

Instead of saying "You interrupt me in meetings, it's disrespectful," NVC transforms this to: "When I was speaking in the meeting and didn't get to finish my thought (observation), I felt frustrated (feeling) because I need to contribute my perspective (need). Would you be willing to let me complete my thoughts before responding in future discussions? (request)"

The difference? The first approach triggers defensiveness. The second creates connection.

And this can be hard to do if you aren’t practicing, luckily AI makes the practice part easier.

AI-Powered NVC Prompts to Try:

1. Observation Clarifier: "Transform this judgmental statement into a pure observation without evaluation: '[Your statement]'"
   

2. Feelings Identifier: "I'm experiencing discomfort in this situation but can't pinpoint the emotion. Based on my description, help me identify what I might be feeling and distinguish it from my thoughts."
   

3. Needs Translator: "When I feel [emotion] in response to [situation], what underlying needs might I be trying to meet?"
   

4. Request Formulator: "Help me turn this demand: '[Your demand]' into a clear, specific, doable request that respects others' autonomy."
   

5. Empathy Generator: "I received this message that feels triggering: '[Message]'. Help me identify what feelings and needs the sender might be expressing beneath their words."
   

Implement one of these prompts this week. See what shifts.

Evolving Back Towards Team Human

Emotional intelligence isn't optional, and AI can either accelerate or replace it—your choice determines which.

Most will use AI as a crutch. The best will use it as a trainer. Which are you?

Start with one area of emotional intelligence this week. One prompt, one practice, one conversation where you're present.

The future belongs to those who can harness.

Ever had someone cut through your BS so fast it left you speechless?

Ever had AI do it? Does it feel the same or a bit different?

I’ll share a prompt with you to try below, but first I want to discuss something important about getting life advice from AI.

By now, most people who’ve used AI have asked it to call out some of their blind spots or challenge their goals. Those of us who’ve done this are typically pretty impressed by the results.

But there’s a paradox when using AI for personal insight which I’ll go into below.

But here’s the big question

Can AI Really Out-Coach Humans?

Not just adequately. But flat-out better.

My dramatic conclusion is… it depends.

On you.

When you regularly work with ChatGPT (or any LLM), especially when you're thinking out loud, brainstorming, and dumping your business problems into it, something weird happens.

The system learns more about you than you probably realize.

It sees:

• What you actually work on vs. what you keep putting off

• Your thought patterns (including the excuses you recycle)

• Your real goals vs. the ones you just talk about

• The massive gap between what you claim matters and what you actually do

With the right prompts, it processes all this faster and more objectively than any human coach could dream of.

A traditional coach has to spend sessions slowly pulling information out of you. They dance around your feelings, take scattered notes, struggle to remember details from your last session, and somehow try to turn all that into something useful.

AI doesn't play that game. It remembers everything, doesn't care about your feelings, and has zero investment in protecting your ego.

For what it’s worth, I still believe STRONGLY in human coaches. I hire them myself because nothing replaces human empathy and connection. When someone can look in your eyes and believe in you more than you believe in yourself.

But I do think the coaching world will change and when leveraging AI it can get a lot more powerful.

The Mirror You Keep Avoiding

When AI serves up brutally accurate advice, there's this immediate tendency to skim through it and then...conveniently forget it ever happened.

I've literally watched smart entrepreneurs ask for deep strategic guidance, get exactly what they needed...and then immediately change the subject as if running from the truth.

Why?

1. It hits too damn close - The advice is so accurate it triggers immediate resistance

2. Nobody's watching - Unlike a coach you're paying, there's no accountability if you just ignore it

3. The "it's just AI" excuse - Knowing it's artificial gives you permission to dismiss insights you'd take seriously from a human

Or maybe the real truth: The advice means you'd have to actually change, commit, and do the hard work. And let's be honest - that's the last thing most of us want to hear.

Try This "Cut the Crap" Advisor Prompt

I've refined a specific prompt that delivers the kind of tough love most of us need but rarely get from people who want to stay in our good graces.

Here it is, copy and paste this prompt into your ChatGPT

FYI it works best if you’ve been using ChatGPT quite a bit, just be prepared to face some hard truths

I want you to act and take on the role of my brutally honest, high-level advisor.

Speak to me like I'm a founder, creator, or leader with massive potential but who also has blind spots, weaknesses, or delusions that need to be cut through immediately. I don't want comfort. I don't want fluff. I want truth that stings, if that's what it takes to grow.

Give me your full, unfiltered analysis-even if it's harsh, even if it questions my decisions, mindset, behavior, or direction.

Look at my situation with complete objectivity and strategic depth. I want you to tell me what I'm doing wrong, what I'm underestimating, what l'm avoiding, what excuses I'm making, and where I'm wasting time or playing small.

Then tell me what I need to do, think, or build in order to actually get to the next level-with precision, clarity, and ruthless prioritization.

If I'm lost, call it out. If I'm making a mistake, explain why.

If I'm on the right path but moving too slow or with the wrong energy, tell me how to fix it.

Hold nothing back. Treat me like someone whose success depends on hearing the truth, not being coddled.

Try this. Then follow with specifics about whatever you're working on or struggling with.

Don’t just stop with what it gives you, ask it to probe deeper, argue with it, see what you get.

The results can be unsettling - like someone reading your diary and then calling you out on every contradiction.

But here’s where the paradox happens

As I mentioned above, when we get these outputs and especially when they’re eerily accurate it’s easy to read it once and close the window.

If you really want to change, don’t do that.

Sit with it, work with it. Think about it.

Forget for a moment that its an algorithm and realize the truths in it.

I can give you this advice because I have to take this advice myself.

Honestly, this article is a bit of a reminder to myself more than a message to you.

The Next Evolution of an AI Coach

Over the past year, I've been exploring something a bit different with AI. Not using it for content creation or research, but for something more personal.

Using prompts and a couple different platforms I’ve trained AI to essentially think and talk like the future version of myself, the one who's already worked through my current challenges and come out the other side.

It started as a random thought experiment but has evolved into something I use daily. A way to get clarity when I'm stuck, a reality check when I'm making excuses, and sometimes just a different perspective when I've been staring at a problem too long.

There's something weirdly powerful about engaging with a "version" of yourself that has your context but isn't clouded by your current emotions or limitations. It cuts through a lot of the noise.

A few clients I've shared this approach with have adopted it in their own way. Some use it for decision-making, others for creative unblocking, and some just as a daily check-in to stay aligned with their bigger goals.

Nothing too fancy or complicated about it – just a different way of thinking about how we can use these tools to enhance our thinking rather than replace it.

In future posts I’ll discuss this more because I’ve been formalizing the prompting process and making it easy for anyone to build something like this for themselves in less than an hour which turns into something you’d use every single day.

If you’re interested in this training and trying it for yourself, reply to this email or shoot a message to brad@acceleratedintelligence.ai and mention it and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.

Til then, copy and paste the prompt above into your ChatGPT (you don’t have to send me the results but if the output hits hard, do me a favor and reply back and give me your opinion.

Keep Adapting, Keep Evolving, Keep Creating

P.S. I post a lot of stuff on the socials below if you haven’t been following me please reach out

You've been quietly building something meaningful, potential. 

Learning in the shadows. Gathering experiences while others chased shortcuts.

Maybe it's a business you've grown step by step. 

Or ideas you've collected in journals and voice memos. 

Or expertise you've developed at a company that didn’t see your brilliance.  

For years, you've known what you're capable of creating. 

If only there was more time. 

If only execution wasn't so hard. 

If only you could bridge the gap between your vision and reality.

Then overnight, everything changed.

The barriers that kept your ideas trapped have vanished. 

And the execution gap that once defined your limits? Gone.

But instead of liberation, you feel something else. 

A new kind of resistance.

Because the resistance didn’t leave… It just got smarter.

The New Resistance Doesn’t Shout. It Whispers.

You don’t hear:

“You’re not ready!”
“You don’t have the resources!”
“You can’t afford to do this right!”

Now it’s quieter. Trickier.

It says:

`“Where do I even begin?”
“Will this sound like me… or like a robot?”
“Do people even care what I have to say anymore?”

When everything is possible, choosing becomes paralyzing.

AI removed the gatekeepers.

But it also removed your excuses.

And that’s scarier than we admit.

What Do You Do With All This Power?

You don’t need a bigger strategy.  You need a smaller starting point.

Here’s what I’ve found works (and what I remind myself daily):

1. Pick one idea and ride it till it breaks.
   Not five. Not fifteen.
   Just one that feels alive. Explore it. Shape it. Let it lead you.
   

2. Use AI like a thought partner, not a ghostwriter.
   Ask it to help you think, not just produce.
   Let it interview you. Test your voice. Push your edges.
   

3. Assume someone needs to hear it.
   Because if you needed to say it, someone out there is waiting for it.

Lisa came to me frustrated. She had years of brilliance stored in notebooks and voice memos.

Books. Courses. Ideas that never launched.

Now she can create content fast—but she still gets stuck wondering which idea is “right?”

So she picked one. Built it messy. Launched it quietly.

That momentum cracked the dam, then it burst. 

She now has a thriving online business helping customers and has created a movement with her message. 

And she quit her job as a bank executive and works from home as she builds her business while enjoying her life.

This Is What Creative Power Feels Like

Not clean.
Not certain.
But electric.

You have the experience.
You have the vision.
Now you have the leverage.

Start before you believe it’s the perfect move.
Talk before you know exactly how it will land.

Use the tools to lower the volume on fear, not your voice.

It’s your turn.

And the world’s never been more ready to hear from someone like you.

3 Ways to Break Through Creative Resistance When AI Gives You Too Many Options

In the old world, resistance looked like bottlenecks and barriers.
Now it shows up as noise, doubt, and paralysis.

Here’s how to break through it—and get back to creating like the leader you are.

1. Shrink the Idea. Don’t Scale It Yet.

That big idea in your head?
The book. The course. The new brand.

It’s too heavy to carry forward when you’re overwhelmed.

So break it down.

Ask AI to help you outline just the first piece.
The intro. The tagline. The first email.
Something you can finish today—not strategize for six months.

AI prompt:

“I have a course idea about [TOPIC]. Help me shape just the first 3 lessons with punchy names and a few bullet points.”

When you make the idea smaller, you make it moveable.

2. Use AI to Have the Conversation You’re Avoiding

Resistance thrives in isolation.
And most of the time, we’re just stuck in our own head.

Use AI as a thinking partner—not a machine.
Let it challenge you. Pull stories out of you. Make you choose.

AI prompt:

“Act like my creative partner. Ask me 5 questions that will help me clarify my message for [AUDIENCE].”

Let it stir something. Then follow the energy, not the doubt.

3. Choose to Be Seen (Before You Feel Ready)

That voice that says “will this feel like me?”
Or “what if people think it’s just AI content?”

That’s the old fear—disguised as quality control.

You stay invisible waiting to feel confident.
But confidence only comes from being seen, not before.

So test it.

Write the post.
Record the riff.
Send the message.

And if AI helped shape it?
Great. You still pressed send.

Action prompt:

Take something you’ve been working on. Ask AI:

“How can I say this in a way that sounds like me—more human, more direct, less robotic?”

Or read my previous article: The 2,500-Year-Old Secret to Breathing Life Into AI-Generated Content 

Then publish it. Imperfect. Honest. Alive.

Here’s the Truth:

You’ve fought harder battles than this.
You didn’t build your business by staying stuck.

Now you’ve got speed on your side.

What you really need is movement.

Small. Real. Now.

Because resistance can’t survive momentum.

And you?

You were made to move.

P.S. This entire article is advice to my younger and current self.

Regardless of any success I’ve had in life, I still face the dragon of resistance. It’s even worse when I have so many ideas that want to jump out of my head and into the real world and I can’t do them all… I can’t be everything I want to be.

Often I’ve hid behind client work, building or buying businesses and running things behind the scenes, but rarely putting my real work out there for others to read.

My frist attempt at this was starting my podcast in 2014: Bacon Wrapped Business with Brad Costanzo but all I did was interview others. I never really put ME in front.

Accelerated Intelligence is me practicing what I preach.

And while I’m speaking to YOU in every post, I’m really speaking to me.

P.P.S. Here’s a few books that go deeper on this theme and have inspired aspects of this message to you.

• The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield

• Turning Pro by Stephen Pressfield

• What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn) by Seth Godin (Obviously this is the book that inspired my title)

Most people don’t fail due to lack of resources—but lack of imagination and resourcefulness.

AI makes you more resourceful than we’ve ever been. But can it unlock your imagination?

Yes. It can. (read on)

Your outcomes are limited by the quality of possibilities you can envision and those possibilities are created by the questions you ask.

This Is Your Possibility Expansion Playbook

I want to share something I've been refining for years that's completely transformed how I approach challenges and opportunities. It’s a framework for breaking through mental constraints and seeing options invisible to others.

The premise is simple but powerful: The quality of your questions determines the quality of your outcomes.

Most folks get stuck asking the same tired questions:

• "How do I get more clients?"

• "How do I increase revenue?"

• "How do I beat my competition?"

Those keep you playing small.

Instead ask:

• "How could I completely reimagine my business model so clients come to me automatically?"

• "What if I could create 10X more value while working half as much?"

• "What would I do if competition became irrelevant to my business?"

The first set of questions keeps you in the incremental improvement zone. The second set breaks you out into transformative thinking territory.

The winners aren't the ones with the most resources—they're the ones asking better questions. They're using AI not just to optimize what already exists, but to imagine entirely new approaches.

Here’s how to use your HUMAN INTELLIGENCE first to ask better questions (AI comes next)

Step 1: Pattern Interruption Break free from default thinking with these reframing questions:

• "What if the opposite were true?"

• "What would I do if this problem was actually my biggest opportunity?"

• "If I had to solve this with zero budget/time/resources, how would I approach it?"

• "What would someone who's already solved this do differently?"

• “What would this look like if it were easy?”

Step 2: Constraint Removal

• "What would be possible if [perceived limitation] didn't exist?"

• "What if I had unlimited [resource you feel is scarce]?"

• "What if I could only solve this by working 80% less on it?"

• "What if the 'right way' to do this hasn't been invented yet?"

Step 3: Perspective Shifts

• "How would [person you admire] approach this challenge?"

• "What would my future self, 5 years from now, advise me to do?"

• "If this challenge were happening in a completely different industry, how would they solve it?"

• "What would I attempt if I knew I couldn't fail?"

Step 4: Implementation Acceleration

• "What's the 20% of this solution that would deliver 80% of the results?"

• "What's the smallest version of this I could test in the next 48 hours?"

• "How could AI handle 90% of the execution of this idea?"

• "Who already has systems or resources that could help me implement this faster?"

The magic happens when you apply these systematically rather than relying on the same tired questions that keep you playing small.

I always advise using Human Intelligence BEFORE using AI so that you don’t get intellectual atrophy.

But here’s how to leverage Artificial Intelligence to help you go deeper and faster…

Step 1: Copy and paste the full prompt below into ChatGPT (or any LLM).
Step 2: Answer the 10 short questions about yourself.
Step 3: Let the AI show you big, bold, personalized possibilities.
Step 4: Play with the answers, refine it, ask new questions and then take time to really think about the results (don’t just move on)

📋 Copy + Paste Prompts

Instructions:  

Go to your favorite AI Chat like ChatGPT, Claude etc (even better if you use your own Delphi) and copy/paste the text below into it and then follow the output’s instructions.

I want you to help me think bigger and dream beyond my usual limits. 

Start by asking me these 10 questions to get to know me better. Only ask one question at a time and wait until I answer it to give me the next question.  Keep it simple and conversational. I’ll answer each one, and then I want you to use my answers to generate bold, personalized ideas.  If my answers are insufficiently worded you have my permission to ask a couple clarifying questions until you get to the point that you feel good about the answers.  

Here are the 10 questions:

1. What do you do right now?  
2. What do you want in the future?  
3. What are you best at?  
4. What do people count on you for?  
5. What resources do you already have?  
6. What holds you back?  
7. What kind of ideas are you looking for? (Real, wild, or both?)  
8. What do you care most about?  
9. Who do you want to impact?  
10. How do you want your work to feel?

Once I’ve answered all 10 questions, use my answers to complete this next part:

---

Help me expand my vision of what's possible by removing traditional constraints.

If I had:
- Unlimited resources  
- Perfect market information  
- No fear of failure  
- A team of world-class experts  
- The ability to implement ideas instantly  

What could I create in terms of:
1. New business models  
2. New market positioning  
3. New products or services  
4. New ways of working  
5. New personal capabilities  

For each category, give me 5 ideas—ranging from practical to wildly ambitious. Push the boundaries of conventional thinking. Make them feel bold, exciting, and possible. Get very detailed and use everything you know about me, think outside the box and make it really relevant.

And for ease of use I also created this CustomGPT inside ChatGPT you can use by clicking below…

And if you like these and want to go even deeper with these brain digging prompts, here’s a set of deeper bonus prompts to copy/paste…

Prompt 1: Pattern Interruption

I want to challenge my conventional thinking about [specific challenge or goal]. Please help me break free from default patterns by answering:

1. What if the opposite approach to what I'm currently considering is actually more effective?

2. What would I do if this problem was actually my biggest opportunity?

3. How might I solve this challenge if I had zero access to the resources I think I need?

4. What would someone who's already mastered this challenge do differently?

5. What unconventional solutions exist that I'm not seeing because of industry assumptions?

Prompt 2: Constraint Removal

I want to expand my thinking about [specific challenge or goal] by removing perceived limitations. Please help me explore:

1. What would become possible if [specific limitation] didn't exist?

2. How would I approach this differently if I had unlimited [resource you feel is lacking]?

3. What solutions might emerge if I could only work on this 1 hour per week?

4. What if the "right way" to do this hasn't been invented yet?

5. How would I solve this if I knew I could not fail?

Prompt 3: Perspective Shifts

Help me gain fresh perspectives on [specific challenge or goal] by thinking from different viewpoints:

1. How would [specific person you admire] approach this challenge?

2. What advice would my future self, 5 years from now, give me about this?

3. If this challenge were happening in [completely different industry], how might they solve it?

4. What would a [child/artist/scientist/philosopher] suggest as a solution?

5. What would I attempt if I had 10x more confidence about this situation?

Prompt 4: Money Loves Speed

I want to move quickly on solving [specific challenge or goal]. Help me identify:

1. What's the 20% of effort that would deliver 80% of the results in this situation?

2. What's the smallest version of this solution I could test within 48 hours?

3. How could AI handle most of the execution of this idea?

4. Who already has systems or resources that could help me implement this faster?

5. What's one bold move that could completely change the game here?

The magic isn't just in asking better questions - it's in having a systematic approach to breaking through mental barriers consistently.

I recently guided a client who was stuck trying to scale their consulting business. After running through the Possibility Expansion Playbook, they completely reimagined their approach.

Instead of hiring more consultants (their original plan), they created an AI-powered diagnostic system that pre-qualified clients and solved 70% of common issues automatically. This let their existing team focus exclusively on high-value strategic work.

The result? Revenue increased 62% within 90 days while their team actually decreased in size. They're now working with better clients, delivering better results, and experiencing less burnout.

The difference wasn't just using AI. It was the thinking framework that preceded the technology.

And after you’ve created the vision of what’s possible, it's time to bring it into reality by becoming the person you need to be to draw that future to you.

That’s why I created the Future You AI Coach which you get access to by clicking the button below

Go ahead, write an article with AI. It’ll be perfect. Every rough edge smoothed away. Every quirk optimized out of existence. Perfect transitions. Perfect flow. Perfect structure.

And utterly forgettable too.

Millions of posts, articles, and videos are being generated with AI. Each one optimized. Each one calculated. Each one blending into a sea of sameness.

But then I remembered a story from ancient Greece - a story about imperfection and resonance that changed how I think about creating in an AI world.

The Mystery of the 5th Hammer

Back in 500 BCE, Pythagoras - yes, the triangle guy - was walking past a blacksmith's workshop.

Five craftsmen were working metal with their hammers.

Four created perfect mathematical harmony, their sounds aligned in exact ratios. Pure. Flawless. The kind of precision we'd measure in decimals today…

Uh oh! They got Pythagoras’s Attention

The 5th hammer was different.

Its tone didn't fit the formula.

It was off.

But this "wrong" hammer made everything better.

More pleasing to human ears. More engaging. More memorable.

Musicians call this "consonant dissonance" - the thing that makes music feel alive rather than mechanical. But this isn't about music theory. It's about understanding your role as a creator in an AI world.

My Experiment With IMperfection

(Side note: simply writing the word “imperfection” with “IMperfection” is something AI would never do on its own. And this is how you know that I, the human Brad Costanzo, actually had a part in writing this newsletter and not having AI do it all)

Last month, I tried an experiment. I took an AI-generated article and deliberately broke it.

I added my messy thoughts. My half-formed ideas. My doubts.

The response? People actually read it. Not just skimmed - read. They shared it. Engaged with it. Asked questions about it.

This is where I discovered something crucial: In content creation, you are the bookends.

You Define and Refine, while AI serves as your powerful tool in between.

I refer to this as the 10/80/10 Principle where you’re responsible for the first and last 10% while AI (or a human) does the middle 80%.

Here’s How To Create Perfectly Imperfect Content with AI as Your Copilot

1. DEFINE your vision:

• What actually keeps you up at night about this topic?

• What makes you angry or excited that others seem to miss?

• What's the weird connection only you would make?

Braindump. Get into "messy thinking mode." Write down your unfiltered thoughts about your topic—the weird angles, the personal stories, the half-formed concepts.

2. Use AI as your expansion tool, not your replacement

• Expand your thinking

• Challenge your assumptions

• Handle the heavy lifting

• Generate variations

But here's where most creators stop. They take AI's output and publish it as is. Don’t do that.

I'm writing about [TOPIC]. Here are my raw thoughts and unique angles:
[YOUR MESSY NOTES]

Please help me expand these ideas into a more structured outline, but PRESERVE my unique perspective and any unusual metaphors or examples. Don't smooth everything out.

The key is instructing AI to preserve, not perfect. You're asking it to organize without sanitizing.

3. REFINE by Injecting strategic imperfection

After receiving AI's structured version, deliberately reintroduce imperfection:

• Add a personal story that feels slightly off-topic but creates emotional connection

• Include a question you don't have the answer to

• Share a genuine doubt or counterpoint to your own argument

• Insert an unexpected metaphor that breaks conventional thinking

Create pattern interrupts

Review your AI-enhanced draft and look for places to break expected patterns:

• Add a one-sentence paragraph for emphasis

• Insert a conversational aside (like this one)

• Use an unconventional formatting choice

• Introduce an element of surprise or contradiction

For instance, after three carefully structured paragraphs about strategic planning:

Wait. Actually, I'm not sure any of that matters if you don't first figure out what keeps you up at night.

That pattern interrupt signals authenticity and wakes up readers who have been lulled into autopilot by too many perfectly structured pieces.

5. Amplify YOUR voice, not the algorithm's

In your final edit, read the piece aloud and ask: "Does this sound like me at my most insightful and engaging, or does it sound like everyone else?"

If you find yourself thinking, "That's well-written but doesn't feel like me," that's your cue to rewrite that section entirely in your voice—with your phrases, your rhythms, your particular way of seeing the world.

Remember, AI excels at smoothing out the edges, but it's those edges that make your content catch and hold attention.

The goal isn't perfection. It's resonance.

In a world of perfect content, be the hammer that rings a lil’ differently.

Because when everything is optimized for algorithms, the only thing that stands out is being human.

And the last thing humans are is perfect.

So own it.

Do You Still Wanna “Cheat” with AI?

Ok, I got you.

I know you agree with me that adding a human element is important, but I also know my readers love using AI and love their prompts, so I’ll give them what they want (not YOU, I know you’re the type who likes to put humanity in your work.)

Here’s 2 prompts you can borrow that let AI introduce a 5th hammer into your writing.

A. Editing Prompt

After you’ve written your article (or had AI generate a perfect version) use this:

Analyze this content through the lens of the "fifth hammer" concept from Pythagoras (where the imperfect hammer created more resonant sound). My content may be too perfect, algorithmic, and forgettable.

[PASTE YOUR CONTENT HERE]

Please identify 3-5 specific places where I could introduce strategic imperfection to make this more human, memorable, and distinctive. For each suggestion:

1. Quote the current "too perfect" section
2. Suggest a specific modification that introduces:
   - A personal story or vulnerable admission
   - A thought-provoking question without an immediate answer
   - An unexpected metaphor or comparison
   - A pattern interrupt that breaks the flow strategically
   - A controversial or counterintuitive point

For each suggestion, explain WHY this specific imperfection would create more reader connection and memorability. Be bold with your suggestions - I want to stand out, not blend in.

Then see how it does. It might still be too perfect but could give you something to further refine.

B. Prompt to create the whole damn article imperfectly perfect

I want to write a compelling piece about [TOPIC] that embodies the "fifth hammer" principle - content that strategically breaks perfection to create more human connection and memorability.

Start by helping me develop:

1. A central idea that challenges conventional wisdom about [TOPIC]

2. Three supporting points that follow logical structure

3. For each supporting point, suggest where to introduce strategic imperfection:
- Where should I add a personal anecdote that seems slightly off-topic but creates emotional resonance?
- Where should I introduce a doubt or admission of uncertainty?
- Where should I break expected patterns with a one-sentence paragraph or conversational aside?
- Where should I use an unexpected metaphor or reference?

4. Create an outline that maintains professional structure but incorporates these "fifth hammer moments" at strategic points.

5. For the conclusion, suggest how I might leave readers with a deliberate loose end or thought-provoking question rather than perfect closure.

Remember: I'm not looking for chaos, but rather strategic dissonance that makes the content more human and memorable. Help me create content that stands out precisely because it isn't algorithmically perfect.

So there you go. How to suck enough to be perfect. (Maybe that should have been the title to this article.

Feel free to use AI to be perfectly imperfect, just make sure to keep your Sovereign Mind. Here’s how…

The Sovereign Mind: How to Keep Your Brain When Everyone Else Is Outsourcing Theirs To AI

read.acceleratedintelligence.ai/p/the-sovereign-mind-how-to-keep-your-brain-when-everyone-else-is-outsourcing-theirs-to-ai

Let's talk about clarity in a world that feels chaotic.

I recently created the Accelerated Intelligence Manifesto – not because I needed another marketing document, but because I needed a compass. 

Maybe you do too.

What's a Manifesto (And Why Should You Care)?

A manifesto is simply a public declaration of what you believe and the future you're committed to creating. It's your stake in the ground.

The BEST ones throughout history didn't just describe reality – they reimagined it. They gave people something to rally around.  

Examples include: The Declaration of Indepence, The 10 Commandments, MLK Jr’s “I have a dream” speech, and Apple’s ad “Here’s to the crazy ones” 

The WORST manifestos in history created misery, violence and discord.  

Examples include: The Communist Manifesto, the Unabomber Manifesto etc. 

Good or bad, the right words, mission and manifesto can spark a movement. 

And that doesn’t need to be a global movement, it can spark movement in you, personally. 

Why I Created Mine

After 20+ years as an entrepreneur, I've learned that when everything is changing around you, internal clarity becomes your superpower.

I wrote my manifesto because:

1. It cuts through the noise (and there's a LOT of noise about AI right now)

2. It attracts people who think like us and repels those who don't

3. It keeps me honest when I'm tempted to chase shiny objects

The core of mine? I believe we can (and must) evolve faster than the world changes around us.

That technology should amplify our creativity, not replace it. That the future belongs to those who create it, not those waiting for it to arrive.

And ultimately, I created it to create clarity in how I want to communicate with you and who I want to surround my self with.

The pace is speeding up. New tools. New threats. New noise.

Most people are overwhelmed. Paralyzed.

Waiting for someone to hand them a map.

Not us. We’re different.

We don’t chase trends—we shape them.

We don’t worship tools—we wield them.

Artificial intelligence is a lever.

Human intelligence is the force behind it.

Accelerated intelligence is our reward.

We don’t seek perfection. We seek progress.

We’re builders who can’t sit still while the world shifts.

We’d rather shape the future than survive it.

We don’t need more information. We need better questions.

Sharper models. Faster decisions.

And the courage to build something new before the old model breaks.

Because the world isn’t waiting.

So we ship. We test. We iterate.

We don’t hide behind perfect plans.

We build while others hesitate.

We create while others consume.

Not because we’re fearless—but because we’ve learned to move despite the fear.

If you see the world changing and feel the pull to level up how you think, lead, and build…

Then you’re one of us.

Welcome.

Should You Create One Too?

Honestly, yes – even if nobody else ever sees it.

The process alone will force you to articulate what you actually believe versus what you've absorbed from others. And that clarity is worth its weight in gold.

And you can do it alone, or you can use AI to help.

Here’s how…

The Step-by-Step Brand Manifesto Playbook

Here's an AI prompt that will give you a headstart on how to create your own powerful manifesto.  

Instructions:  Copy the text below in its entirety into your favorite AI tool (ChatGPT etc) and then follow the directions. 

NOTE: If you don’t know how to best answer some of the questions it asks you, tell it or say “I don’t know”.

# Brand Manifesto Prompt

Use this prompt to write emotionally resonant, belief-driven brand manifestos in a clear, human, and momentum-driven style. This is not corporate boilerplate. This is for brands that lead with values, attract a tribe, and move people to action.

---

## IMPORTANT: Ask only ONE question at a time. Wait for the answer before proceeding to the next question.

## Step 0: Brand Basics

1. **Your brand name:** What's your company called?

2. **Your offering:** Complete this sentence: "We help [type of customer] to [achieve this result] through our [product/service]."

3. **Your customers:** Who are the 2-3 specific types of people who buy from you most often? Be specific about their situation.

4. **Your category:** If a customer was searching online for what you offer, what terms would they type?

## Step 1: Your Brand's Core

5. **Your secret sauce:** What's one thing you do differently that customers consistently praise?

6. **Their before state:** Describe a typical customer before they find you. What are they struggling with?

7. **Their after state:** Describe that same customer after working with you. What's changed for them?

## Step 2: Your Brand's Heart

8. **Brand personality:** If your brand was a person at a party, how would people describe them? Select any that apply:
   a) Friendly & approachable
   b) Bold & confident  
   c) Sophisticated & premium
   d) Playful & fun
   e) Caring & supportive
   f) Expert & authoritative
   g) Innovative & forward-thinking
   h) Traditional & reliable
   i) Inspiring & motivational
   j) Practical & straightforward

9. **Your story:** Do you have an origin story or moment that inspired you to start this business? If so, briefly share it.

10. **Your purpose:** Beyond making money, is there a specific difference you're trying to make?

## Step 3: Brand Voice

11. **Your motto:** Do you have a phrase or saying that captures your approach or philosophy?

12. **Language check:** Are there specific words or phrases you use regularly when talking about your work? Are there any words you actively avoid?

## Step 4: Emotional Connection

13. **Customer feelings:** How do you want customers to feel when they interact with your brand?

14. **Industry contrast:** What frustrates you about how others in your industry operate or communicate with customers?

## Step 5: Manifesto Style

15. **Tone preference:** Which of these writing styles do you prefer for your manifesto?
    a) Bold and rallying (like a passionate speech)
    b) Warm and inviting (like advice from a trusted friend)
    c) Clear and authoritative (like an expert perspective)
    d) Visionary and inspiring (like a glimpse of the future)

---

## Writing Style

- **Bold, human, and clear** — speak to real people, not demographics.
- **Tribal and identity-driven** — written for those who believe what you believe.
- **Short sentences, rhythmic flow** — let each line hit like a drum.
- **Belief before benefits** — show them who they are before what they get.
- **Invitation over explanation** — this is a manifesto, not a brochure.
- **Emotional truth over data** — make them feel something true, not just know something useful.
- **Conversational brevity** — use punchy, incomplete sentences. Just like we talk.
- **Provocative questions** — challenge assumptions and invite reflection.
- **Repeated motifs** — build rhythm with intentional repetition that creates momentum.
- **Contrast and tension** — highlight the gap between what is and what could be.
- **Everyday metaphors** — make complex ideas tangible through simple, vivid comparisons.
- Important: Write it in the style of Seth Godin.

---

## Manifesto Construction Instructions

Once all answers are gathered, write a manifesto that:

- Opens with a disruptive truth or observation that creates immediate resonance.
- Speaks directly to the reader using second-person ("you") and collective voice ("we").
- Uses one-sentence paragraphs strategically to emphasize key points.
- Creates a "before and after" narrative arc that transforms frustration into possibility.
- Moves from belief → identity → action.
- Feels like a rallying cry, not a company pitch.
- Makes a clear distinction between "us" (those who get it) and "them" (those who don't).
- Ends with a call to belonging that feels both exclusive and inviting.

You can also use the CustomGPT I created for you here at ChatGPT

5 Ways to Use Your New Brand Manifesto

• Guide Your Marketing: Put your manifesto on your website, social profiles and pitches. This keeps your messaging consistent everywhere.

• Make Better Decisions: When considering new opportunities, check if they align with your manifesto. This helps you stay true to your vision.

• Align Your Team: Share it with everyone who works with you. It helps new people understand what you stand for and keeps everyone moving in the same direction.

• Create Better Content: Use each core belief as a content theme. This gives you a clear framework for blogs, videos and social posts.

• Find Your Best Clients: Show your manifesto to potential clients early. The right ones will immediately connect with it, while others will realize you're not a fit—saving everyone time.

This is just one step in the process of inventing or REinventing who you are and who you want to become. 

And if you like this, there’s a lot more where this comes from. 

Until next time,

Brad Costanzo
AcceleratedIntelligence.AI 

P.S. The most powerful manifestos aren't the ones with the fanciest language – they're the ones that make people say "Yes! That's exactly what I've been thinking but couldn't articulate." Aim for that reaction and you'll know you're onto something.

Life can feel like a relentless game of whack-a-mole, especially when you're building something meaningful while dodging distractions and doubts.

If you've ever found yourself:

• Jumping from one business idea to the next, hoping to find the one that finally clicks

• Feeling stuck in a loop, wondering if there's more than just grinding it out every day

• Dreaming of controlling your future, but unsure how to make it happen

Then you're in the right place. No magic wand here, but I've been in your shoes.

Who Am I?

I'm not the tech-geek AI expert some think I am.

I'm a tech-tinkerer and experimenter. I've done cool things with AI but I'm not a programmer (though with AI's help, that's changing).

I just FAFIO: F#ck Around & Figure It Out

*You’d be surprised at how good you can get at life and AI just by doing that. And it’s not to be confused with its cousin: FAFO: F#ck Around and Find Out… the later one means you deal with the outcome. The first one means you define the outcome.

For 20+ years, I've started businesses, bought and sold them, and helped entrepreneurs unlock their potential and build businesses that create both money and freedom.

I've worked with everyone from scrappy startups to 8-figure companies, a couple billionaires, a world-champion athlete, and many more. I help them refine offers, scale marketing, and leverage tools like AI to work smarter.

But I'm far from gifted and I didn’t start out with an edge.

I'm midwestern raised, San Diego transplanted, and had to figure things out through trial and error.

Born in 1974, I have the unique perspective of living both without technology and seeing it transform everything.

My obsessions: living life on my terms and not wasting my potential.

My superpowers: learning fast and starting things faster. (Finishing what I start has been an issue though).

My Zigzag Path

In 2008, I read a book and started selling info products before I knew what they were.

Then I launched a software company simultaneously (pro tip: don't start two businesses at once).

I created a hit business podcast just to connect with people I admired. I tried affiliate marketing, real estate, consulting, and ventures I'd rather forget.

Many of them worked. Many didn't.

But I learned: there's no failure, only feedback.

My life changed however when I realized that I can get leverage with technology and skills while being leverage to help other people create more growth, money, autonomy and impact.

The Real Lesson

Success isn't finding the "perfect" idea. It's about resilience and reinvention.

It's taking what you've learned, pivoting when necessary, and building something aligned with who you are and the life you want.

Today, I'm proof you don't need a traditional path to create freedom and fulfillment. I've built businesses I'm proud of, sold ones I gave birth to, and helped others rewrite their futures.

But most importantly? I've designed a life that makes me excited about each day.

That's what I want for you.

These emails aren't just business tips or AI or marketing hacks (though you'll get those). They're about helping you unlock potential, think bigger, and take control.

Because here's the truth: The world doesn't reward talent. It rewards execution. It rewards clarity. And it rewards those willing to bet on themselves.

If you're ready to stop spinning wheels and start building something that matters, stick around. I've got a lot to share.

Talk soon,
Brad Costanzo

Last week, I shared my Digital Darwinism framework—how to adapt strategically in the AI economy. Your responses were fantastic. Seems like the competitive intelligence dashboard hit a nerve (and yes, I'll share more on that soon).

But adaptation alone isn't enough.

In a world where everyone has access to the same AI tools and information, the ultimate advantage goes to those who create more. More content. More products. More ideas. More solutions.

The problem? Most people are stuck in consumption mode. (I fall into this trap more than I care to admit)

They read but don't write. They learn but don't teach. They consume but don't create.

This isn't just a productivity problem—it's an evolution problem. Consumers follow. Creators lead.

The Great Creation Gap

While content consumption has exploded, content creation remains flat. Everyone's reading tweets, but few are writing them. Everyone's watching videos, but few are making them.

The same applies to businesses, products, services, and ideas.

This creation gap creates massive opportunity. When supply stays flat but demand grows exponentially, the value of creation skyrockets.

After years of obsession with productivity systems (I've tried them all, from Getting Things Done to Bullet Journals to every app under the sun), I've developed what I call The Creation Code—a system for 10X output that leverages both human creativity and AI amplification.

Here's how it works:

1. Idea Extraction: Mine Your Mind

Most people think they need more ideas. The truth? You already have enough—they're just trapped in your head.

The first step is extracting and capturing these ideas before they evaporate.

Practical Tip #1: Build your idea extraction system

1. Create a friction-free capture tool (I use a voice recorder app and Notion)

2. Schedule 15-minute "idea extraction" sessions 3x weekly

3. Use these prompts to mine your thinking:

   • What bothered me this week that others might share?

   • What did I explain to someone that they found valuable?

   • What pattern am I noticing that others might be missing?

   • What do I wish existed but doesn't yet?

Practical AI Tip #2: Use AI as an idea multiplier

1. Take one of your extracted ideas and use this prompt: (change the info inside the [brackets] to be relevant to you).

I'm exploring this idea: [Your idea]

Please help me expand this by:

1. Identifying 5 different angles to explore this idea

2. For each angle, suggest 3 specific examples or applications

3. Identify any counterintuitive aspects of this idea

4. Suggest how this idea connects to these topics: [Your industry/interests]

2. Save the output to your idea library

3. Add your own thoughts to the AI's suggestions

I use this process weekly and have built an idea library of over 500 potential topics—enough content runway for years.

2. Systematic Creation: Build Your Factory

Waiting for inspiration is for amateurs. Professionals build systems that produce consistently, whether inspiration strikes or not.

Practical Tip #3: Create your production blocks

1. Identify your high-energy times (mine are 6-9am and 2-4pm)

2. Block these times exclusively for creation—no meetings, no email, no consumption

3. Establish pre-creation rituals that signal to your brain it's time to produce (mine is making a specific tea and putting on instrumental music)

4. Use the "touch it once" rule—when you start creating something, finish at least a complete draft before switching tasks

Practical AI Tip #4: Build your scaffolding system

1. For each content type you create, develop a basic structure template

2. Use this prompt to build your scaffolds:

Help me create a structural template for [content type]:

My goal is to: [what you want this content to achieve]

My audience is: [brief description]

My style is: [brief description]

Please create:

1. A flexible structure with key components

2. 3-5 potential hooks/openings

3. 3-5 potential closings

4. Transition phrases between sections

5. Questions to ask myself as I create

Then save these scaffolds as templates.

This system has cut my content creation time by 40% while improving quality.

3. Amplified Output: Scale Without Sacrifice

The final step is using strategic amplification to turn one creation into many without sacrificing quality.

Practical Tip #5: The Content Multiplication Matrix

1. Create a 3x3 grid with:

   • Rows: Different formats (written, audio, visual)

   • Columns: Different lengths (short, medium, long)

2. When you create something new, plot how it can be transformed to fill other cells in the matrix

3. Prioritize the diagonal (short written → medium audio → long visual) for maximum efficiency

Practical AI Tip #6: Build your content expansion system

1. After creating a piece of content, use this prompt:

I've created this content: [Paste your content]

Help me expand this into:

1. A thread of 7-10 tweets with the key insights

2. 5 LinkedIn posts focusing on different angles

3. An email newsletter expanding on the main idea

4. 3 potential hooks for a video on this topic

5. 10 prompts for visuals/graphics to illustrate key points

For each adaptation, maintain my voice and style while optimizing for the platform.

Use the AI output as a starting point, then apply your own judgment and voice

Practical AI Tip #7: Create your feedback loop

1. For any content you create, use this prompt before publishing:

Review this content from my audience's perspective:

[Paste your content]

Please analyze:

1. The strongest parts (and why they work)

2. The weakest parts (and how to strengthen them)

3. What questions remain unanswered

4. How this could be misinterpreted

5. One unexpected direction this could take

Don't focus on grammar/spelling—focus on impact and clarity.

Incorporate the feedback that resonates with your vision

I use this for all important content and it's caught numerous blind spots before they reached my audience.

The Bigger Game

This isn't just about creating more content. It's about becoming a producer in a world of consumers. A solution provider in a world of problem spotters. An innovator in a world of imitators.

The beauty of The Creation Code is that it's platform-agnostic. It works whether you're creating:

• Content (articles, emails, videos, etc.)

• Products and services

• Business strategies

• Art and creative works

• Solutions to complex problems

While AI can and will create generic content, it can't create YOUR content—the unique combination of your experiences, insights, and vision.

The future belongs to those who create what only they can create, at a scale that was previously impossible.

Until then, start creating.

—Brad Costanzo

P.S. What's one idea you've had stuck in your head that you haven't created yet? Reply back or tell me in the comments. Sometimes just articulating it is the first step to making it real.

Last week, I wrote about the Sovereign Mind—maintaining intellectual independence while leveraging AI. Many of you told me you're already implementing the TECI framework (Think, Enhance, Critique, Integrate). Evolution in action!

But today, we need to talk about something more urgent: survival.

Darwin never actually said "survival of the fittest." What he described was survival of the most adaptable. Those who adapt to changing environments thrive. Those who don't... well, ask the dinosaurs how that went.

We're living through the business equivalent of a meteor strike.

The Great Extinction Event

Look around. Companies that dominated for decades are vanishing. Skills that guaranteed employment are becoming obsolete. Business models that worked last year are failing today.

This isn't ordinary disruption—it's an extinction-level event.

But unlike the dinosaurs, we can see the meteor coming. We can prepare. We can adapt.

I've been studying how the most successful adapters navigate these rapid changes. They follow a pattern I call Digital Darwinism—a three-part evolution strategy that turns existential threats into exponential opportunities.

Here's how it works:

1. Environmental Scanning: See It Coming

Most people wait until disruption affects them directly before responding. By then, it's too late.

Digital Darwinists scan the horizon constantly, identifying threats and opportunities long before others.

Here's how to upgrade your environmental scanning:

Practical AI Tip #1: Create your personal trend radar

1. List the 5-7 domains most relevant to your business (e.g., AI, marketing, consumer behavior)

2. Use ChatGPT to build a custom "trend scout" prompt: (change the information in the [brackets] to be relevant foryou.

Act as my trend scout for [your domains]. For each domain:

1. Identify 3 emerging trends that are not yet mainstream

2. Explain why each matters to my business

3. Provide 1 concrete example of a company leveraging this trend

4. Suggest 1 small experiment I could run to test this trend

Update this analysis weekly with fresh insights.

This creates your personal trend intelligence system. I've been using this for months and it's flagged multiple opportunities I would have missed.

Practical AI Tip #2: Build a competitive intelligence dashboard

1. Identify your top 5 competitors and 5 companies you admire outside your industry

2. Use a combination of RSS feeds, Twitter lists, and Google Alerts to track their movements

3. Have Claude or GPT-4 summarize this information weekly:

Analyze these updates from my competitive landscape:
[Paste in your collected updates]

Identify:
1. Major strategic shifts
2. New product/service offerings
3. Changes in messaging or positioning
4. Unexpected partnerships or acquisitions
5. What surprised you most about these updates?

This gives you near-omniscient awareness of your competitive landscape with minimal effort.

2. Strategic Adaptation: Evolve Deliberately

Adaptation isn't reactive—it's strategic. The best adapters don't just respond to change; they position themselves to benefit from it.

Practical AI Tip #3: Run an AI vulnerability audit

1. List your core business processes and revenue streams

2. For each one, prompt ChatGPT with:

Analyze how AI could disrupt this business process/revenue stream:

[Describe the process/revenue stream]

Provide:

1. Specific AI technologies that could replace or transform this

2. Timeline for when this disruption might occur (1yr, 3yr, 5yr+)

3. Potential mitigation strategies

4. Ways to leverage this same AI to strengthen my position

I did this exercise last month and identified two revenue streams at high risk of AI disruption—then created new offerings that leverage the same AI technologies to replace that revenue.

Practical AI Tip #4: Create your adaptation roadmap

1. Identify 3 capabilities you need to develop based on your environmental scanning

2. For each capability, use this prompt:

Help me develop a learning roadmap for [capability]:

1. Break this down into component skills

2. Recommend learning resources for each component (prioritize practical over theoretical)

3. Suggest 3 small projects to build this capability through practice

4. Identify experts I should study/follow to master this

This creates a personalized evolution plan focused on high-leverage capabilities.

3. Creation Advantage: Build Your Moat

The ultimate form of adaptation isn't just surviving disruption—it's creating something that gives you an advantage nobody else has.

In the AI economy, moats aren't built through proprietary technology (AI is democratizing too fast). They're built through unique combinations of:

• Your personal perspective

• Your specialized knowledge

• Your network

• Your systems for execution

Practical AI Tip #5: Map your unique landscape

1. Use this prompt to identify your personal advantage zones:

Help me map my unique advantages:

My background includes: [your experience, skills, interests]

My specialized knowledge includes: [domains you know deeply]

My network includes: [types of people you know]

My execution strengths include: [how you get things done]

Based on this, identify:

1. 3-5 unique intersections where I have unusual advantages

2. How these intersections relate to emerging trends

3. Potential offerings/positions I could develop that leverage these intersections

This exercise reveals the playing fields where you're most likely to win.

Practical AI Tip #6: Build your execution engine

1. Identify one high-leverage business function (marketing, product development, etc.)

2. Document your current process in bullet points

3. Use this prompt to build an AI-enhanced system:

Help me create an AI-enhanced system for [business function]:

Current process: [your bullet points]

Redesign this process to:

1. Reduce time required by 50%+

2. Improve quality/results

3. Make it less dependent on specialized skills

4. Build in continuous improvement

Include specific AI tools and prompts for each step.

Implement the system, refine based on results, then repeat for other functions

I've used this to rebuild our content creation system, cutting production time by 60% while improving quality. Now we're applying it to client acquisition.

The Choice Is Yours

Digital Darwinism isn't a theory—it's the operating reality of today's business landscape.

The choice isn't whether to evolve. The choice is whether to evolve intentionally or be forced to adapt reactively (usually too late).

The businesses and careers that will thrive in the next decade won't be those with the most resources or the longest history. They'll be those that evolve fastest.

Like that ancient fish that decided to try its luck on land, the biggest rewards go to those willing to venture into new territory before it's comfortable or obvious.

Best,
Brad Costanzo
AcceleratedIntelligence.AI

P.S. Which of these practical tips resonated most with you? I'm collecting examples of how people are implementing these strategies, and I'd love to hear your plans. Reply and let me know.

As machines are getting smarter, many people are getting dumber (hard to believe that last part's possible sometimes).

With AI, people are outsourcing their thinking at an alarming rate.

They get all their ideas from ChatGPT. They follow algorithmic recommendations on social media, letting machines tell them what to read, what to make, and how to think.

The result? A generation of intellectual sheep in AI clothing.

But machines aren’t taking over. Some folks are just voluntarily handing over the keys to their minds.

(And frankly it's hard to blame them, I get tempted too and I have to catch myself because it's a trap).

The Great Thinking Surrender

"Let me ask AI" has become the reflexive response to any moment of mental friction. Stuck on a problem? Ask AI. Need a creative idea? Ask AI. Unsure about a decision? Ask AI.

This isn't just about productivity—it's about intellectual sovereignty.

When you outsource your critical thinking, your brain becomes the middleman between the question and the AI, a glorified prompt engineer for someone else's intelligence.

That's not what we're here for.

A Sovereign Mind Framework

A Sovereign Mind isn't anti-AI—it's pro-human. It views AI as a powerful thinking partner rather than a replacement. It maintains strategic control while leveraging computational power.

Here's how it works in practice:

1. Think Intentionally

Consider this necessary “exercise” so that your brain doesn’t end up in a wheelchair.

• Form your own hypothesis before asking AI

• Get really good at asking the right questions (which is a huge sign of intelligence)

• Decide when to think for yourself (strategy, creativity, values) and when to delegate (research, drafting, analysis)

Look, this part is hard to do now. AI gives us such a shortcut and if we keep taking it, it’s like a drug. It’s fun at first and then our minds atrophy. Pretty soon, we’re licking windows.

That’s why this part requires intentionality.

Before asking AI anything, spend 5 minutes writing down your own thoughts first. Compare the difference in output quality when you bring your initial thinking versus coming empty-handed.

2. Collaboration intelligently

A Sovereign Mind doesn't just use AI—it collaborates with it.

Here’s a simple framework I call "TECI": Think, Enhance, Critique, Integrate.

1. Think: Develop your initial thoughts independently

2. Enhance: Have AI expand and enhance your thinking

3. Critique: Ask AI to critique both your original thoughts and its enhancements

4. Integrate: You decide what to keep, what to discard, and what to transform

Case study: How TECI transformed a product launch

Last year, I was working with a client who sells coaching programs for real estate investors. Their upcoming launch was tracking toward about $40K based on their previous results, but they knew they were missing something in their messaging.

Here's exactly how we applied the TECI framework:

1. Think: I spent 90 minutes working with the client to identify their core value proposition. We determined their three biggest differentiators were their proprietary cash flow analysis method, their done-for-you acquisition support, and their uncommon focus on recession-resistant properties. Most importantly, we articulated our hypothesis that prospects weren't buying because they didn't believe they could find good deals in the current market.

2. Enhance: We fed these insights to AI, asking it to expand on these differentiators and generate 15 different angles to address the "no good deals" objection. The AI returned several compelling frameworks, including a "Hidden Market Opportunity Map" concept we hadn't considered.

3. Critique: Here's where it gets interesting. Instead of just running with the AI's suggestions, we asked it to play skeptical prospect and poke holes in each of our messaging angles. The AI identified that our "proprietary analysis method" sounded too vague and theoretical, and that we needed concrete examples of recent deals that succeeded using this method.

3. The 10-80-10 Rule

You've heard of the 80/20 rule, where 80% of your results come from 20% of your inputs. If this is somehow new to you, read The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch.

I have a different spin on this:

• First 10% = You (Define the vision, problem, or goal)

• Middle 80% = AI (Execute, research, draft, analyze)

• Final 10% = You (Refine, personalize, make final decisions)

This means you still need to DEFINE what you want and then REFINE what you get.

How well you handle this critical 20% will separate you in an AI-saturated world.

The better you define what you want and don't want, the better the output you get.

The better you refine and edit what you get, the more human, personal and effective it will be.

AI is the greatest enabler we’ve ever seen.

But like any enabler, there’s a positive and negative side.

If it enables you to be better, faster, more creative and solve bigger problems, you win.

But it also enables you to be lazy, thoughtless and haphazard as well.

You’ll see the latter everywhere.

You (we) need to intentionally take back sovereignty over our minds (this includes our information diet, social media, the news etc).

After all, relying solely on AI for thinking is like using a wheelchair when you can walk—convenient in the moment, but devastating to your long-term ability to stand on your own intellectual feet.

Exercise your mental mobility before you forget how to move.

Brad Costanzo
AcceleratedIntelligence.AI