How To Get Started With A.I.? Talk Naturally…
Eben Pagan breaks down AI prompting fundamentals, revealing that effective prompting is simply good communication. He demonstrates how talking naturally to AI tools unlocks 60-70% of use cases, while sharing practical examples from accounting tasks to philosophical learning.
Teachings 6
Talking to AI naturally like a human assistant unlocks 60-70% of all use cases without advanced techniques
Eben shares his accounting example where he simply said 'can you turn this into Excel file' to convert calendar data with different conversion rates, demonstrating that simple requests often work perfectly
Effective AI prompting follows the same rules as good human communication: be concise and avoid ambiguity at all costs
Eben explains that since large language models are 'trained on things that humans said and human communication,' convoluted sentences that humans can't understand will also confuse AI
People with natural communication skills excel at AI prompting because the same principles apply to both
Eben observes that individuals with strong communication abilities naturally become effective prompt engineers, as AI models are trained on human communication patterns
Philosophers make exceptional AI prompt engineers because their clear thinking and understanding of axioms translates directly to effective communication
Eben notes that philosophers 'understand their own worldview and how it's built and the axioms that it's built upon' which enables them to 'communicate the essence of the thing or communicate at different layers'
Clear thinking is the foundation of effective prompting—when your thinking is clear, the solution becomes obvious
Eben teaches that 'if you can get your thinking clear then the solution to the prompt is very it's easy it's right in front of you' drawing parallels to his marketing and copywriting instruction methods
AI can be used as an exceptional philosophy teacher, starting from your current level and explaining concepts in words, sentences, or paragraphs tailored to your situation
Eben suggests that for those who thought learning philosophy was 'too weird and too abstract,' ChatGPT 'can start with you right where you're at' and 'explain it for your situation'
Perspectives 1
A good prompt is simply one that gives you a satisfactory result, regardless of complexity or technique used
Eben explains that despite seeing 'fancy prompts and approaches and personas and context and priming it with information,' the only metric that matters is getting results you're happy with
Quotable Moments 3
“at the end of the day only thing that matters is that you get a result that you're happy with”
— Eben Pagan“at the end of the day it's just communication it's just good communication”
— Eben Pagan“if you can get your thinking clear then the solution to the prompt is very it's easy it's right in front of you”
— Eben Pagan
How to Prompt AI Effectively
A simple approach to AI prompting that works for most use cases
- 1
Start Simple
Talk to the AI like you would talk to a human assistant with a simple, natural request
- 2
Apply Communication Rules
Be concise and avoid ambiguity at all costs, just like in human communication
- 3
Focus on Results
Judge your prompt by whether it gives you satisfactory results, not by its complexity
- 4
Clarify Your Thinking
Get clear on what you want before prompting—clear thinking leads to clear solutions
Questions Answered
What makes a good AI prompt according to Eben Pagan?
“at the end of the day only thing that matters is that you get a result that you're happy with right so that that is one of the first things that one needs to realize like what makes a good pumpt right that that's kind of a big question and the answer is very simple it's when you get a result that you're satisfied satisfied with your prompt is good enough”
— Eben Pagan▶ 0:31
A good prompt is simply one that gives you results you're satisfied with. The complexity doesn't matter—sometimes a single sentence works perfectly.
How should beginners approach AI prompting?
“at the very base level even when I use it on my on a day-to-day basis I find myself just talking to it like a human”
— Eben Pagan
Talk to AI like you would talk to a human assistant. This natural approach unlocks 60-70% of use cases without needing advanced techniques.
What communication principles work best for AI prompting?
“at the end of the day it's just communication it's just good communication the same things same rules that apply to good communication apply to good prompting um be concise avoid ambigu ambiguity at all cost right”
— Eben Pagan▶ 2:37
Use the same rules as good human communication: be concise and avoid ambiguity at all costs. These principles work because AI is trained on human communication.
Why are philosophers good at AI prompting?
“philosophers are extremely good prompt Engineers from what I've seen people who di in philosophy like and it's so confusing to most people like why would they be good because just what you said their thinking is clear”
— Eben Pagan▶ 4:11
Philosophers excel at prompting because they have clear thinking and understand their worldview's foundation, allowing them to communicate essence effectively at different layers.
Can AI help someone learn philosophy?
“try using chat to teach you philosophy because it can start with you right where you're at it can explain philosophy you know in a word in a sentence in a paragraph it can explain it for your situation”
— Eben Pagan▶ 4:43
Yes, AI can be an incredible philosophy teacher because it can start where you're at and explain concepts in words, sentences, or paragraphs tailored to your specific situation.
Summary
The Natural Approach to AI Prompting
Eben reveals that effective AI prompting starts with treating the AI like a human assistant. Rather than getting caught up in complex techniques, he demonstrates how simple, natural requests solve most problems. His accounting example shows how a straightforward ask can convert complex calendar data to Excel without any advanced prompting strategies.
Communication Principles Drive Prompting Success
The same rules that make human communication effective apply directly to AI prompting. Eben explains that since AI models are trained on human communication, being concise and avoiding ambiguity are crucial. People with strong communication skills naturally excel at prompting because they already understand these fundamental principles.
Clear Thinking as the Foundation
Drawing parallels to his marketing and copywriting teaching, Eben emphasizes that clear thinking precedes effective prompting. He shares the surprising insight that philosophers make exceptional prompt engineers because their training in logical thinking and understanding foundational principles translates directly to communicating effectively with AI systems.
Counterpoint
Claim: “AI prompting requires complex engineering techniques, personas, and advanced frameworks to be effective”
Reframe: The best prompts are often simple, natural requests that treat AI like a human assistant
Eben demonstrates with his accounting task where simply asking 'can you turn this into Excel file' worked perfectly, showing that 60-70% of use cases need no advanced techniques
Claim: “Prompt engineering is a mysterious technical skill that requires special training”
Reframe: Prompting is just good communication using the same rules that apply to human interaction
Eben explains that AI models are 'trained on things that humans said and human communication' so the same principles of being concise and avoiding ambiguity apply to both
Key Points 7
A good prompt is simply one that gives you a satisfactory result, regardless of complexity or technique used
▶ 0:31Talking to AI naturally like a human assistant unlocks 60-70% of all use cases without advanced techniques
▶ 1:43Effective AI prompting follows the same rules as good human communication: be concise and avoid ambiguity at all costs
▶ 2:37People with natural communication skills excel at AI prompting because the same principles apply to both
▶ 3:09Philosophers make exceptional AI prompt engineers because their clear thinking and understanding of axioms translates directly to effective communication
▶ 4:11Clear thinking is the foundation of effective prompting—when your thinking is clear, the solution becomes obvious
▶ 3:41AI can be used as an exceptional philosophy teacher, starting from your current level and explaining concepts in words, sentences, or paragraphs tailored to your situation
▶ 4:43Topics
Coaching Strategies
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes