Do you want to grow a profitable content business? If so, join 25,000 readers. I share daily insights about personal brand building, writing online and growing a profitable business. It's for creators, coaches and business owners.
How AI killed my word count obsession
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I coached writers and creators on the principle of little writing for years. Here’s how it works: Write a little every day. You only need 15 minutes to write 300 words. 300 words a day equals 2100+ words a week. Somedays you’ll write more, some days less. But write like this, and you’ll create over 8000+ words a month. That’s 50,000+ words in six months. And that’s a draft for an entire book. I lived this advice, too. Every morning, I pushed myself to write a set number of words, tracking my output on a fancy Google Sheet (hit me up if you want it). I published over 1,000 blog posts and half a dozen books while working a corporate gig, following the principle of little writing. Little writing still works, but I don’t create like a word wrangler gunning for a set word count anymore. Pro Creators, the ones who get paid, are better off acting like a Chief Idea Officer. That’s because of how Large Language Model works. Prompt ChatGPT or Claude, and it’ll predict what words will come next. Then, it’ll build a response one word at a time. It only takes a second. Magic! But AI often spits out content that’s boring or flat-out wrong. Think of using AI as like having a friend who’s read every book but has never left the room. Chances are they don’t have much to say beyond reciting common knowledge. The quality of an output from an LLM depends on your initial prompt and ideas. Unlike creators, LLMs can’t experience the warm buzz of helping a client, the rush after a good workout, or the awe and worry that comes when a doctor hands you your firstborn. That’s why I work more like a Chief Idea Officer over gunning for a set word count. Every morning, I document my experiences. I record stories about what’s working or failing at home or business. Or I take notes about ideas I’ve come across in books, courses, and podcasts. After spending 30-60 minutes depositing into my bank of content ideas, I turn to AI. I use AI to hone a few of them into something for my business. That’s not how a word wrangler works but how a Chief Idea Officer operates. Slip into this role, and you’ll create far more in a month than was possible in a year. It’s a fine line, though. I’ve no time for generic mass-produced AI content. I treat ChatGPT and Claude like digital writing assistants. They take care of the mundane parts of the job, like predicting what words come next or iterating headlines. Then, I decide if they’re right. They also freed me up to work on creating offers, working with clients, and writing what AI can’t ever generate. I can also help you with that. Every day you spend counting words is another day your competitors spend scaling their ideas with AI. I can show you how to turn a single idea into a month of content and become a Chief Idea Officer. I’m running a workshop you won’t want to miss this Thursday: The Art of Prompt Writing: Master the Language of AI. For just $47, you’ll discover: I don’t plan to rerun this workshop, but if you buy a ticket, you'll receive a recording. |
Letters From the Desk of Bryan Collins
Do you want to grow a profitable content business? If so, join 25,000 readers. I share daily insights about personal brand building, writing online and growing a profitable business. It's for creators, coaches and business owners.
I’m running an exclusive workshop on Thursday, 26th February. “The Art of Prompt Writing: Master the Language of AI” I’ve developed a specialized approach to AI prompt writing that helps me create authentic, engaging content without losing the human touch. While AI can’t replicate genuine storytelling, it’s an invaluable and affordable writing assistant when you properly prompt it. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover: My proven framework for writing prompts that deliver exactly what...
In my corporate days, all the big execs employed executive assistants. Last time I checked, the exec assistants earned upwards of $100k per year. Nice work if you can get it. However, I’d a sneaking suspicion these exec assistants did the real work, while their bosses hopped in and out of Microsoft Teams calls in between boozy long lunches and golf games. I liked the idea of having a right hand. So, when I quit the corporate racket and started my business, I hired my first assistant. We...
I’m a big Strava user. For the uninitiated, It’s like social media for running and cycling nerds. Nail a workout, upload it, and get kudos from your running and cycling buddies. They recently squeezed AI into the product. Now Strava Intelligence is summarizing my workouts with mindless platitudes like “solid long run” even if I spent half the workout gasping violently on the side of the running track. Like a trainer who says “good job” after every set, generic AI feedback adds no value. So, I...