Practical AI, in writing.
Workflows, prompts, tools, and field notes from building production AI systems.Page 5 of 19
ChatGPT Agent vs Claude Cowork: The Honest Answer
Everyone wants me to crown a winner between ChatGPT Agent and Claude Cowork. They are different tools. Here is when each one wins.
Your AI Instructions Are Too Long
Most people write custom instructions as two paragraphs. Don't. Six lines beats two paragraphs every time. Here is the format.
Excel Without Typing a Single Formula
I dropped a folder of receipts into Claude and got back a real Excel file with categories, totals, a chart, and working formulas. Never wrote VLOOKUP.
Make Your AI Check Its Own Work
The best thing you can add to any AI setup is a checklist. Tell it what good looks like and make it check itself before handing you anything.
Your AI Is Confident When It's Wrong
The scariest thing about AI is how sure it sounds when it is totally wrong. My fix: run it twice, with a second session checking the first.
When to NOT Use Cowork
Cowork is the wrong tool for half the things people use it for. Ideation, quick edits, single questions belong in chat. Here is the honest line.
Never Let Your AI Delete Anything
AI agents can delete your files. Flip one setting so it asks before acting. Takes 30 seconds and it saved me from losing a client file last week.
Your AI Can See Way More Than You Think
Gave your AI access to your whole Downloads folder? It can read everything in there. Scope it down to three folders max. Here is the setup.
Stop Chatting With Your AI
Most people use AI like they are texting a friend. Back and forth, little questions. Give it the whole job in one shot and let it run instead.
The One File That Changes Everything With Claude
There is a file Claude reads every time you open it, and most people do not know it exists. It is called CLAUDE.md. Here is why it matters.
Don't Install Claude Cowork Like This
Giving Claude Cowork access to your entire Mac is how files you actually need go missing. The 30-second fix that prevents it.
The One Line That Keeps AI From Breaking Your Stuff
One sentence added to every prompt that touches your files turns Claude from a loose cannon into something that asks before it wrecks anything.