Quick Reference

Essential information, best practices, and cheat sheets for daily AI use.

Prompting Cheat Sheet

Basic Formula

[ROLE] You are [expertise]
[TASK] I need you to [action]
[CONTEXT] Here's the situation: [details]
[FORMAT] Provide output as [structure]
[CONSTRAINTS] Must [requirements], avoid [limitations]

Key Phrases

For Better Reasoning:

• "Let's think step by step"
• "Explain your reasoning"
• "Show your work"
• "Break this down systematically"

For Accuracy:

• "If you're uncertain, say so"
• "Cite sources if possible"
• "Rate your confidence (1-10)"
• "What would you need to verify this?"

For Formatting:

• "Output as JSON"
• "Create a table with columns X, Y, Z"
• "Format as markdown"
• "Use bullet points"

For Iteration:

• "Now improve that by [specific aspect]"
• "Make it more [adjective]"
• "Revise focusing on [element]"
• "Try a different approach"

For Exploration:

• "Give me 10 different angles"
• "What are alternative perspectives?"
• "Challenge this assumption"
• "What am I missing?"

Model Selection Guide

Use GPT-5 When...

• ✓ You need broad capabilities
• ✓ You're using plugins/tools
• ✓ You want code execution
• ✓ Image generation needed (DALL-E)
• ✓ General purpose tasks

Use Claude When...

• ✓ You have long documents (100K+ tokens)
• ✓ You need superior analysis
• ✓ Safety and helpfulness are priorities
• ✓ You want thoughtful, nuanced responses

Use Gemini When...

• ✓ You need huge context (1M+ tokens)
• ✓ You're a Google Workspace user
• ✓ You want fast responses
• ✓ Generous free tier matters

Use Smaller Models When...

• ✓ Task is simple and well-defined
• ✓ Speed matters more than sophistication
• ✓ Cost is a concern
• ✓ You need many requests

Use Local Models When...

• ✓ Privacy is paramount
• ✓ You have good hardware (16GB+ RAM)
• ✓ You want full control
• ✓ You're customizing heavily

Common Tasks Quick Guide

Writing

Email: "Draft [type] email to [recipient] about [topic]. Tone: [X]"
Blog: "Write 500-word blog post on [topic] for [audience]"
Edit: "Edit for clarity, conciseness, and flow: [text]"
Summarize: "Summarize in 3 bullets: [text]"

Analysis

Data: "Analyze this data and find patterns: [data]"
Comparison: "Compare A vs B using table format"
Decision: "Help me decide between [options] considering [factors]"
SWOT: "Conduct SWOT analysis for [subject]"

Learning

Explain: "Explain [concept] for [level] using analogies"
Study: "Create 30-day study plan for [skill]"
Quiz: "Generate 10 questions on [topic]"
Practice: "Give me 5 practice problems for [skill]"

Code

Write: "Write [language] function to [task] with error handling"
Review: "Review this code for bugs and improvements"
Debug: "Why isn't this working? [code + error]"
Document: "Add comprehensive docstrings to this code"

Business

Proposal: "Write proposal for [client] offering [solution]"
Strategy: "Create 6-month roadmap for [goal]"
Report: "Generate weekly status report from these notes: [notes]"
JD: "Write job description for [role] at [company]"

Temperature Guide

Default: 0.7 works for 90% of use cases

Token Estimates

Rough Conversions:

• 1 token ≈ 0.75 words (English)
• 1 token ≈ 4 characters
• 100 words ≈ 133 tokens
• 1,000 words ≈ 1,333 tokens
• 1 page (single-spaced) ≈ 500 words ≈ 667 tokens

Context Window Examples:

• 8K tokens ≈ 6,000 words ≈ 12 pages
• 32K tokens ≈ 24,000 words ≈ 48 pages
• 128K tokens ≈ 96,000 words ≈ 192 pages
• 200K tokens ≈ 150,000 words ≈ 300 pages
• 1M tokens ≈ 750,000 words ≈ 1,500 pages

Cost Comparison (API)

Per 1M Tokens (rough estimates, check current pricing):

Example: 10K words input, 2K words output

• GPT-5: ~$0.10
• Claude Sonnet 4.6: ~$0.20
• Gemini 2.5 Pro: ~$0.09

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Vague Prompts

Bad: "Help me with marketing" Good: "Create email marketing campaign for SaaS product launch. Target: B2B. Goal: 100 beta signups in 30 days."

❌ No Context

Bad: "Is this a good price?" Good: "I'm offered $120K in San Francisco for mid-level engineer with 5 years experience. Market rate $130-150K. Is this good?"

❌ Assuming Knowledge

Bad: "Update the Johnson report" Good: [Provide the Johnson report or context]

❌ Trusting Blindly

Bad: Using code/facts without verification Good: Test code, verify facts, review logic

❌ Ignoring Limitations

Bad: Asking about events after knowledge cutoff Good: Provide current information or use models with search

❌ Poor Follow-up

Bad: Starting new conversation for every question Good: Build on previous context in same conversation

❌ One-shot Expectation

Bad: Expecting perfection on first try Good: Iterate and refine 2-3 times

Verification Checklist

Before using AI output for important matters:

□ Fact-checked key claims
□ Tested code/formulas
□ Verified logic and reasoning
□ Checked for bias/stereotypes
□ Confirmed it addresses the actual problem
□ Reviewed for completeness
□ Ensured appropriate tone/style
□ Verified sources if cited
□ Cross-referenced with other sources
□ Got human expert review if critical

Security Checklist

□ Not sharing passwords/API keys/secrets
□ Not sharing confidential business data
□ Not sharing personal identifying information
□ Using enterprise/API terms for sensitive work
□ Understanding data retention policies
□ Anonymizing data when possible
□ Using local models for sensitive data
□ Reviewing privacy settings
□ Being aware of prompt injection risks
□ Validating outputs before use

Daily Workflow

Morning (5 min)

1. Check AI news/updates (newsletter)
2. Review saved prompts for today's tasks
3. Plan which tasks to use AI for

Throughout Day

1. Use AI for first drafts
2. Iterate 2-3 times for refinement
3. Verify important outputs
4. Save effective prompts

Evening (5 min)

1. Review what worked/didn't
2. Save successful prompts to library
3. Note new techniques to try
4. Update prompt templates if needed

Weekly (30 min)

1. Review ROI (time saved, quality)
2. Learn one new technique
3. Try one new tool
4. Share learnings with team

Troubleshooting

Output is Too Generic

• ✓ Add more specific context
• ✓ Provide examples
• ✓ Specify exact format needed
• ✓ Include relevant constraints

Output is Wrong

• ✓ Ask it to explain reasoning
• ✓ Request step-by-step breakdown
• ✓ Provide correct information
• ✓ Ask it to verify claims

Output is Too Long

• ✓ Specify exact length
• ✓ Request "be concise"
• ✓ Ask for bullet points instead
• ✓ Break into smaller chunks

Output is Off-Topic

• ✓ Clarify the specific question
• ✓ Provide more context
• ✓ Use explicit constraints
• ✓ Start new conversation

Keeps Repeating Information

• ✓ Say "don't repeat previous information"
• ✓ Ask for "only new information"
• ✓ Request specific format
• ✓ Lower temperature

Not Following Instructions

• ✓ Simplify instructions
• ✓ Break into steps
• ✓ Show examples
• ✓ Use explicit format with delimiters

Platform-Specific Tips

ChatGPT

• Use Custom Instructions for consistent behavior
• Enable "Code Interpreter" for math/data
• Use Plugins for extended capabilities
• Voice mode for conversations
• Regenerate for alternative responses

Claude

• Use the 200K (or 1M on Opus 4.7) context for long documents
• Use Projects for persistent context
• Artifacts feature for documents
• Great for research and analysis
• Ask for multiple perspectives

Gemini

• Use 1M+ context for massive documents
• Google Workspace integration
• Fast for simple queries
• Good for research with sources

Keyboard Shortcuts

ChatGPT

• Cmd/Ctrl + / - New chat
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + C - Copy last response
• ↑ - Edit last message

Claude

• Cmd/Ctrl + K - New chat
• Cmd/Ctrl + Enter - Send message
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + C - Copy last response

Gemini

• Cmd/Ctrl + Enter - Send message
• Tab - Accept suggestion

Best Practices Summary

✓ DO

• Provide clear, specific prompts
• Include relevant context
• Specify desired format
• Iterate and refine
• Verify important information
• Save effective prompts
• Learn continuously
• Use appropriate model for task

✗ DON'T

• Share sensitive information
• Trust without verification
• Use for critical safety decisions
• Assume it knows current events
• Expect perfection first try
• Use same prompt for everything
• Ignore limitations
• Stop learning

Essential Resources

Daily Reading

• AI Breakfast (newsletter)
• The Batch by deeplearning.ai
• r/ChatGPT, r/LocalLLaMA

Learning

• OpenAI Platform Docs
• Anthropic Docs
• Prompt Engineering Guide

Tools

• ChatGPT
• Claude
• Gemini
• Perplexity

Communities

• Reddit: r/MachineLearning, r/ChatGPT
• Discord: AI-focused servers
• Twitter/X: Follow AI researchers

Metrics to Track

Personal Use

• Time saved per day
• Tasks automated
• Quality of outputs (1-10 rating)
• Number of iterations needed

Business Use

• Productivity increase (%)
• Cost savings ($)
• Tasks automated (#)
• Employee satisfaction
• Output quality
• Error rate

Emergency Quick Fixes

"It's not doing what I want"

→ Add "Let's approach this step-by-step. First, [specific first step]"

"Output is wrong"

→ Add "Double-check your work. Show reasoning for each step."

"Too verbose"

→ Add "Maximum [X] words. Be concise."

"Too generic"

→ Add "Be specific. Include concrete examples and numbers."

"Wrong tone"

→ Add "Tone: [specific tone]. Example: [show example]"

"Missing key info"

→ Add "Must include: [list specific requirements]"

Final Checklist

Before considering yourself AI-proficient:

□ Use AI daily for real tasks
□ Can get good results in 1-3 iterations
□ Have library of 20+ proven prompts
□ Understand when to use vs not use AI
□ Know limitations and verify outputs
□ Automated or improved 5+ workflows
□ Can explain AI to non-technical people
□ Stay current with major updates
□ Comfortable with multiple models
□ Teaching others about effective AI use

Remember

The Meta-Skill: Learning to learn with AI

• Experimentation over perfection
• Iteration over one-shot
• Verification over trust
• Adaptation over rigid processes

The Secret: Effective AI use is 80% prompting skill, 20% tool knowledge

The Truth: AI won't replace you. People using AI will replace people not using AI.

The Action: The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is now.

Congratulations! You've completed the AI & LLM Mastery guide. Now go build something amazing.

Quick Links

• Chapter 01: Fundamentals
• Chapter 02: Prompting Basics
• Chapter 03: Advanced Prompting
• Chapter 04: Tools & Platforms
• Chapter 05: Personal Use
• Chapter 06: Business Applications
• Chapter 07: Limitations & Risks
• Chapter 08: Future Trends
• Chapter 09: Practical Examples
• Main README