Sun, 22 Jun 2025 18:09:06 +0000

Here’s how I use ChatGPT, based on the ~6,000 conversations I’ve had in 2 years.

My top use, by far, is for technology. “Modern JavaScript Coding” and “Python Coding Questions” are ~30% of my queries. There’s a long list with Markdown, GitLab, GitHub, Shell, D3, Auth, JSON, CSS, DuckDB, SQLite, Pandas, FFMPeg, etc. featured prominently.

Next is to brainstorm AI use: “AI Panel Discussions”, “AI Trends and Business Impact”, “LLM Applications and DSLs”, “Industry Use Cases and Metrics” are also fast growing categories. I brainstorm talk outlines, refine slide deck narratives, and plan business ideas.

Thirdly, I use it for reading/writing. “Article Summaries and Insights”, “Writing Style and Editing”.

Lastly, for personal advice. “Personal Advice and Replies” and “Singapore Travel Queries” are in this bucket.

Then there are niches like image generation (“Image Generation and Annotation”, “Calvin and Hobbes Comics”), research (“Fact Checking and Trivia”), emails (“Email Analysis and Spam Detection”), and teaching (“Education and Student Projects”).

6,000 chats saved me perhaps 600 hours. ChatGPT’s “given” me a month of life-time for $600 – which I reinvested into teaching and tinkering.

Today, 70% of my prompts are code. In five years, that might drop as AI handles coding, and I tackle strategy and thinking. My prompt portfolio isn’t future-proof? Is yours?

There’s no finance, music, or philosophy. My prompts mirror my blind spots. Should I force one prompt a week in a category I’ve never explored? Would you?

10 steps for boosting your creativity

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 12:00:00 +0000

If you’re stuck for an idea, open a dictionary, randomly select a word and then try to formulate ideas incorporating this word. You’d be surprised how well this works. The concept is based on a simple but little known truth: freedom inhibits creativity. There are nothing like restrictions to get you thinking.

An idea a day

Tue, 11 Dec 2001 12:00:00 +0000

ideation on S Anand

10 steps for boosting your creativity

An idea a day