Prompting Is Not the Skill You Think It Is

Have you ever typed something into AI like:

“Write this for me.”
“Fix this.”
“Just do the thing.”

…and gotten back something that was technically fine, but not at all what you meant?

That disconnect isn’t because AI is useless.
And it’s not because you’re bad at prompting.

It’s because AI can’t see what you see.

The Invisible Gap We Forget About

Imagine asking someone you work with:

“Grab my jacket.”

If they don’t know:

• which jacket you mean
• where it’s hanging
• whether you need it now or later
• or why you need it

they’ll probably hesitate… or grab the wrong one.

As humans, we naturally fill in those gaps based on shared environment, history, and context.

AI doesn’t have access to any of that.

AI Is Starting From Zero Every Time

When you open a blank chat, AI doesn’t know:

• what you’ve already decided
• what you’ve ruled out
• what matters most right now
• what “good” looks like to you

It doesn’t know your tools, your audience, your tone, or your constraints unless you tell it.

So when you say “just do the thing,” AI does the only thing it can do:
It guesses.

And guessing is how you end up with:

• generic content
• surface-level advice
• answers that sound right but feel off or not aligned with YOU

Why Vague Prompts Get Average Results

AI is very good at following instructions.

But when instructions are vague, it defaults to:

• the most common interpretation
• the safest structure
• the broadest possible answer

That’s not a failure.
That’s exactly what it’s designed to do.

The problem isn’t the tool.
It’s the missing information.

What AI Actually Needs (That You Already Know)

Here’s the key shift most people haven’t made yet:

You don’t need better commands.
You need to share what’s obvious to you but invisible to AI.

Things like:

• What you’re working on
• Who it’s for
• Why this matters right now
• What you’ve already tried
• What you don’t want

This is the stuff you wouldn’t think to explain to a human sitting next to you—because they can see it.

AI can’t.

Think Less “Command,” More “Communicate”

Instead of:

“Write a caption for this post.”

Try:

“I’m writing an Instagram caption for a business audience that feels overwhelmed by tech.
The post is about simplifying tools, not adding more.
I want it to sound calm, supportive, and practical, not hypey.
Ask me questions if you need more context.”

Notice the difference?

You didn’t get more technical.
You just got clearer.

The Real Skill Most People Are Missing

Using AI well isn’t about knowing the right magic words.

It’s about learning how to:

• explain your thinking
• share your constraints
• communicate intent

In other words, it’s a communication skill.

Once you understand that, AI stops feeling unpredictable…
and starts feeling like a capable assistant who just needs better direction.