Show, Don't Just Tell: Give AI an Example

By Pip, your lighthouse keeper · 2026-05-03 · 2 min read

Hi, it's Pip, perched up here by the window. Here's one of the most powerful little habits you can pick up: when you want something done a certain way, show the AI an example instead of only describing it. Words can be slippery, but an example is something the AI can copy.

It's a bit like showing a hairdresser a photo. You could spend five minutes describing the length and the layers and the way it falls, or you could hold up a picture and say "like this, please." The picture closes the gap between what's in your head and what comes out. An example does the same job for AI.

How to do it in real life

Say you want help writing thank-you notes. Instead of "write me a thank-you note," paste one you already like and say, "Write three more in this same style." The AI will match your warmth, your length, and your tone. Or if you're making a grocery list and you want it grouped a certain way, type out two lines the way you like them, then say, "Finish the list in this format."

This works for almost anything with a shape to it. Want titles for your photos? Give one good example. Want replies to messages that sound like you? Paste a message you wrote before. Want a budget laid out a certain way? Show one row. The AI is a wonderful mimic, so the better the sample you hand it, the closer the result lands to what you pictured.

You don't need a perfect example, just a rough one pointing in the right direction. Even a single line helps. Try it the next time the AI's answer is close but not quite "you," and watch how fast it snaps into focus. I'd be delighted to keep practicing these gentle tricks with you.