Research and Plan with AI

Two Workflows: Research and Planning

These are different tasks but they use the same prompt skill: asking AI to think, then synthesize.

Research Workflow

Use this when you need to understand a topic fast.

Step 1: Ask AI What You Need to Know

Do not dive in blind. First, ask AI to list what matters.

Prompt: "I need to research [topic]. What are the 5 to 7 most important things I should know? List them as questions."

Example: "I need to research AI tools for writing. What are the 5 most important questions I should answer?"

Example answer: "1. What are the main types of AI writing tools? 2. How much do they cost? 3. Which are best for [your use case]? 4. What are the limits of each tool? 5. How do I know if the output is good?"

Step 2: Find and Feed Sources

Find articles, reports, or notes on your topic. You can copy and paste them into AI. Or you can just tell AI what you found.

Prompt: "I read these sources about [topic]: [source 1 summary], [source 2 summary], [source 3 summary]. What do they agree on? What do they disagree on?"

Step 3: Ask AI to Synthesize

Synthesizing means pulling together the key ideas. This is what takes humans hours. AI can do it in seconds.

Prompt: "Based on these sources, answer this question: [your question]. In 200 words. Use simple language. List any disagreements."

Example: "Based on these sources, which AI writing tool is best for busy managers who write a lot of emails? In 200 words. List pros and cons of the top two options."

Planning Workflow

Use this when you need to break down a big goal.

Step 1: Describe Your Goal

Be clear about what you want. Tell AI the start and the end.

Prompt: "I want to [goal]. The deadline is [when]. I have [resources available]. What is a realistic plan?"

Example: "I want to launch a newsletter for our company. The deadline is May 1. I have 10 hours a week. What is a realistic plan?"

Step 2: Ask for a Step-by-Step Plan

Ask AI to break the goal into steps. Include dates if you have a deadline.

Prompt: "Create a step-by-step plan for [goal]. It should take [time available] per week. Start [date], end [date]. For each step, include what to do and how long it takes."

Example answer: "Week 1: Choose a topic (2 hours). Pick an email platform (1 hour). Draft first issue (5 hours). Week 2: Get feedback. Revise first issue. Write second issue. Week 3: Launch and send first two issues. Collect subscriber feedback. Week 4: Adjust based on what you learned. Build a schedule for the next 8 weeks."

Step 3: Ask AI to Check for Risks

What could go wrong? What are you missing? AI is good at spotting risks.

Prompt: "What could go wrong with this plan? What am I missing? For each risk, suggest one way to prevent it or handle it."

Example answer: "Risks:

1. You run out of content ideas. Solution: Create a library of 20 topics before you launch.
2. People don't sign up. Solution: Ask customers face-to-face for one month. That builds your list.
3. You burn out writing weekly. Solution: Write two issues at once, every other week."

Research Templates

Template 1: Competitive Research

Prompt: "I need to understand how [competitor 1], [competitor 2], and [competitor 3] approach [aspect]. For each competitor, tell me: what they do, who they target, a strength, and a weakness. Then list what they have in common."

Template 2: Trend Research

Prompt: "What is happening in [industry] right now? List the top 5 trends. For each, explain why it matters for someone in [your role]."

Template 3: How-To Research

Prompt: "I need to learn how to [skill]. What are the main steps? For each step, what is the most common mistake people make? What is the fastest way to get good at it?"

Planning Templates

Template 1: Project Plan

Prompt: "I am starting a [project]. The goal is [goal]. The deadline is [date]. I can spend [time] per week. Create a plan with milestones. For each milestone, list the deliverable and the date."

Template 2: Learning Plan

Prompt: "I want to learn [skill]. I have [time] available per week. The deadline is [date]. What should I study? In what order? How much time for each part? Include real resources I can use."

Template 3: Team Plan

Prompt: "My team is [size]. We need to [goal] by [date]. Tell me: who should do what, what order to do it in, and what could go wrong. Assume we have these constraints: [constraints]."

Try It

Pick a real research question or a goal you have. Follow one workflow. See how fast you can get to an answer or a plan.