I’m an architect and engineer by training. I was taught to fully design something before building it.

You draw the plans. You resolve the details. You make sure everything works before the first cut is made.

That mindset bleeds into everything else I do.

I don’t like starting something until I can see how it ends.

That sounds responsible — but in practice it can create a lot of procrastination. I’ll spend days or weeks thinking about something that should take a couple hours because I want the plan to feel complete in my head before I begin.

For years, that’s just how I worked.

Then I started using chat-based AI tools as a place to dump my thoughts when I’m stuck.

And it changed how I approach getting started.

(For what it’s worth, I personally use ChatGPT and Gemini most often, but tools like Copilot, Claude, and others work just as well for this.)

The Real Problem Isn’t Laziness

When I procrastinate, it’s almost never because I don’t want to do the work.

It’s because there’s friction at the beginning.

I know I need to respond to an email, but I’m not sure how to phrase it.

I know I need to write a presentation, but I can’t organize my thoughts.

I know I need to explain an idea to my team, but I don’t have the narrative clear yet.

That mental resistance shows up right at the start.

For people who are used to solving complex problems, that resistance often comes from wanting the solution to be right before we begin.

So instead of starting imperfectly, we delay starting at all.

How I Actually Use Chat-Based AI

I use chat-based AI every day as a place to dump thoughts when I’m stuck.

Not polished thoughts. Just whatever is in my head.

For example, recently I needed to explain our long-term strategy to my team as we move into the next phase of growth at DuckWorks.

I knew what I was thinking, but I couldn’t organize it clearly.

So I opened a chat window and started typing:

“I’m trying to explain our strategy for the next phase of the company. Here’s what we’ve done so far and what I think comes next…”

Just a stream of thoughts.

From there, the AI organizes it into something structured, usually a list of themes or a rough narrative.

Then I react to it.

I refine it. I correct it. I add more context. We iterate back and forth until the ideas become clear.

The goal isn’t to accept the output.

The goal is to get the thinking moving.

Externalizing Your Thinking Changes Everything

For me, chatting with AI feels a lot like drafting.

When you start a design in CAD, the first lines aren’t perfect. You’re just putting ideas on the page so you can see them.

Once the lines exist, you can refine them.

The same thing happens with ideas.

When thoughts stay in your head, they stay messy. Once they’re written down, they become something you can work with.

Chat-based AI just accelerates that process because it responds and pushes the thinking forward.

It’s not solving the problem for me.

It’s helping me see my own thinking more clearly.

The Value Is the Conversation

There’s a real risk with AI if you use it passively.

If you simply accept whatever it produces, you’re not doing much thinking at all.

The real value comes from the back-and-forth.

You give it context. It organizes the ideas. You refine them. It reframes them. You push back.

That conversation forces clarity.

The more context you give it about your work, your business, and how you think, the more useful it becomes over time.

Where I Use This Every Day

I use chat-based AI for anything where mental resistance shows up at the beginning.

Writing blog posts

Preparing podcast interviews

Drafting emails

Thinking through strategy

Organizing presentations

Any time I feel myself delaying starting something, I open a chat window and start typing.

Messy thoughts first.

Clarity later.

What AI Actually Unlocks

If you’re curious about using AI but not sure where it fits, this is the biggest unlock I’ve found.

AI isn’t valuable because it gives you answers.

It’s valuable because it helps you organize your own thinking.

For people who tend to overthink before starting — like I do — that’s powerful.

The plan doesn’t need to be perfect before you begin.

You can build the blueprint through conversation.

Just like drafting a design before you cut the first piece.

You just have to start typing.

Jacob Edmond
CEO