Module 8: Workflows Over Tricks

Why this matters

The biggest lie in AI content right now is “10 AI or LLM tricks that will change your life.” Tricks don’t change your life. Workflows do. This final module pulls the course together by teaching you how to think in workflows.

Stable workflows beat clever prompts

A trick is a one-time gimmick. A workflow is a repeatable system that compounds.

If you have 50 clever prompts you use once, you have 50 prompts to remember and zero leverage.

If you have 5 workflows you use weekly, you have:

• Predictable, reliable output
• Faster execution every time
• Patterns you can teach others
• A real productivity gain that grows over time

Pick depth over breadth. Master a few workflows fully.

Designing a personal micro-workflow

Pick one task you do regularly. Walk through it like a process designer:

1. What’s the input? (an email, a meeting, a document, an idea)
2. What’s the output? (a reply, a summary, a plan, a deliverable)
3. What’s the AI’s role? (analyze, generate, transform, critique)
4. What context does it need? (custom instructions, uploaded files, role)
5. What format do you want? (bullets, table, draft email, etc.)
6. What’s the verification step? (what do you check before using it?)

Once you’ve answered these, you have a workflow. Save the prompt as a template. Use it the next time the task comes up.

Combining tools — a real example

Suppose you want to write a weekly LinkedIn post about something you learned this week.

Workflow:

1. Input — Your week’s notes, scratchpad, or journal
2. Step 1 (Claude) — “Read these notes. Identify the three most interesting insights. For each, suggest an angle that would interest a [your audience].”
3. Step 2 (Perplexity) — Verify any factual claims, find supporting examples or recent stats
4. Step 3 (Claude) — “Write a LinkedIn post about [chosen insight]. Under 1300 characters. Hook in the first line. End with a question.”
5. Step 4 (You) — Edit for voice, post.

That’s not a trick. It’s a system. Run it weekly, and you build a content pipeline.

Key takeaways

• Workflows compound; tricks don’t
• Build templates for tasks you repeat
• Combine tools — research, generate, format, verify
• Pick depth over breadth — master a few workflows fully

Quick Check