We Just Shipped a Free Course on Talking to AI
AI Conversation Fundamentals: 45 minutes to transform how you work with AI
Most people are still prompting AI like they're typing into a search bar. That's leaving 90% of the value on the table. So we built a free course that teaches the mental models that actually work.
Most people are still prompting AI like they're typing into a search bar.
"Write me a bio." "Help me with this email." "Make this better."
Then they wonder why AI feels inconsistent. Why it sometimes gives brilliant responses and sometimes gives garbage. Why it requires so much back-and-forth to get anything useful.
The problem isn't the AI. The problem is the conversation.
Why We Built This
Last week, I wrote about how Claude Code isn't just for coders. That article resonated because it hit on something people are starting to realize: AI tools are powerful, but most people don't know how to use them well.
Not because they're not smart. Because nobody taught them the fundamentals.
Think about it. We spend years learning how to communicate with humans—in school, at work, through a thousand awkward conversations. But AI is a new kind of collaborator. It processes language differently. It has different strengths and limitations. It needs different things from you to do its best work.
Yet we just... expect people to figure it out?
That's insane.
So we built a course. Free. 45 minutes. Six modules that cover everything from the mental model shift to the practical toolkit to putting it all together.
What's Inside
Module 1: The Mental Model Shift
The single biggest thing holding people back isn't technique—it's how they think about AI. They treat it like a search engine (ask question, get answer) or a magic box (type something, hope for the best).
Module 1 reframes the relationship. AI is a brilliant intern with perfect memory but no context about your specific situation. Your job isn't to ask questions. It's to delegate effectively.
Module 2: The Core Toolkit
Four elements that work in any AI interaction:
- -Context: What does the AI need to know?
- -Task: What exactly are you asking for?
- -Constraints: What should it avoid?
- -Format: What should the output look like?
Before/after examples showing the difference between prompts that fail and prompts that work.
Module 3: The Iteration Loop
AI isn't one-shot. The power is in the back-and-forth. This module covers how to give feedback that actually improves outputs, when to start over versus iterate, and the "zoom in, zoom out" technique.
Module 4: The Attention Budget
Every response is a choice about where AI focuses. This module teaches you to direct that attention intentionally—what to include, what to leave out, and how to structure complex requests.
Module 5: Putting It Together
A complete example from vague idea to finished output, showing how all the concepts connect in a real workflow.
Module 6: What's Next
Where to go from here. Links to Claude Code for Knowledge Workers (our paid course), community resources, and next steps for serious learners.
Why Free?
Because the fundamentals should be accessible.
We have a paid course—Claude Code for Knowledge Workers—that goes deep on specific workflows. That's for people who want to transform their professional toolkit.
But the mental models? The basic techniques that make every AI interaction better? Those shouldn't be behind a paywall.
If you've ever been frustrated by AI, if you've ever wondered why some people seem to get better results, if you've ever thought "I should probably learn how to use these tools properly"—this course is for you.
The Bigger Picture
We're at an inflection point. AI tools are becoming genuinely useful, but most people aren't getting that value.
The gap between people who know how to work with AI and people who don't is going to grow. Fast.
This course is our small contribution to closing that gap. Forty-five minutes of fundamentals that will change how you think about AI forever.
AI Conversation Fundamentals is available now at id8labs.app. It's free, it's practical, and it's designed for people who want to work better with AI.