Ep 786: 2026 LLM Cheat Code: 10 Essential Steps To Get the Most out of Any AI Chatbot (Start Here Series Vol 26)

This is the Everyday AI episode we probably shoulda done a while ago.... 👇

Because as different as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and others actually are under the hood, they have really started to copycat each other over the past 6 months. 

Which means we finally have a set of concrete best practices to get the best outputs from any LLM. 

Join us as we boil thousands of hours of experience into a 30-ish minute crash course that you can't afford to skip out on. 

2026 LLM Cheat Code: 10 Essential Steps To Get the Most out of Any AI Chatbot -- An Everyday AI Chat with Jordan Wilson (Start Here Series Vol 26)

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Topics Covered in This Episode:

1. LLM Landscape: Cookie Cutter Model Trends
2. 10 Essential Steps for AI Chatbots
3. Choosing the Right AI Operating System
4. Selecting Optimal AI Chatbot Surfaces
5. Importance of Paid AI Chatbot Plans
6. Understanding LLM Context Window Layers
7. Context Engineering and Prompt Best Practices
8. Integrating Files, Apps, and Company Data
9. AI Chatbot Privacy, Permissions, Governance
10. Transparency, Observability, and Reasoning Artifacts
11. Verification, Iteration, and Workflow Automation

Timestamps:

00:00 Keeping up with AI changes

03:55 Introduction to AI chatbots essentials

09:05 Rapid innovation in AI models

13:01 Understanding early AI models

14:37 Choosing an AI operating system

17:08 Discussing desktop app benefits

21:14 Understanding the context layer

23:55 Challenges without web search integration

28:55 Advancements in CRM connectors

32:35 Challenges with AI governance

35:13 Importance of observability in workflows

37:36 Developing universal AI skills

Keywords: 

large language model, LLM, AI chatbot, AI operating system, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, Grok, open models, cheat code for LLM, AI best practices, prompt engineering, context engineering, context window, context layer, reasoning models, generative AI, deterministic vs generative, web search in AI, model selection, paid AI model, free AI model risks, AI surface, desktop AI app, agentic capabilities, AI connectors, app integrations, business data privacy, permissions and governance, shadow IT, enterprise AI, observability, transparency, reasoning artifacts, workflow automation, verification loop, iteration in AI outputs, skill creation, plugin, automated workflow, agentic orchestration, company data security, expert driven loop, AI scheduling, context carry, modular AI, AI-powered work automation, personalized context, role-based access control, SaaS application integration, economic value of AI, knowledge work automation, prime prompt polish, refine queue, five five five framework, human-in-the-loop AI, knowledge cutoff, model versioning.

Start Here ▶️

Not sure where to start when it comes to AI? Start with our Start Here Series. You can listen to the first drop -- Episode 691 -- or get free access to our Inner Cricle community and all episodes: StartHereSeries.com 

Also, here's a link to the entire series on a Spotify playlist.