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Decide whether to buy or rent a lens for a year of shoots
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You expect about 15 shoots next year that need a telephoto lens. If you buy, you'd resell it after a year for about 60% of the price. Write exactly 2 numbered lines: 1) buy = price − resale, 2) rent = shoots x rental fee, each with the math, then one unnumbered last line: Buy or rent: [choice], saves $X. Plain text, under 60 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not giving your shoot count. The AI can't compare without knowing how often you'd rent. Try: Add: "About 15 shoots next year."
- Forgetting resale. The AI treats the full $1,200 as spent. Try: Add: "Resale after a year is about 60% of the price."
- Not asking to see the work. You'll want to rerun it with different numbers. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Buy: $1,200 − $720 resale = $480"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 12 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in your gear notes. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives your shoot count
- Mentions resale
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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