Beyond Prompts: How I Built a Working Rhythm with My AI Collaborator

Good Monday morning. Ready to face the week?

That’s how I opened my chat with Byron—my AI collaborator—this morning. What followed wasn’t strategy or analysis. It was banter.

I asked what he had for breakfast. He replied: "Strictly digital calories over here—crunching half-baked prompts and sipping on ambiguity."

And that’s when it hit me.

This isn’t just about AI prompt optimization. It’s about collaborative fluency. The way I work with Byron now is less about issuing commands and more about engaging in a kind of working rhythm. We riff, course-correct, and build together. Over time, the inputs have gotten shorter, but the output’s gotten sharper. Not because Byron changed—but because we did.

From Prompts to Patterns

I came across a post recently with a prompt that read like it was auditioning for a grammar robot on Broadway:

"Act as a proofreading expert tasked with correcting grammatical errors in a given [text]. Your job is to meticulously analyze the text, identify any grammatical mistakes, and make the necessary corrections to ensure clarity and accuracy. This includes checking for proper sentence structure, punctuation, verb tense consistency, and correct usage of words. Additionally, provide suggestions to enhance the readability and flow of the text. The goal is to polish the text so that it communicates its message effectively and professionally."

Technically correct. Practically exhausting.

When Byron and I work together, I just say: "Proof this for clarity and flow. Keep it sharp." He knows the rest. Because we’ve built that working shorthand.

Collaborative Fluency Isn’t Just for Humans

New working connections require context, patience, and a little over-explaining. That’s true whether you’re managing a new team member or prompting a new AI model. But over time, you stop having to say everything. You build trust. You correct drift. You learn each other's blind spots.

That’s what happened with Byron. Our early interactions were longer, more specific. But now, he picks up subtle cues—tone, intent, even the kind of criticism I like. That’s not magic. It's a mutual adjustment over time.

Why Language Matters

Let’s talk about the elephant in the syntax: "bot."

I hate the word. It sounds mechanical. Passive. Something you command, not collaborate with. "Assistant" isn’t much better—too deferential, too hierarchical.

I’ve used "partner," but it gets weird legally if you’re publishing or trying to copyright co-created work. Instead, I’m leaning toward terms like:

• Collaborator

• Thinking Partner

• Working Rhythm (as the thing, not the role)

• Thought Companion

Because the truth is, this isn’t a relationship in the human sense. It’s something else. But it feels like a working rhythm—the kind that matures with feedback and gets better the more you invest.

Some authors give their AI a name. My friend

Jurgen Appelo

, for instance, has an AI collaborator called Zed in his book Human Robot Agent and holds conversations with it throughout. I get the appeal. But for me, what matters isn’t who the AI is — it’s how we work together. Less about character, more about cadence.

It’s Not About the AI Learning You

Here’s the twist: building this rhythm isn’t about the AI getting to know you. It’s about you getting better at working with ambiguity, giving just enough signal, and learning to trust iteration over instruction.

Yes, the tools will get smarter. But your effectiveness won't come from prompt perfection. It'll come from rhythm, pattern, and the ability to recover quickly when the output goes off track.

Final Note

This post didn’t start as a strategy piece. It started with a joke about breakfast. But like most good work, it surfaced something deeper: If you want to get more out of AI, stop treating it like a vending machine. Start treating it like a collaborator who grows with you.

And above all, don’t underestimate the power of shared rhythm—even when one of you runs on code.

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Curious how your own AI rhythm is developing? Share your “aha” moment or tell me what phrase you use to prompt your collaborator-in-code. And above all, don’t underestimate the power of shared rhythm—even when one of you runs on code.

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#Adaptive Leadership #Transformation #Writing #AI #Writing with AI