If your prompts keep getting longer while the AI output still sounds bigger than it is, this will save you time. You’ll learn the Reflection prompt (use it today), the ReAct loop, and how to choose the right first agent use case, so that you get an early win.

What we cover in part 1:

* The prompt trap

* Reflection (draft → critique → rewrite)

* What an AI agent is

* Workflow automation versus AI agent

* ReAct loop (Reason → Act → Observe → repeat)

* Context engineering (role, rules, tools, memory, knowledge)

* Task decomposition (small, checkable steps)

* Tool use (model requests tool calls; system executes; results return)

* Agent use case selection (complexity × precision matrix)

If this helped, follow the show. Share it with your friends.

Subscribe: https://seconddraftstudio.substack.com/.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

From my 2025 notes, this is a 2026 reset you can use to start the year feeling like it belongs to you.

This is my Love & Freedom Playbook: Love = respect + boundaries, and Freedom = time + focus + independence.

Save this, use it, and send it to a friend.

Subscribe: https://seconddraftstudio.substack.com/.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is an introduction to my new book, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). I talk about this change in search and the problems the book is written to help with.

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Generative-Engine-Optimization-GEO-Complete-ebook/dp/B0FX2B9WH4.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

Today we’re talking about why onboarding is not a tutorial and why those first 30 seconds inside your product might matter more than the next 30 minutes.

* Book: Storytelling in Design by Anna Dahlström.

* Podcast episode: Grant Lee on Lenny’s Podcast – “‘Dumbest idea I’ve heard’ to $100M ARR: Inside the rise of Gamma”.

* Subscribe: https://seconddraftstudio.substack.com/.

* Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

Just Published: Stop Being the Analyst and Start Being the Strategist.

Read it on Product Coalition: https://medium.com/managing-digital-products/stop-being-the-analyst-and-start-being-the-strategist-e314efc6846e.

Subscribe: https://seconddraftstudio.substack.com/.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is an introduction to my new book, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). I talk about this change in search and the problems the book is written to help with.

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Generative-Engine-Optimization-GEO-Complete-ebook/dp/B0FX2B9WH4.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve all heard that AI can save time or boost productivity, but where does the value of AI actually come from?

In this episode, I share what I’ve learned from helping teams adopt AI in their daily work. You’ll hear how people are using AI as a creative partner that transforms how they think and operate.

We’ll explore nine ways AI creates tangible impact. You don’t need to be technical to follow along. You just need to ne curious and open to experiment with AI.

Subscribe: https://seconddraftstudio.substack.com/.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

When life and work keep shifting, it’s easy to lose your rhythm. In this episode, I share what I learned from The Book of Alchemy and how a "one thing a day" practice helped me slow down and reconnect with what matters.

Subscribe: https://seconddraftstudio.substack.com/.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

Most AI tools still wait for us to ask. You open a chat, type a question, get an answer.

But the future of AI will not live inside that chat window. It will take initiative and action.

Imagine AI systems that detect trends and anomalies before reports are published, generate insights before meetings start, and trigger decisions before we even realize they are needed.

That is where AI is headed, beyond conversation and into coordination. That is why agentic AI assistants represent the next evolution of work: systems that anticipate, act, and drive meaningful outcomes before we even prompt them.

"AI should not wait for permission to be useful.”“When technology blends into the workflow, transformation has already happened.”“Agentic AI is not the next technology trend. It is the next way we work.”

Subscribe: https://thenextsteps1.substack.com.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talk about The Long Game by Dorie Clark, a book that reminds me that all good things take time. We’ll look at what it means to be patient, keep your focus, and make steady progress even when everything around you feels like it’s changing too fast. This one’s for anyone trying to create something meaningful in a world that often moves in favor of quick wins.

Subscribe: https://thenextsteps1.substack.com.

Podcast: https://sdsquared.substack.com.

The Second Draft (SD²) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sdsquared.substack.com/subscribe