The STEP Your Missing To Get More Consistency Out of AI - AI Fundamentals Course Part 2

By Dan Sanchez · Episode published

Get more consistent AI content by combining expert starter material with a clear template, a finished example, and a direct prompt that defines the desired outcome.

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Better AI Output Starts Before the Prompt

Most people ask AI for an output and then judge whether it is good enough. A more reliable approach is to give it the ingredients that make a good output possible. That is the idea behind the STEP method: Starter content, Template, Example, and Prompt.

The framework is especially useful for a common marketing job: turning a conversation, webinar, or podcast transcript into a useful social post. A simple instruction such as “turn this into a LinkedIn post” asks the model to make too many decisions on its own. It must decide which idea matters, what structure to use, what voice sounds right, and how the reader should respond. The result may be passable, but it will rarely be dependable.

Give AI Something Real to Work With

Starter content is the raw material. It can be a transcript, a customer interview, a research report, an internal memo, or notes from someone who understands the subject. This is where the actual expertise enters the workflow.

AI can generate a post about nearly any subject from its general knowledge, but generic inputs tend to produce generic content. Give it a transcript from an expert conversation instead, and it can identify ideas, organize them, and help repurpose the material without inventing the point of view. The model is doing what it does best: transforming and structuring information that already has substance.

Show It the Shape You Want

A template reduces ambiguity. It tells the model where the hook belongs, what sections should follow, and how the call to action should work. A good template does not need to be complicated. Clear placeholders such as a claim, three supporting points, and a closing question give the system a structure it can follow.

An example makes that structure even more concrete. A completed post demonstrates the expected length, cadence, level of detail, and voice. Together, a template and example convert a vague request into a pattern the model can apply consistently.

This does not mean every post should sound identical. It means the repeatable parts are explicit so the writer can spend attention on the idea, evidence, and audience rather than rebuilding the format every time.

Write the Prompt Like an Operating Brief

The final part is the prompt. Make the task direct and sequential: first identify one strong idea in the transcript; then turn it into a post using the supplied template and example; finally, write toward a stated goal. If the goal is to earn comments, invite a specific response. If it is to bring people to an episode, make that call to action clear.

Detailed instructions are helpful when they remove confusion, not when they add decorative complexity. Explain the end state, the source material to use, the format to follow, and the action you want the reader to take. Then inspect the draft. If it is too long, too broad, or too close to the example, improve the ingredients or instructions and run it again.

The STEP method is not a shortcut around good judgment. It is a way to package your judgment so AI can execute closer to the result you already have in mind. Start with one repeatable content task, build a small template and example library, and refine the system from real drafts.