A short announcement before we chat about shopping:

You're better at AI than most people. You can write a decent prompt, maybe build a custom GPT. But you're probably still playing prompt roulette: write a prompt, get a mediocre result, tweak it three times, give up and do it yourself anyway.

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And now, on with the show...

You've got 47 tabs open comparing noise-cancelling headphones. You've read 12 Reddit threads. You're now comparing decibel ratings like you're training to be an audiophile. You still don't know which one to buy.

Most of us approach product research like we're writing a dissertation (except the dissertation is on washing machines. Fun!).

We compare spec sheets for features we don't understand. We build mental matrices. We read reviews that contradict each other. We learn that every brand has a proprietary name for "the thing that makes water spin differently" and pretend we know what that means.

The problem isn't lack of information. It's that we're drowning in it, keyword-searching like cavemen ("best microwave 2025"), and somehow still ending up more confused than when we started.

So we either burn six hours trying to become mini-experts on tumble dryer ventilation systems, or we panic-buy the wrong thing and spend the next five years being woken at 3am by a robot vacuum that sounds like a jet engine having a major malfunction.

There's a better way, and it doesn't involve becoming fluent in spec-sheet jargon.

Use this exact prompt in Perplexity (or Google's AI mode) as your personal shopping concierge:

Then (and this is the bit most people skip) actually have a conversation with it like it's your slightly nerdy mate who reads spec sheets for fun:

The AI handles the complexity and the proprietary nonsense. You make the final call with actual clarity instead of tab-induced rage.

Try it this week.

If you're sitting on a purchase decision right now (or have 23 tabs slowly killing your laptop battery), this will help you close the loop (and the tabs).

Here's how:

• Screenshot this prompt or save it somewhere you'll actually find it again
• Next time you're researching anything (software, appliances, that thing you saw on Instagram) paste it into Perplexity or google.com (make sure you click "AI mode" in the search box).
• Give it proper context: your budget, your constraints, what actually matters to you

And as a bonus: Once you've picked the product, ask:

This saves another 30 minutes of manually checking eight retailer websites that all have slightly different prices for reasons no one can explain.

Know someone currently in product research hell?

Forward this to them before they spend their entire weekend becoming an accidental expert on washing machine drum sizes.

Hit reply with "TRYING" if you're going to test this. Always keen to know if and how my writing helps you :)

Cheers

Amantha

P.S. If someone sent you this email, you can subscribe right here.

P.P.S. Listen to this week's episode of How I AI where Neo and I go deeper into unpacking how we use AI to shop.

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