Stop Over-thinking

You don’t need the right model, the right plan, or the right setup to get started with AI.

Stop overthinking it. That’s what gets people stuck.

I’ve been in groups with people new to AI where someone more experienced jumps in and says things like:

“Oh you have to use this model for A, and this other model for B.”

“You have to pay for the Pro plan or you’ll run into issues.”

“Use this Skill and this Plugin for way better results.”

That’s all garbage for someone new. Overwhelming and unnecessary.

Here’s how to actually learn AI without spinning your wheels.

1. Pick one model.

Actually, pick a provider. OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. Then use their default model for a while.

The provider you pick matters a lot less than people online will have you believe. And the model matters even less when you’re just starting out and getting used to the mindset shift.

Once you have a strong base of how to interact with a language model, the differences between models become easier to wrap your head around.

2. Don’t pay.

Not until you’re actually hitting limits. Not once. Not getting close.

Hit the limits enough times that it’s legitimately holding you back. Token allowance, a missing feature, whatever it is.

And if it’s token limits, that’s worth a second look too. Sometimes the fix isn’t a bigger plan. It’s a better sense of how to use what you’ve already got.

3. Don’t over-optimize.

Leave the custom instructions, the agent skills, the plugins alone for now.

Get used to the base model first. Once you know what it can really do on its own, you’ll actually know where the real gaps are. That’s when adding something on top makes sense, instead of just adding noise.

When you do get there, add one thing at a time. You want to know what’s actually helping.

Notice the theme here?

Get fluent in the basics before you customize around them. Skip that step and you’re optimizing a system you don’t understand yet.

All good things are built on a strong foundation. Using AI is no different.