Podcast Summary: The ChatGPT Experiment – Ep 82: ChatGPT: Listener Questions

Host: Cary Weston
Release Date: August 18, 2025
Theme: Transforming curiosity about ChatGPT into actionable capability through practical listener Q&A.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Cary Weston addresses real listener questions about ChatGPT, blending down-to-earth advice with actionable resources. The episode’s goal is to demystify common challenges, encourage hands-on experimentation, and reveal how both beginners and more advanced users can harness ChatGPT more effectively in everyday life and work. Cary underscores the importance of curiosity—letting ChatGPT “teach itself” and continuously refining prompts.

Key Discussion Points & Listener Q&A

The Best Teacher Is ChatGPT Itself

Timestamp: 01:30 - 05:45

• Cary encourages listeners to try their own questions in ChatGPT before submitting them to the podcast, explaining that “the best teacher of ChatGPT oftentimes is ChatGPT itself.”
• He uses a playful story about his daughters playing 'teacher' to highlight how ChatGPT can also ‘switch roles’ and become your teacher.
• Cary:

  “The three words that I love to use with ChatGPT is ‘tell me more.’ Right? Tell me more. So ask it a question, and when it gives you the answer, dig in.” (05:24)

Resource Guide for Listeners

Timestamp: 06:40 - 07:35

• Cary points to the collection of guides, prompts, and practical tools available on chatgptexperiment.com under the “Training” section.
• Many referenced responses and frameworks during the Q&A are found there, especially guides for voice, tone, custom GPTs, and image instructions.

1. Disadvantages of Using ChatGPT

Listener: Caprio
Timestamp: 07:40 – 11:58

Main Points:

• Cary shares findings from a study (cited in Tech Brew newsletter) about people becoming reliant on AI, drawing an analogy to the modern reliance on GPS (“following the blue line”).
• Potential disadvantage: “over-reliance” might dull your original skills or thought processes.
• Cary:

  “If you took that blue line away from me, I would be lost... One of the disadvantages... is maybe an over reliance or a new reliance on utilizing a tool instead of your brain in a way that you had.” (10:51)

• He balances this, noting that these tools also massively boost efficiency, comparing it to calculators and computers.

2. Training ChatGPT to Match Your Voice — When You Have No Written Samples

Listener: Noel, Digital Marketing
Timestamp: 12:05 – 15:24

Main Points:

• Refer to the marketing tools on the website: A quiz/survey prompt helps ChatGPT “interview” you to extract your voice, tone, and style (“copy and paste into ChatGPT, it will ask you questions…”).
• The best result comes from feeding actual writing samples, but these attribute sets are a strong starting point.
• Cary:

  “There’s no better replacement or training mechanism than you just feeding your own writing to it... But second to that are the attributes you could have here from this starter quiz.” (13:51)

3. Using Deep Research in ChatGPT

Listener: Rodrigo, Head of Marketing
Timestamp: 15:25 – 18:56

Main Points:

• Problems with “deep research” often stem from not providing enough context or structure.
• Cary recommends following the “purpose, process, precision” formula detailed in the Custom GPT Guide (find it on the homepage).
• Delegate research to ChatGPT as you would to an intern: lay out goals, background, and what success looks like.
• Cary:

  “If you follow that path of giving it some background... you’re going to find that your interaction with Deep Research is going to be, I would guess, much more valuable.” (18:40)

4. Working with Photos and Visuals in ChatGPT

Listener: Tony (Norway), Nurse/Business Owner & Author
Timestamp: 19:00 – 21:50

Main Points:

• Two directions:
  1. If modifying/creating images, see Cary’s episode and website guide on image prompts (color, lens, style, tone, etc).
  2. If analyzing specific photos, again, give ChatGPT detailed background, context, and goals (as above, “purpose, process, precision”).
• Cary offers to help further if more detail is provided.
• Cary:

  “If you want to take a look, there’s a laundry list of art directions… lens, feel, all that stuff. It’s fascinating. You can play with all kinds of different combinations.” (21:12)

5. How Do I Get ChatGPT to “Think Like Me”?

Listener: Jamie, Marketing Consultant
Timestamp: 21:51 – 26:50

Main Points:

• Have ChatGPT “explain what it knows about you” based on your past conversations—then correct and fill gaps.
• Feed it your own content, philosophies, rules, or even have it interview you one question at a time for deeper understanding.
• Attributes extracted can be saved and reused for future prompts or a Custom GPT.
• Cary:

  “Ask it, ‘ChatGPT, tell me what you know about me personally and professionally.’ … If you can understand how ChatGPT is looking at you or sees you, then you can start to shape it and correct it.” (23:12)
  “Have it interview you... What questions do you need to ask... in order for you to start better understanding what I do, how I do it, so you can think like me and help me work?” (25:47)

6. Managing Family Chaos: Schedules, Meals, and Lists with ChatGPT

Listener: Joanna, Head of International Sales (and busy mom)
Timestamp: 26:51 – 30:00

Main Points:

• Cary suggests: explain your situation to ChatGPT and let it “interview” you to build up your context.
• ChatGPT can help ideate meal plans, create shopping lists for recipes, and help diversify family menus.
• For complex scheduling: Cary uses Apple Calendar screenshots and uploads them to ChatGPT for weekly planning and accountability, though true calendar syncing/coding is beyond current GPT features.
• Cary:

  “With the calendar thing, you know, if you want to create an accountability partner, you can use the calendar, the screenshot... so it can help you best plan.” (29:33)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Cary, on staying curious:

  “Your own curiosity, right? Following the best practices that I share with you, is the best way for you to get what you are going to benefit from the most, I think, from ChatGPT.” (04:04)

• On experimenting fearlessly:

  “Don’t be afraid to ask a question. Don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable and give us some information. And if it’s not giving you what you want, don’t be afraid to say, ‘That’s not what I want. Can you help me get better?’” (30:12)

• On listener engagement and the ‘light bulb moment’:

  “There’s always a light bulb moment or two where something breaks, you know—the fog lifts and that’s really, really cool because I know that once they get off the training with me, they’re going to be able to use that nugget for other things.” (30:40)

Recommended Resources & Next Steps

• Training, guides, and prompts: Find detailed walkthroughs at chatgptexperiment.com under the “Training” section.
• Listener Q&A and sample prompts: Also on the website for further ideas and copy-paste templates.
• Podcast episodes on image generation and advanced prompting: For users interested in visuals or pushing the boundaries of ChatGPT.

Episode Tone

Friendly, encouraging, and clear—Cary keeps listeners reassured that experimentation, repeated tweaking, and following curiosity are the keys to unlocking ChatGPT’s practical power. He shares personal stories, relatable analogies, and always invites listeners further into hands-on learning.

If you have a question yourself, Cary’s advice? Submit it to ChatGPT—and then, if you wish, to his show. And always, “stay curious.”