Axios published a column on 2026-04-28 that says the gap between people who get strong value from AI and those who get only basic results often comes down to asking the right question with the right context. [1]
The piece, titled "Prompt like a pro," says context matters because AI is a "context machine" rather than a mind reader. It advises users to treat prompting as a skill and to use AI to help identify the questions needed to sharpen a final output. [1]
The column lays out four themes for using AI better: better prompting, improving AI memory, starting a business using AI, and running a business using AI. For the first theme, it says users should push for revisions instead of accepting the first answer. The article puts it bluntly: "Make it sharper" and "Cut it in half." [1]
It also says users should ask a model to surface weak spots in a draft, including the question, "What's my weakest point?" [1]
The column argues that paying $20 to access newer models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google is worth it. It says those tools can deliver better results than basic access, especially when paired with stronger prompts and more context. [1]
Axios said the series will move next to improving AI memory on Tuesday, then to starting a business using AI on Wednesday, and running a business using AI on Thursday. [1]
