Free PDF from Alexander Zervakos
The AI Prompting Starter Guide
Set up ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot so it knows your business. Then ask for work you can actually use. Fourteen pages, plain English, with templates to copy.
In brief
A free PDF for professionals who use AI tools and want better answers with less back and forth. It covers custom instructions, projects, skills, a five-part prompt pattern, fixes for weak answers, and what to keep out of a chat.
What’s inside
Nine short chapters. Do the first one today; it takes a few minutes and every chat after it gets better.
- Give your AI a job description. The short note that makes every chat start out knowing your business, and where to save it in each tool.p. 3
- The prompt pattern. Task, context, example, format and check, with a before and after.p. 5
- Standing context. Projects and files, so you stop pasting the same price sheet.p. 6
- Turn repeat work into skills. How to pick the first one, and a template.p. 7
- Eight fixes for a weak answer. What to try before you start over.p. 8
- Small habits that save time. Voice, screenshots, tables and a prompt file.p. 9
- What stays out. And five checks before anything reaches a customer.p. 10
- Templates to copy. Customer replies, recaps, proposals, job posts and more.p. 11
- Your first week. Fifteen minutes a day, Monday to Friday.p. 13
Try the first one now
This is the template from chapter one. Fill in the brackets, then save it as your custom instructions.
I run business name, a what you do serving who you serve in city or region. My customers usually want what they come to you for and worry about their common concern. Write the way I talk: plain, warm, direct. Keep answers short unless I ask for detail. Never invent prices, dates, policies or facts about my business. If you need one, ask me. If something important is missing, ask me one question before you answer.
From chapter one of the guide.
Who wrote it
I’m Alexander Zervakos, an entrepreneur, AI consultant and trainer in Denver. I’ve built companies in SEC filings, medical billing and mental health software, and today I build AI applications through AI Persona and Cardinal Stacks.
I wrote this for professionals who tried ChatGPT or Claude and got answers that felt generic. The usual cause is setup, and setup is what this guide covers.
About the guide
Quick answers before you sign up.
Is the guide free?
Yes. Enter your first name and email, and the PDF comes to your inbox. You can also download it on the next page.
Which AI tools does it cover?
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. It shows where custom instructions and projects live in each one, as of November 2026.
How long is it?
Fourteen pages, including nine short chapters and nine copy-paste templates. Chapter one is the place to start.
Will you email me after?
You’ll get the email with your guide. Alex’s occasional tips only come if you tick the box, and you can unsubscribe anytime.