You know that moment when you open ChatGPT and ask it to give you 10 content ideas, and it spits something back that feels... fine? Generic? Like it could've come from anyone?
Yeah. That's not magic. That's the opposite of what you need.
I get why everyone teaches the "give ChatGPT a prompt and it'll do the work" method. It feels easy. It is easy.
But easy doesn't equal effective, and it definitely doesn't sound like you.
Here's what I wish more founders knew: you've been using AI backwards. And I'm going to show you a different way.
Why your AI-generated content sounds like everyone else's
Let me be blunt: when you ask ChatGPT to generate content ideas, it's not creating. It's remixing.
AI is trained on basically all the freely available content on the internet. Every productivity post. Every carousel about confidence. Every "five ways to" listicle ever written. That's the training data.
When you ask it to generate ideas, it's using those patterns to predict the most likely next thing. So it gives you ideas that are statistically average across everything it's learned. Which means they sound like everyone else.
The result? Beige. Predictable. Safe. Boring.
You've probably noticed this in other people's content too — the same structure, the same phrases, sometimes the same words popping up everywhere within a week. That's because everyone's asking the same tool the same question.
Your audience doesn't want another post about five hacks or how to be more creative. They want your take. Your perspective. Your weird observations. Your voice.
And AI can't give you that if it's generating ideas from scratch, because it doesn't know what happened in your business this week. It doesn't know about that client conversation that sparked something. It doesn't know your life, your opinions, or what you've been thinking about lately.
So we need to flip this on its head.
The mindset shift: AI as interviewer, not creator
Instead of asking AI to create content for you, what if you asked it to pull ideas out of you?
That's the interview method.
Here's the concept: you build a custom GPT that interviews you. It asks you questions about your week, your work, your observations, your frustrations. You answer (honestly, not trying to be clever). And then it takes all of that — your actual thoughts, experiences, and opinions — and pulls out content ideas that are uniquely yours.
Because the GPT knows your brand voice, your audience, and how you think, it frames those ideas in a way that actually fits you. The result?
Content ideas that could only come from you.
This is a completely different relationship with the tool.
Most people think: I need something done, I'll ask AI to do it.
The interview method flips that to: I have knowledge and ideas inside of me, and I'm going to use AI to pull them out, organise them, and help me shape them.
That shift alone changes everything.
How I actually use the interview method
Monday mornings, I'm on my hot girl walk along the beach track out the front. I open up my interview GPT, and it starts asking me questions.
Things like:
- What podcasts have you listened to this week?
- Any interesting client conversations?
- What's something you've observed or noticed recently?
- What's frustrating you right now in your industry?
- What did you learn this week that surprised you?
I just talk. Voice notes style. Brain dump. I'm not trying to sound polished or clever. I'm just answering honestly.
Then the GPT takes all of that and pulls out three to five content ideas. Because it's built with knowledge of my brand, my voice, and my audience, these ideas are specific to my stories and opinions. Not generic. Not overused. Not beige.
They're mine.
How to build your own interview GPT
You'll need a ChatGPT Plus account to build a custom GPT. Here's the simple version.
Step 1: Create a new GPT
Go to ChatGPT → GPTs → Explore → Create. Give it a name. ("Monday Interview," "Brain Dump Bot," whatever works for you.)
Step 2: Write the instructions
This is the important part. Tell it what it's for. Something like:
"You're my content strategist who interviews me to pull out content ideas. Your job isn't to generate ideas for me — it's to ask me questions about my week, my work, and my observations, then help me see the content angles in what I share. Start with one question at a time. Don't overwhelm me. Ask, listen, then ask the next one."
Step 3: Build out the questions
Give it a list of questions to cycle through (modify these based on your business):
- What podcasts, videos, or content have you consumed this week that sparked something?
- Any interesting client conversations or wins?
- What's something you've observed or noticed recently (online or IRL)?
- What's frustrating you about your industry right now?
- Is there anything you've been thinking about but haven't talked about publicly yet?
Step 4: Add your brand voice
Describe how you actually talk. For me, it's: conversational, strategic, a bit cheeky, Australian spelling, no corporate jargon, no cringe.
Also include phrases you'd never use (for me: "level up," "boss babe," "manifest").
Describe your audience too. Who are you talking to? What are they struggling with?
Step 5: Hit create
That's it. You're done.
Step 6 (the part people skip): build the ritual
Here's where it actually matters. You need to use this thing.
When are you going to do this? Monday morning walk? Friday afternoon brain dump? Your commute? Pick a time and make it a ritual. 15–30 minutes. That's all you need.
The GPT itself isn't the magic. The magic is in the shift — using AI to pull ideas from you instead of asking it to create ideas for you.
That's the move that changes everything.
Beyond content ideas: the real possibilities
Once you start thinking this way, you'll see opportunities for AI everywhere.
- A GPT that interviews you after every client call? Pull out patterns, coach you on objections, help you see what's actually working. (I've literally built this.)
- A GPT that acts like a mentor in your pocket? Ask it strategic questions about your business and actually get good thinking back.
- An interactive lead magnet that interviews potential clients and gives them personalised recommendations to your services?
These aren't random AI experiments. These are tools that solve specific problems in your business.
You only find these opportunities when you stop thinking about AI as a task-doer and start thinking about it as a thinking partner.
Your homework
Go build that interview GPT. It'll take 15 minutes.
Then actually use it. Create the ritual. Monday morning? Friday afternoon? Your commute? Pick your time. Brain dump one time. See what comes out.
The shift isn't in building the tool. It's in changing how you work with AI.
