The hockey stick · Phase 1 · The Handle

Which AI do you start with?

You opened ChatGPT once or twice. Maybe Claude or Gemini. It drafted an email, you nodded, and the tab closed. That is Phase 1, the flat part of the handle. The job here is small. Pick one or two tools and learn what each one is actually good at. This page picks with you.

Meet the five, one at a time

Each tool is rated on eight skills, clockwise from the top: Writing, Coding, Reasoning, Research, Speed, Price, Images, Ease. A bigger shape means stronger. Every score is our read of the field, not a vendor claim.

ChatGPT· OpenAI

The safe first pick. Does a bit of everything and forgives a sloppy question.

Claude· Anthropic

Your writer and thinker. Reach for it when the words and the reasoning matter.

Gemini· Google

Plugged into Google. Strong for research and if you live in Gmail and Docs.

Copilot· Microsoft

Already inside Word, Outlook, and Teams. Easiest if that is where you work all day.

Perplexity· Perplexity

A search engine that answers in full sentences and links every source.

Writing.: Emails, docs, posts, and polish.
Coding.: Writing and fixing code.
Reasoning.: Working through messy, multi-step problems.
Research / Web.: Pulling live facts with sources you can check.
Speed.: How fast the answer comes back.
Price.: What you get free versus what you pay.
Images.: Making pictures and reading the ones you upload.
Ease.: How forgiving it is on day one.

Now line them up

Stack the shapes on one chart to see who pulls ahead where.

Tap a name to add or remove it. Bigger shape means stronger, by skill.

Scores as of May 2026

Find your mix

No single AI wins everything. The trick is matching the tool to the job in front of you. Find your job below.

I mostly write

Start: ClaudeAdd later: ChatGPT

Emails, posts, and docs read better out of Claude. Keep ChatGPT open for the odd job Claude will not touch.

I research and need sources

Start: PerplexityAdd later: Gemini

Perplexity links where every claim came from. Gemini backs it up with Google's reach.

I live in Microsoft Office

Start: CopilotAdd later: ChatGPT

Copilot already sits in Word, Outlook, and Teams, so there is nothing new to open.

I just want to start

Start: ChatGPT

Pick one tool, use it for two weeks, then add a second once you know what it cannot do. ChatGPT is the most forgiving day one.

I am watching the budget

Start: GeminiAdd later: ChatGPT

Both have real free tiers. Gemini's is the most generous if you never want a bill.

I make images and visuals

Start: ChatGPTAdd later: Gemini

Both turn a sentence into a picture. ChatGPT is a touch easier to steer for a beginner.

Five moves that fix most bad answers

A good tool still needs a good question. Picking the right model is half of Phase 1. This is the other half.

1
Tell it who to be and what you want
Give the model a role and a goal in the first line. A blank request gets a blank answer.
“You are my email assistant. Write a friendly reminder to a client who is two weeks late paying.”
2
Show one good example
Paste a sample of the tone or format you like and say match this. The model copies what it sees.
3
Name the format
Ask for a bullet list, a table, or a three-sentence summary. Stay vague and it guesses wrong.
4
Give it the context it cannot know
Your audience, your business, the deadline. The model knows nothing about you until you say so.
5
Make it ask first
End with: ask me three questions before you answer. The questions sharpen the result.

Phase 1 resource library

The Curious Library Six short reads →

Once you have picked a tool, these take you the rest of the way through Phase 1: how AI actually works, the 4-part prompt formula, 25 copy-paste prompts, free vs paid, and a seven-day challenge to build the habit.

Stuck on the picking

Not sure which mix is yours?

Fifteen minutes. Tell us the work you do, and we will tell you the one or two tools to open tomorrow. No pitch.

Free Coaching Call