Carol Ann Lloyd wrote something along the lines of "Conversational styles are like different types of jackets — choose the one that suits the situation."
I listened to that audiobook earlier this year and, while not a direct quote, the idea has been brewing in my mind ever since, because it applies to a lot more than just conversation.
The Question We Get Asked Constantly
"What's the best AI tool?"
One of the most common (and frustrating) questions we get at Thoughts Brewing, and it's also, technically, unanswerable. Because there is no best “jacket”, or in this case, AI tool. There is only the right “jacket” for the weather you're standing in.
You wouldn't wear a tuxedo to go chop wood (or maybe you would because you are a fancy woodchuck, who am I to judge??). You wouldn't wear a thin rain jacket in the middle of a blizzard. And you wouldn't use ChatGPT when you need NotebookLM, or reach for Perplexity when you actually need Gamma.
In general, most just don't know enough about the tools. This stems from a problem of asking the question from inside a jacket store with no situation in mind.
But First — Conversational Jackets
If we have never met, let me give you a lil TL;DR about me:
- I am an ISTJ.
- AuDHD.
- My default conversational jacket is a utility vest — functional, no frills, zero emotional insulation.
- I am direct, logical
- I contain no signs of baked-in warmth.
- I’m also full of complete raccoon, capybara nonsense (and apparently nougat, according to Damien).
That works beautifully in certain situations.
- Strategy sessions.
- Problem-solving.
- Getting to the point when the point needs getting to.
- Making friends with random animals.
It does not always work so beautifully with people who are running primarily on feeling, not logic. People who need the emotional layer first before they can receive the information. I've had to learn (sometimes the hard way) that putting on the wrong jacket in those moments isn’t always the best fit.
The AI Wardrobe
Here's how I actually think about the tools we use and teach:
ChatGPT is your well-worn hoodie. Comfortable, goes everywhere, handles almost anything with a decent-ish prompt. Great for brainstorming, drafting, thinking out loud, building something from scratch. Not the tool you reach for when you need citations or when you need it to stay strictly inside your own source material.
NotebookLM is your structured blazer with patched elbows. It only works with what you give it → your documents, your research, your uploads. It mostly won't hallucinate outside those sources. When you need grounded, sourced output from your content, this is the jacket. (We dig into this one specifically in our Maven cohort, if you're curious.)
Perplexity is your weatherproof outershell. Built for the outside world because it searches the live web, cites its sources, and gives you current information. When you need to know what's happening now, not what the model trained on six months ago.
Gemini is your Google-native fleece. Deeply integrated with your Google Workspace: Docs, Drive, Gmail, Calendar. If your life lives in Google, this one fits the ecosystem in a way the others don't.
Claude is your thoughtful cashmere cardigan. Where you go when writing quality matters: longer thinking, nuanced reasoning, careful editing. Less "give me fifty ideas fast" and more "help me say this one thing well."
Gamma is your party jacket. Best for creating those stunning, not boring presentations. Need a slide deck that doesn't look like you built it in 1992? This is your tool. Not for everyday wear, but irreplaceable when the occasion calls for it.
The Problem Isn't In Your Closet
No one is short on jackets anymore. The AI wardrobe has never been fuller.
The gap is knowing what you're walking into before you get dressed.
This is also why I have pattern cutters in my sewing kit, a planer in the woodworking shop, and a very specific set of crochet hooks in different sizes (said in my best Liam Neeson voice…”I have a very particular set of skills”).
A sander can level a board, but whew, it will take you so damn long to get it there and the result won't be as clean. A planer exists because someone recognized that the right tool for the job is the most appropriate one, not always the most versatile.
Appropriate:
- For the situation.
- For the relationship.
- For the weather.
That's the whole game.
"The problem with keeping your options open is that every option requires energy to hold. And a shelf full of maybes is often heavier than a hand holding one yes. Put something down." - James Clear
Ponder This
- When you reach for an AI tool, are you choosing it consciously or just grabbing the first thing on the rack?
- Is there a "jacket" you default to in every situation, even when the weather has changed?
Books/Newsletters
- How to Build Meaningful Relationships through Conversations - Carol Ann Lloyd
- 3-2-1 Thursday - James Clear
Comments