Cold Calling & Co-Piloting

I use this blog in a large part to curate from my own busy mind what I’ve been thinking, feeling and doing over the past week as it relates to my startup journey at Zonder .? Today as I put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard), I am conscious that most of my week has been invested in outreach.? Mostly ‘cold outreach’ to GP practices, peppered with some personal outreach to individuals living with asthma to whom we’ve spoken when originally gathering insights to shape our service.

I don’t see loads of opportunity to mine insight for myself much less construct something interesting for any readers who aren’t me. Hopefully once I have logged enough contact points, I’ll start to see patterns useful to me and others.? But for now, the main learning is that it’s tedious and warm outreach works infinitely better than cold.

Content

So onto another topic.? Besides my own startup day job, I also serve as a commercial advisor to a startup in the sustainability field, Metalchemy .? Through nanotechnology, they produce materials that can be applied either to packaging to naturally extend shelf life for perishable products or directly to the products themselves.? During our meeting on Friday evening, the conversation turned to the time it takes us to write a blog and wishing we could maintain quality but invest less time.? Metalchemy’s other commercial advisor, Harry Slagel , suggested using repeated, thoughtfully-crafted prompts to take our unpolished thoughts and generate quality content.

This piqued my curiosity.? I admitted I’d tried AI a number of times on my writing and with the exception of adopting a few better word choices, I’d found the writing stilted, often written by someone trying to fake being erudite.? I was as interested as Metalchemy’s CEO, Federico T. , to put the content through prompts multiple times.? When I set out to write this and Edge browser insisted on taking me through a tour of Co-Pilot, I decided it was a sign.? I hope you don’t mind me taking you on this little experiment….

Disclaimer: This is an experiment in using AI to generate and refine content about self-care in treating asthma and is in no way meant to be medical nor health advice.

First Attempt: Seth Godin

For my first attempt, I asked Co-Pilot the following: ‘Write a blog post in the style of Seth Godin about the importance of self-care in living with asthma.’? The result was in no way reflective of his style and was downright corny.? I won’t bore you with the output in its entirety, but here is a short snippet, which was accompanied by a graphic that turned out to have been lifted from a Wikipedia page on asthma:

“In the grand theater of life, where each of us plays a unique role, there’s a recurring character we often overlook—the caretaker. This unsung hero tends to the delicate balance of our well-being, ensuring that the show goes on smoothly. Today, let’s shine the spotlight on self-care, especially for those living with asthma.”

1. The Symphony of Breath

Asthma, like a capricious conductor, orchestrates its own symphony within our lungs. The wheezing notes, the breathless crescendos—they demand our attention. But amidst this cacophony, we must remember that we hold the baton. Our self-care is the rhythm section—the heartbeat of our survival.

Fake Seth Godin

This was so far off the mark, that rather than continue with this input in my experiment to refine through multiple prompt cycles, I decided to select another voice, hoping Co-Pilot would at least start off in the right direction.

Second Attempt: Scott Galloway (Prof G)

I gave the same prompt, replacing Seth with Scott.? Co-Pilot spit out verbatim the same drivel as above.? This time I persevered and tried a slightly different prompt: ‘How would Scott Galloway convince someone to take self-care for asthma seriously?’

I feel like we’re getting closer, with some of the tone reflective of Prof G, although I can’t see the value nor the likelihood of him taking up the orchestral theme nor referring to something outdated like ‘coupons’.?

“Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round. Today, I’m here to talk about something that affects millions of lives—the silent symphony playing within our chests. It’s called asthma, and it’s time we gave it the standing ovation it deserves.”

1. The Data Prelude

“Numbers don’t lie, my friends. Asthma isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it’s a heavyweight contender. Over 300 million people worldwide grapple with it. That’s like filling Wembley Stadium 3,000 times over. And guess what? It’s not a spectator sport. You’re in the ring, whether you like it or not.”

2. The Cost Sonata

“Asthma isn’t just about wheezing—it’s about the cha-ching. Medical bills pile up faster than a Vegas blackjack table. Inhalers, doctor visits, emergency room sprints—they all come with a price tag. But here’s the kicker: self-care is the ultimate discount code. It’s free, folks. No coupons needed.”

Fake Scott Galloway (1)

My next prompt: ‘Please rewrite the above without using the orchestra analogy and write more in the voice of Scott Galloway, including his trademark salty language and sarcasm.’

Asthma: The Uninvited Houseguest You Can’t Kick Out

“Alright, buckle up, because we’re diving into the world of asthma. It’s like that annoying relative who overstays their welcome during the holidays—except this relative camps out in your lungs. Let’s break it down, shall we?”

1. The “Oh Crap” Moment

“Picture this: You’re minding your own business, and suddenly, your lungs decide to throw a tantrum. Wheezing, coughing, and breathlessness—it’s like they’re auditioning for a reality show called ‘Lung Drama.’ And guess what? You’re the unwilling judge.”

2. The Inhaler Tango

“Inhalers—they’re like the Tinder of the medical world. Swipe right, and you get a puff of salvation. Swipe left, and you’re gasping like a fish out of water. But here’s the kicker: inhalers are non-negotiable. They’re the bouncers at the asthma nightclub, and you better show your ID.”

…. “So, fellow wheezers, let’s raise a glass to asthma. It’s the uninvited houseguest who overstays their welcome. But guess what? You’ve got the eviction notice—self-care. Treat those lungs like VIPs, and remember: life’s a marathon, not a sprint. And in this marathon, your inhaler is your running shoes.”

Fake Scott Galloway (2)

Nope.? Way too much mixing up of metaphors for a professional like Prof G.? What does a marathon have to do with houseguests or buckling up in order to dive (drive, yes)?? If you’ll indulge me, I’ll make one final attempt.

My final prompt: Please rewrite the above but without mixing metaphors, nor using musical metaphors and write it like it has been polished by the best editors at his disposal.

Well, I’m not sure what happened.? Maybe my prompts crossed the line into bolshy, but Co-Pilot decided they were better off with the controls and simply spat back the same output as above verbatim.

Thank you for indulging me in using this space to run my experiment.? My conclusion: I’m not ready yet to turn the controls over to Co-Pilot or another AI (ChatGPT4 is my normal go-to), but I am ready to learn from others’ success in this area.? Any pointers gratefully received.

This week’s

Lowlight: So much time spent navigating GP practices’ IVR systems being the 2nd, 6th… caller in the queue.? I was multi-tasking of course, but it’s still boring for me and probably frustrating for patients

Highlight: When finally making contact with GP practice leaders, getting confirmation that they are indeed interested in hearing how they can streamline and improve care for chronic conditions

Ask: If you make or sell perishable products and are interested to know if metal nanotechnology can extend their shelf life naturally (preventing waste), check out Metalchemy.? Their results are the real deal.? I’m also happy to help with a warm introduction.

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