A lot of people think AI can flawlessly handle any prompt you throw at it. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
Just like managing people, using AI tools like ChatGPT still requires strategy, direction, and a little cleanup. That’s where the 10-80-10 rule comes in.
Keep reading to learn how to apply this rule to your ChatGPT framework and produce high-quality content in three steps.
What Is the 10-80-10 Principle?
The 10-80-10 rule is a type of leadership principle.
Your first 10 represents the 10% that should be spent on communicating the vision for the project. Then you have your 80, which represents the 80% of time that is to be spent on progressing the project.
Lastly, you have your final 10. The final 10% is the amount of time that is supposed to be used to make final adjustments.
Can You Apply the 10-80-10 Principle In ChatGPT?
This rule obviously applies to workers in an office space. But what about AI?
When you give ChatGPT a prompt, you also have a specific goal in mind. The AI needs just as much direction as humans—if not, more. This is why this rule also works so well for ChatGPT.
Let’s take a closer look:
Step 1. 10% Planning
The first 10% is about planning and training the AI.
Just like you would in an in-person setting, you have to train ChatGPT for the task and set expectations.
What’s the project about? What tone, format, and structure do you need? What role should ChatGPT play—writer, editor, brainstorming assistant?
Most importantly, you are going to want to be specific.
For example, you might say, “I’m creating a script for a financial education YouTube video for kids aged 5–7. The tone should be fun and simple, using storytelling and examples they can relate to.”
You might also mention word count, pacing, or how to break up content.
Following this prompt, ChatGPT may ask you some follow-up questions. Make sure to answer these questions to help it get a better understanding of your overall goals and ideas.
Beware—this process may not be immediate. However, this is how you can make sure that ChatGPT is producing high-quality content.
Step 2. 80% Writing
It’s now time to move into the bulk of the writing process.
ChatGPT will use the guidelines you provided in Step 1 to create content that matches your preferences.
In this stage, you will be using ChatGPT to generate the first draft. You may have to do this step in sections depending on how long your content will be.
For example, you might start by asking ChatGPT to: “Write the first 10 minutes of the script and introduce the topic of saving money using a fun story.”
Then, section by section, instruct it to write the following sections in the sequence. Once this is all pieced together, you’re ready to move on to Step 3.
Step 3. 10% Revision
The final 10% is where you revise the content.
Start by manually cleaning up the results you received from ChatGPT.
You’ll want to check the content for things like:
- How well the content flows
- How clearly the content reads
- If the style and tone are what you had in mind
- How accurate all of the content is
- If the topic stays on-topic or if it’s overly complex
If there are a lot of changes that need to be made, you could also ask the AI to make some adjustments itself.
Say in Step 3 you’ve determined the language used was too complicated or some key information was missing. Or maybe the ending wasn’t as impactful as you wanted it to be.
You could then ask ChatGPT to simplify the text and possibly request further explanations. As a matter of fact, you could also ask it to generate a stronger and more impactful conclusion.
Once you are done using the AI to write your content, go back and give everything one final read-over.
Bring Strategy Into Your AI Workflow
AI content is only valuable with the right human direction. Thankfully, the 10-80-10 rule exists, so you can finally get the AI-generated content that you are looking for.