I just came back from the International Builders Show, and there were no less than 39 educational sessions with the word AI in the title, and vastly more that mentioned AI in the course of their presentation.

AI has become to new home builders what, Marsha was to Brady Bunch. “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha…” if you don’t get the reference, it means I’m entirely too old. But I digress.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but March is now Debunking AI Month.

Yep. I said it. I hereby declare March the month where we collectively stop nodding politely while people confidently explain AI like it’s wizardry… and start calling it what it often is: A load of bunk. I mean it’s not all bad, but the moment I knew we’d gone too far was when I saw a 5-week “Prompt Certificate” course. I nearly spit out my coffee and fell off my chair. Five weeks. A certificate. For… asking a computer questions?

Debunking the Sacred Art of Prompting

Since I’ve declared March Debunking AI Month, every time I hear someone talk about “prompting” like it’s a sacred art passed down from the AI mountaintop, a part of me wants to ask: So… you learned how to ask for what you want? Congratulations?

Come on, people. Prompting is communication. Here’s the truth that the “Prompt Influencers” don’t want on a t-shirt: Prompting is not a mystical skillset. It’s not a secret language. It’s not a rare talent. It’s not something only the chosen few can understand after completing Module 4: “Advanced Incantations for Maximum Output.”

Prompting is basically:

• telling the AI what you want
• giving it enough context to not guess wrong
• reacting to what it produces
• and steering it toward better results

In other words… It’s thinking. Out loud. With feedback.

There’s a Lot of Jargin Floating Around

Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of nonsense floating around right now. “Prompt engineer.” “Secret prompt frameworks.” “Copy this exact incantation and the AI will unlock God Mode.” It’s presented like there’s some mystifying feat to using AI that requires a long, drawn-out course.

But if you’ve ever said, “Okay, no… try again, but warmer,” then you already know the truth Using AI well isn’t magic. It’s iteration.

The Big Lie: “You Need the Perfect Prompt”

Here’s the thing. People make prompting sound like you have to write one pristine, laser-crafted prompt that delivers perfection on the first try. Like you’re programming the universe with carefully chosen words.

In reality? Most good results come from the messy version:

• You brain dump
• You ask a pointed question
• You react to what you get
• You refine it
• You steer it like a normal human steering a draft

That isn’t a “prompting skill.” That’s writing. That’s thinking out loud. That’s editing.

We’ve been doing that since forever…except now the blank page talks back. It’s fast. It’s efficient. You can actually get some feedback on your thoughts. It’s pretty cool actually! It’s like having a conversation with yourself.

Why People Puff Themselves Up as “Prompt Experts”

Some folks genuinely enjoy structure and templates. Cool. But the internet has a special talent for turning anything useful into a performance.

Prompting becomes a way to look smarter than everyone else because:

• It sounds technical
• It creates “insiders” and “outsiders”
• It’s easy to package into a course
• It lets someone claim authority without having to show results

If you can convince people there’s a secret language, you can sell them the dictionary.

And the best part? If the AI output isn’t good, it’s never the “expert’s” fault. It’s always the buyer’s fault for not using the magic words correctly.

That’s not expertise. That’s a business model.

The Reality: AI Works Best When You Treat It Like a Drafting Partner

Here’s what actually works in real life: You don’t sit down and create “the perfect prompt.” First you have to know what you are creating. Is it a follow up process for a specific situation? Is it a blog post for a certain event or idea? Is it marketing collateral for a new community?

Then you load it up with what’s in your head:

• The context
• The goal
• The tone, the feel
• What you like and don’t like
• What matters about your builder, your brand, your customers

After that you say:

• “Give me three angles.”
• “No, that’s too stiff.”
• “More personal.”
• “Use our builder’s strengths.”
• “Cut the fluff.”
• “Make it sound like a real person.”

That’s not some mystifying feat. That’s a conversation.

And honestly? This is why the “brain dump” approach is so powerful: it leaves room for brainstorming, idea generation, and creative writing without forcing you to cram your thinking into a neat little box first. And AI appreciates it. At least that’s what it’s always telling me, “Thank you for giving me so much detail and context.” I feel accomplished!

“But What If I Don’t Know What To Ask?”

Good news: you can literally tell the AI that.

You can say:

• “I’m not sure what I’m trying to say yet, help me find the point.”
• “Ask me 5 questions that would make this stronger.”
• “Give me a rough outline and I’ll choose what fits.”

That’s how real collaboration works. You don’t need a priesthood of prompt engineers. You need a willingness to play with drafts.

The Most Underrated “Prompting Technique” Is Saying: “No.”

If you don’t like what you got, you don’t need a new framework.

You need one sentence, “No. You’re wrong. Try again.”

Then add direction:

• “Make it warmer.”
• “Make it shorter.”
• “Less salesy.”
• “More confident.”
• “Make it sound like me.”

This is the part that makes me laugh about the whole “prompt mastery” thing:
People act like the AI is fragile, like you can’t challenge it. You absolutely can. You should. It’s not a wizard. It’s a draft machine. And let’s be honest, sometimes I take my frustrations out on it and curse at it a little. It doesn’t take it personally. I really like that on those days when you just need to curse at something.

And Yes… Spelling Doesn’t Matter (Most of the Time)

One of the funniest parts of the “prompting is hard” narrative is that it implies you have to be precise like you’re writing code.

But you can misspell words, ramble, use slang, jump around, and the AI usually still gets it because it’s built to interpret meaning, not grade your grammar.

If you and I are talking and you type “strenghts” instead of “strengths,” AI is not sitting here clutching its pearls like the comments section in some Facebook Group that corrects your ever-loving thought if it’s spelled wrong. AI knows what you mean. (But spell check is having a fit right now with an angry red line under the misspelling. Spell check is more of a stickler than AI.)

AI is a tool not a wizard.

This tool works best when you treat it like communication, not a spell-casting contest. Okay I did just come back from Orlando so I’m picturing Harry Potter with a wand now. But you get the point. Stop the Madness (not just in March but every month.) You don’t need a course. Just dive in and play with AI. Use it as a tool and you’ll be just fine.