WITHOUT THE CONTEXT
“Can you take a look at this?”
What am I looking at? What’s the goal? What kind of feedback would help?
First, reconstruct the question.
A SMALL COURTESY FOR THE AGE OF AI
More context,
please.
Before you ask someone to jump in,
give them a place to land.
A document. A scratchpad. A few links. A simple diagram.
Share what’s in your head so a person—or an AI agent—can actually help.
* A little background goes a long way.
01 / THE IDEA
You’ve been thinking about it all day.
They’re arriving right now.
That “quick question” starts a context switch. Someone has to leave their own work, find the background, and work out what you need. Give them a starting point before asking them to make the leap.
The same goes for AI. An agent may not have your files, earlier conversations, or unstated decisions. Missing context can mean extra questions, tool calls, and confident guesses. A small handoff helps both humans and agents spend their effort on the actual problem.
02 / SEE THE DIFFERENCE
Same ask. Better starting point.
A few useful details change the conversation.
WITH A PLACE TO START
“I’m simplifying our signup. Here’s the current flow and notes from three user tests. People missed the verification step, but we need to keep it. Could you suggest clearer wording for that screen?”
Now, work on the actual problem.
Illustrative examples. A useful answer may still need a follow-up.
03 / BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE
Rough is ready enough.
Choose whatever makes the situation easier to see.
A document
The brief, the draft, the decision so far. Point to the part that matters.
A scratchpad
Messy notes count. What you know, what you tried, where you’re stuck.
A few useful links
Add a sentence about each. Check access, or paste the relevant excerpt.
A simple diagram
Show what connects to what. Boxes and arrows can be plenty.
Useful context beats a wall of text. Share the relevant parts, and leave out sensitive details.
04 / YOUR NEXT MESSAGE
Make the next
“quick question”
a good one.
Start here. Keep what helps.
A few honest lines are enough.
THE CONTEXT STARTER
I’m trying to… Here’s where things stand… Relevant notes, links, or a diagram… What I’ve tried / what needs to stay true… I’d like your help with…