How this former NYT columnist uses ChatGPT to brainstorm, do research, and find the perfect metaphor

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

April 28, 2025

Duration

25m

Channel

How I AI

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Farhad Manjoo, a former New York Times and Wall Street Journal columnist, reveals his AI-enhanced writing workflow, from research to finding the perfect metaphor, and how these tools have transformed his creative process without replacing his unique voice. What you’ll learn:

• How AI evolved from a simple tool to an essential writing companion
• Using ChatGPT as a research assistant with web search capabilities
• The “super-thesaurus” technique for finding the perfect words and idioms
• How AI helps brainstorm ideas and refine arguments
• The benefits of having an “always-on” writing partner in a remote work world
• Using AI as a first reader to evaluate drafts in progress
• Why AI enhances rather than replaces a writer’s unique voice
• Practical tips for getting unstuck when AI doesn’t deliver
• How AI speeds up the writing process while improving quality
• The future improvements that would make AI even more valuable for writers

Brought to you by:

• Enterpret—Customer SuperIntelligence Platform for Product and CX teams: http://enterpret.com/howIAI
• Vanta—Automate compliance and simplify security with Vanta: https://www.vanta.com/howiai

Where to find Farhad Manjoo:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhad-manjoo-161229/
• X: https://x.com/fmanjoo

Where to find Claire Vo:

• ChatPRD: https://www.chatprd.ai/
• Website: https://clairevo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/
• X: https://x.com/clairevo

In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (02:40) Farhad’s journey from skepticism to adoption of AI tools (04:20) Brainstorming with ChatGPT (06:54) Assessing the quality of AI-sourced information (08:34) How ChatGPT helps identify new angles and perspectives (10:52) Using ChatGPT to find alternatives to clichéd expressions (16:44) The “super-thesaurus” technique for finding perfect words and idioms (20:12) Using AI as a first reader for draft evaluation (22:15) Lightning round Tools referenced:

• ChatGPT: https://openai.com/chatgpt/overview/
• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com

Other references:

• New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/
• The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/

Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email jordan@penname.co.

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Claire Vo

  host

• Farhad Manjoo

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of How I AI, featuring Claire Vo and Farhad Manjoo, How this former NYT columnist uses ChatGPT to brainstorm, do research, and find the perfect metaphor explores former NYT columnist reveals practical ChatGPT writing workflows and tricks Farhad Manjoo explains how ChatGPT has become a constant companion in his writing process, often replacing hours of Googling and early-stage uncertainty with rapid, interactive exploration.

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