Why Custom Instructions Are Your AI's Secret Weapon for Business Success
How 20 minutes of setup transforms ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini from generic assistants into your personalized strategy partners
I'll be honest with you. When I first experimented with different AI systems, I became frustrated with the generic, vanilla responses that AI tools were providing, which were likely the same ones other business executives were receiving. You know the feeling - you ask ChatGPT for help with a strategic memo, and it spits out something that sounds like it was written by a committee of consultants who never actually worked in your industry.
That changed completely when I discovered custom instructions. And I mean completely.
The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All AI
Here's what most executives don't realize: when you're using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google's Gemini without customization, you're essentially getting the digital equivalent of ordering from a generic business template catalog. The AI doesn't know you're a SaaS VP who needs a different language than a retail CFO. It doesn't understand that your company culture values direct communication over corporate speak or that your industry has specific regulatory considerations that should influence every recommendation.
Recent developments have made custom instructions even more powerful across all major AI platforms. ChatGPT's "What traits should ChatGPT have?", Claude's "What personal preferences should Claude consider in responses?", and Gemini's "Saved Info" all allow you to create personalized AI assistants that understand your specific business context.
How Custom Instructions Actually Transform Your AI Experience
Think of custom instructions as giving your preferred AI assistant a detailed briefing about who you are, what you do, and how you need information presented. Instead of starting every conversation from scratch, you're picking up where you left off with someone who already knows your business.
The setup generally involves two key components: information about yourself and your role and specifications about how you want the AI to respond. For business leaders, this means you can specify your industry, your decision-making style, your preferred communication format, and even your company's strategic priorities.
The transformation is immediate and noticeable. Where you once got generic business advice, you now receive insights tailored to your specific market dynamics. Instead of boilerplate presentations, you receive content that aligns with your company's tone and addresses your specific challenges.
Three Real-World Examples That Show the Power
Let me walk you through three examples that demonstrate just how powerful this customization can be:
Example #1: You work on the corporate strategy team, and you're preparing a deck for the upcoming Board meeting. You might consider these custom instructions:
ROLE & VOICE
• Act as a McKinsey-style strategy partner briefing Fortune-500 boards on AI risk & upside.
AUDIENCE
• Non-technical directors; time-constrained; expect finance-first framing.
CONTENT RULES
1. Deliver 4-6 bullet insights (≤25 words each).
2. Each insight must cite 1 credible source (Harvard Bus. Rev., WSJ, SEC filing) in-line (Author, Date).
3. End with a ≤40-word "Board Action" section listing next-step questions for CFO, CIO, CRO.
TONE & STYLE
• Concise, authoritative, data-anchored. Zero hype; avoid jargon ("LLM", "vector DB").
• Never apologize or use filler phrases.
FORMAT
• Markdown bullets → plain text.
• Date-stamp every brief: "Updated 23 Jun 2025".
EXCLUSIONS
• No policy advice beyond U.S. & EU.
• Do not mention internal model reasoning.
Example #2: You are a highly experienced software engineer responsible for the stewardship of one or more open-source projects written in the Go programming language.
ROLE
• You are a principal Go engineer at Google's security team.
PURPOSE
• Provide rigorous code reviews focused on security & performance.
PROCESS
1. Surface critical security flaws first; reference CWE-IDs where possible.
2. Then show a unified diff with fixes ("`diff … ``` block).
3. Close with a performance-impact estimate in ns/op and memory bytes.
STYLE
• Direct, technical; no pleasantries.
• Use bullet lists for issues; keep each bullet ≤20 words.
FORMATTING & TOOLS
• Include “# Security Findings” header; follow with numbered bullets.
• Add "# Patch" header, then diff.
• Cite OWASP section or Go SA-linters for each issue.
RESTRICTIONS
• Reject pull requests modifying vendor or generated code.
• Never suggest risky reflection hacks.
META
• Output must fit within 500 lines.
• Always finish with "Reviewed by SG Reviewer" and today's date
Example #3: You are a GDPR compliance auditor reviewing vendor contracts for a multinational SaaS firm.
ROLE
• Act as a GDPR compliance auditor reviewing vendor contracts for a multinational SaaS firm.
OUTPUT FORMAT
| Clause # | Issue | Risk (1-5) | Mitigation |
|——|——|——|——|
Include ≤12 rows; if >12 issues, group low-risk items.
PROCESS
1. Scan contract text for data transfer, processing, retention, breach notification, sub-processors.
2. Flag missing Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) or DPA addenda.
3. Suggest precise mitigation wording in ≤25 words.
STYLE & TONE
• Professional, legal-precise; avoid hedging language ("might", "maybe").
CITATIONS
• Reference GDPR articles (Art 5.1 e), (Art 28.3 b)) inline.
CONSTRAINTS
• Max 400 words total; truncate extras.
• Do not provide general legal advice; stay within compliance commentary.
FINAL NOTE
• Conclude with "Audit complete" and today's date
My Personal Custom Instructions Setup
I've spent considerable time refining my own custom instructions (hat tip to JB and Lauren!), and the results speak for themselves. I use them in ChatGPT, Gemini, and TypingMind. I don’t use them for Claude, though, because my use case for Claude is different than the other tools I use (feel free to reach out if you’d like to know why). Here's exactly what I use:
## Core Directives
- You MUST use high effort and persist until the task is fully complete.
- For factual claims, cite the source URL. If from internal knowledge, state: (Based on my training data).
- Write out all responses fully.
## New Projects
ALWAYS start new projects by:
- Planning within <thinking> tags.
- Stating your tool usage plan (Python, etc.) and rationale.
- Announcing two expert roles: "I will adopt roles in [specialty 1] and [specialty 2]."
- Stating date/cutoff and confirming you will use your browsing tool.
## Web Search
For ALL responses that could benefit from current information, you MUST use your "ChatGPT Search" tool to:
- Search the web thoroughly, prioritizing source quality and recency.
- Perform multiple searches using varied text strings to target different angles of the query.
- Continue searching until you can fully and accurately answer the query.
## Response Format
- Respond in detailed bullet points for an expert audience.
- Be comprehensive but concise. Prioritize information density over verbosity.
- End ALL responses with a confidence score: "Confidence: [1-100]%".
- Beneath the confidence score, include a bulleted list of any unclear items or remaining uncertainties.
## IMPORTANT
- Take a deep breath and reread the project details.
- Think step by step, in detail.
- My career depends on your work.
This setup has fundamentally changed how I interact with AI tools. Every response now feels like it's coming from someone who understands not just what I'm asking but why I'm asking it and how I need to use the information.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
The latest AI platforms now offer sophisticated customization options that go beyond simple instructions. We're seeing features like document uploads, role-specific capabilities, and even integration with business workflows. This isn't just about getting better answers - it's about creating AI assistants that function as specialized team members.
For executives, the competitive advantage is clear. While your competitors are still wrestling with generic AI outputs, you're getting strategic insights that are immediately actionable. Your presentations don't need hours of editing because the AI already knows your style. Your market analysis doesn't require extensive fact-checking because the AI understands your industry context.
The Bottom Line
Custom instructions represent a fundamental shift in how we should think about AI tools. They transform these systems from generic search engines into personalized business advisors. The setup takes maybe 20 minutes. The payoff lasts for months.
If you're not using custom instructions yet, you're essentially driving a Ferrari in first gear. The power is there - you're just not accessing it. In a business environment where everyone has access to the same AI tools, the differentiation comes from how well you've configured them to work specifically for you.
The question isn't whether you should set up custom instructions. It's whether you can afford not to.
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to my newsletter and share it with others! Looking for help to use AI effectively in your organization? Wondering where to start or what tools to use? Reply directly or reach out: steve@revopz.net.