AI · September 2025
Before Building a CustomGPT, Start with a Conversation
AI is powerful, but only when applied to the right problems. Before you build a CustomGPT, the most valuable thing you can do is spend 25 minutes figuring out whether you should.
Most teams that come to me wanting to build a CustomGPT have already decided they want one. What they haven't done is figure out what problem it's actually solving.
That distinction matters more than any technical capability.
The Problem with Jumping to Tools
AI works best when it targets real, specific problems. A CustomGPT built around a vague idea, like "we want to use AI more" or "we want to automate things," produces vague, unreliable output. You end up with a tool that technically exists but doesn't get used, because it doesn't fit the actual work.
The gap isn't intelligence. It's alignment. The tool isn't aligned to the problem because the problem was never clearly defined.
What a Conversation Actually Does
A 15 to 25 minute conversation before any build session does three things:
It clarifies whether AI will actually help. Not every problem is an AI problem. Some things are better solved with a spreadsheet, a checklist, or a different workflow. Knowing that before you spend time building is worth a lot.
It identifies the highest-value tasks. Most teams have a handful of repetitive, language-heavy tasks where a well-trained GPT would create immediate, measurable value. The conversation surfaces those. Everything else can wait.
It sequences the foundation correctly. Some organizations aren't ready for a CustomGPT yet. They're missing data, documentation, or internal process clarity that the GPT would need to be useful. Knowing that early saves months of frustration.
What the Build Session Delivers
Once we've had that conversation and confirmed the fit, a two-hour build session produces:
- A functional CustomGPT trained on your context, tone, and rules
- Three ready-to-use prompts targeting your priority tasks
- A session recording you can reference and share
- A customized restrictions list to maintain output quality
- Thirty days of email support
The output is a working tool, not a prototype. You leave with something you can use the same day.
The Prerequisite
You need an active OpenAI subscription. No technical skills are required. We build it together and I handle the complexity.
Come prepared with two or three repetitive tasks you'd like to address. The more specific, the better.
If you're not sure whether a CustomGPT is the right fit, that's exactly what the conversation is for.