A beginner's guide to AI from someone who uses it every day
I get asked this all the time. "I keep hearing about AI but I have no idea where to start."
So here is my honest guide. This is from my experience only. Not a sponsored post. Not something I copied from someone else. Just what actually worked for me.
Step 1: Get Claude Pro for $20/month
This is the minimum investment. You do not need 10 subscriptions. You do not need courses. You do not need to watch 47 YouTube videos before you even open the tool. Just go to https://t.co/QalchLqqaR and subscribe to Pro for $20/month.
Why Claude? Because I personally built an entire app using Claude with zero coding background. No technical degree. Just conversations back and forth with Claude until things worked. It is the most capable AI I have used for getting real work done.
Step 2: Stop thinking of it as "AI" and start thinking of it as a teammate
The biggest mistake beginners make is typing one vague sentence and expecting magic. Talk to Claude like you would talk to a really smart colleague who just joined your team. Give it context. Be specific.
Bad prompt: "Help me with marketing"
Good prompt: "I run a small candle business on Instagram with 2000 followers. I want to increase sales this month. My budget is $200. What are 3 specific strategies I can try this week?"
Context changes everything.
Step 3: Try these starter prompts today
Copy and paste these right now. I am serious.
For learning something new: "Explain [any topic] to me like I am a complete beginner. Use simple language and real world examples. Then give me 3 things I can do today to start applying this."
For writing better: "I need to write a [email/post/message] to [who] about [what]. The tone should be [professional/casual/friendly]. Here is my rough draft: [paste your draft]. Make it clearer and more compelling."
For making decisions: "I am trying to decide between [option A] and [option B]. Here is my situation: [explain your context]. What are the pros and cons of each? What would you recommend and why?"
For business ideas: "I have [this skill or interest] and [this much time] per week. I want to build a side income. What are 5 realistic ideas I could start this month with less than $100?"
Step 4: Use follow-up questions
This is where most people stop too early. Do not just accept the first answer. Push deeper.
Say things like: "Can you make this simpler?" "Give me a specific example" "What am I missing here?" "Now help me create an action plan for the next 7 days"
A single conversation can go 10, 20, or even 50 messages deep. That is where the real value lives.
Step 5: Make it part of your daily routine
I use Claude every single day. For writing. For planning. For problem-solving. For building. For learning. It is not about one magical prompt. It is about building the habit of thinking with AI rather than alone.
Start with one task tomorrow. Just one. Something you have been putting off. Open Claude and say: "I need help with [this thing]. Here is where I am stuck: [explain]. Walk me through this step by step."
That is the whole guide. $20 a month. Good prompts. Follow-up questions. Daily habit.
You do not need to understand how AI works under the hood. You just need to start using it.
I went from zero coding knowledge to building an app that hit number 1 on the iOS Books category in India. The only difference between me and someone who has not started yet is that I just started.
One more thing. If you actually follow this guide and build something using Claude, I want to see it. Tag me. Show me what you made. I will personally boost it here. I love seeing people go from "I have no idea what AI is" to actually creating something real with it.
Your turn 🚀
7 Books That Every Investor Should Read
1) One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch
One of the simplest reads on investing by a legendary fund manager who lays down the secrets of his successful journey. A book to be read once every two years.
2) Masterclass With Super Investors by Vishal Mittal and Saurabh Basrar
A book that has a curated compilation of in-depth interviews with some of the most accomplished stock market investors in India. The book has several brief case studies of their past stock investments and also covers their investing journey and process. A must read!
3) The Five Rules For Successful Stock Investing by Pat Dorsey
One of the best books for a newbie and professional alike as it helps you to understand the basics of investing along with a breakdown of what works in different sectors and the key things to look for.
4) Bulls, Bears And Other Beasts by Santosh Nair
One of the best books that takes the reader through all the cycles that have happened historically in the Indian markets. A must read for every investor in the country.
5) 100 Baggers by Christopher Mayer
A book that teaches us about the art of uncovering 100 baggers and the secret ingredients that lead to such outcomes.
6) Capital Returns by Edward Chancellor
This book will give you a very good understanding about the capital cycle. It will help you to see the capital cycle playing out in different sectors and thus avoid major losses and book profits at the right time.
7) How To Make Money In Stocks by William O'Neil
This book will help you mix the fundamental approach with technicals and ride the winners. A different perspective for solid learning!
We hope these books add value to your investing journey. Happy Investing!
𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝟔𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲:
A One Lakh Rupees worth course for free.
- Most traders fail because they try to do everything
- Swing trading works only when you simplify
So here is the simplest, cleanest 60-minute framework to master swing trading.
#SwingTrading | #Breakoutstock | #StocksToWatch
What an Amazing Discovery!
Scientists have discovered that Ants, after collecting grains and seeds which they need to store for the winter, actually break them into halves before storing in their nests. This is because by breaking the seeds into half, it stops them from germinating despite the most perfect conditions.
But Scientists were stunned when they discovered that Coriander seeds stored in the Ant nest were always broken down into 4 pieces instead of 2 pieces.
After some lab research, Scientists discovered that a Coriander Seed is the only seed that can germinate even after being divided into two, but can not germinate after it’s divided into four parts.
So how do these tiny tiny creatures knew all this? And we Humans thought we are the ONLY intelligent creations of God.
Truth is We know very little & there's a lot to learn from every creature even if it’s so tiny.
God is just Great & Impartial!!
Easy way to decide to buy or hold or sell the stock with help of ChatGPT:
1. Take screenshot of your chart from TradingView
2. Paste it in chatGPT and give the following prompt
*"Here is a stock chart (screenshot attached). Please analyze it in detail and give me a full report covering both technicals and fundamentals:
Technical Analysis
Explain EMA, RSI, volume, and any other indicators visible on the chart.
Identify support and resistance levels.
Highlight short-term and medium-term trend (bullish, bearish, or consolidation).
Mention any chart patterns forming (breakout, breakdown, double top, cup & handle, etc.).
Fundamental Analysis
Provide latest financial data (revenue, profit, margins, debt, ROE, ROCE, EPS, P/E, valuation).
Comment on growth trends (sales/profit CAGR, industry position).
Highlight strengths and risks.
Recent Price Action
Explain what might be causing the stock to rise or fall recently.
Compare valuation vs. peers if possible.
Investment View
Should I buy, hold, or sell at current levels?
Give possible entry levels, stop-loss, and targets (short-term and medium-term).
Suggest whether this stock is good for trading, long-term investing, or avoid for now."*
Used to spend a couple of hours reading through an Annual report
But now you need to spend only 10-15 minutes using AI to read a summary and then cross-check or delve deeper into it.
Use Gemini 2.5 -
Upload a company's latest annual report and type the below prompt -
Summarize this uploaded Annual report for me
- Explain the business model to me like a 5-year-old, state the key inputs, outputs, and factors affecting the same
- Focus on the Management discussion and Analysis section
- Are the sales, operating profit (USE EBITDA and Not EBIT), and PAT increasing
- Are the Operating profit margins (EBITDA) and net profit margins increasing? Show a breakdown of how they are growing and why they are increasing
- calculate free cash flow for the given financials
- calculate EBITDA to Cash flow from operation conversion % and tell me if it's increasing
- Is the balance sheet of the company healthy? Are there any signs of stress?
- Identify the red flags in the company
- Tell me more about the related party transactions
Competitive & regulatory landscape
• Regulatory updates, compliance costs, licenses, litigation, scheme/subsidy benefits, and sunset risks.
• Management's Industry View (Structural vs. Cyclical): Summarize any explicit commentary from management on whether they view current industry trends as structural or cyclical.
• Customer Health Read-Through: Note any commentary on the health, demand, or inventory cycles of key customer industries.
Conclusion -
- End with five firm takeaways.
- Assume a role: “You are a seasoned equity analyst and have evaluated thousands of public companies globally...”
Formatting -
- Easy to read language
- Use bullet points
Share your prompts and let's learn together!
Please note - AI is only good for data retrieval and a bit of data crunching. After it gives you a result, you need to delve deeper to draw conclusions.
All the best!
New & Struggling Traders - FREE Resources
Firstly, I am very impressed with your honesty that you are a struggling trader - don't worry, we have all been there and admitting it is the first step to fixing it! 🤝
Many traders, including @Qullamaggie , @markminervini and @TheOneLanceB have stated they struggled and/or blew up accounts before going on to become the market wizards and trading legends they are today - so we are in good company.
One day, we might be reading of your success so don't give up!
I can make a long(er)-form post but for now I wanted to give you some actionable information:
Resource 1- Traderlion Handbook Video Series
@RichardMoglen is an amazing interviewer and educator.
I would start with watching this excellent free video series from the @traderlion team:
https://t.co/ZNZmWStP5Z
If you enjoy the videos, there is an excellent companion book too.
"The Trader's Handbook: Winning habits and routines of successful traders" @rosshaber et al.
Resource 2 - Books
The following books have "actionable" strategies and blueprints to study:
- How to Make Money in Stocks - William J. O’Neil
- Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard - @markminervini
- How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market - Nicolas Darvas
Resource 3 - Live Market Commentary
The ever excellent @RealSimpleAriel has a free 1-hour pre-market live stream here on X and Youtube where he shares his thoughts, trades and you can ask questions in real-time. He also posts the videos on his YT channel.
Similarly, @NickDrendel has an excellent YT channel where he posts daily videos reviewing charts and news from the day:
https://t.co/XRgf3MejU6
A larger list of FREE resources is linked below:
https://t.co/5kmpCLZrF1
As parting comments, I suggest:
- Focus on processes, not outcomes
- Pick ONE setup and learn everything you can about it.
- Build a model book of that setup so you know what to look for and how to find it.
- Write down your rules for the setup: entry, exit, stop-loss
- Trade as small as possible until you are consistently profitable. Even go to paper-trading until you fix the problems. If you are in a hole, stop digging!
- Avoid FOMO (there are ALWAYS other trades).
- Set your stop-loss before taking the trade and stick to it (know where you are getting out before you get in)
- Treat trading as a life-long, fun journey (like learning the piano or martial arts). It is not a "destination".
Hope it helps - best of luck! 🍀
Bloomberg Terminal: $24,000/year
Professional research: $10,000/year
Gemini 2.5 Pro: Free
Same quality analysis. 100x cheaper.
The financial analysis hack.
Here’s an exact mega prompt we use for stock research and investments: