Marc Andreessen Shares How to Prompt AI Like a Pro

Marc Andreessen has some suggestions for getting probably the most out of AI.

The venture capitalist stated on an episode of the “a16z Podcast” revealed Tuesday that AI instruments can act because the “world’s greatest coach, mentor, therapist, advisor, board member” for anybody who asks the correct of questions.

AI might be “probably the most democratic” expertise of all time, stated the cofounder of VC agency Andreessen Horowitz. “The easiest AI on the planet is absolutely accessible on the apps that anyone can obtain.”

Andreessen stated the actual energy of AI is unlocked when the person begins treating it like a “thought companion.” “A part of the artwork of AI, proper, is what inquiries to ask it,” he stated.

He laid out a number of examples using a small business. A bakery proprietor, as an illustration, may feed AI something from staffing schedules to buyer emails to advert copy, and let the mannequin critique all of it.

Andreessen additionally stated product growth works the identical approach: Give AI your recipe and ask tips on how to enhance it.

“What’s the very best cinnamon roll recipe on the planet? Work backward from that,” he stated.

“You might additionally say, ‘Look, I need to make the very best one on the planet, however I must do it at 1/10 of the worth,'” he stated. “What are the methods to cost-optimize?”

Andreessen stated that meta prompts may also help customers decide the very best inquiries to ask AI. They floor blind spots and reshape one’s strategy.

“What questions ought to I be asking?” he stated customers ought to question the bot. “Educate me tips on how to use you in one of the best ways.”

Figuring out tips on how to immediate is vital

Different tech leaders have echoed Andreessen’s level that knowing how to prompt AI is important to unlocking its full worth.

Google Brain founder Andrew Ng stated on the Masters of Scale Summit 2025 in October that having an “prolonged dialog” with a mannequin produces a greater response.

“AI may be very good, however getting context in is troublesome,” Ng stated, including that he makes use of AI in voice mode to brainstorm work concepts whereas driving.

EY’s Americas chief expertise officer, Matt Barrington, stated in an interview with Enterprise Insider earlier this yr that managing context in AI is essential.

“I maintain separate AI ‘workspaces’ for various focus areas — resembling technical Q&A or drafting consumer communications,” he stated within the report published in February.

“I additionally give the AI clear directions in regards to the model and depth of response I would like, like ‘Present a concise, bullet-point abstract,’ or ‘Act as a finance professional,’ or ‘Cite credible sources or references and supply hyperlinks,'” he added.