Cut Through with AI

Nihal Salah
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TECHNOLOGY

Cut Through with AI is a podcast for ambitious founders, solopreneurs, and creators who want to use AI to radically rethink how they work — not just speed it up. Hosted by marketing strategist Nihal Salah and founder/product builder Gil Chan, this show is about using AI as more than just a tool — it’s a thinking partner, a workflow engine, and a way to finally unlock ideas and momentum that used to feel out of reach. We share real-world ways people are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and Replit to solve problems, save time, and think more clearly — across both work and life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the hype and want honest conversations, tested workflows, and the occasional messy brain dump, this podcast is for you.

Episodes

  1. 07/28/2025

    The rise of AI slop: what it means for marketers and small businesses

    Feeling overwhelmed by AI content? So were we. In this episode, we share why we both took a step back from using AI – and what it taught us about creativity, marketing, and critical thinking. From copywriting and outreach to domain expertise and conferences, we explore when AI helps… and when it just creates more noise. 📝 Show notes Key discussion points: Why we paused our AI usage – and what changed when we didThe MIT study making rounds: what it actually says about AI and critical thinkingWhat “AI slop” is and why it’s flooding your feedJust because you can automate and scale doesn’t mean you shouldWhy good marketing still needs humans, nuance, and focusGil’s brilliant low-tech but high-impact conference strategyThe trap of relying on ChatGPT for marketing plans if you lack domain expertiseWhy companies need AI guidelines – not just OKRs about “using AI”How follower count and content volume often miss the real business outcomeThe balance between effective AI use and staying proud of your work Notable quotes: “We’re so focused on how AI can help us – we forget to ask if it’s helping our customers.” – Nihal“I was chopping down trees all day, but at the end of the week, I wasn’t proud of what I’d made.” – Gil “There’s no substitute for domain expertise – AI can’t think critically for you.” – Nihal “Creativity and collaboration are still uniquely human.” – Gil Tools mentioned: ChatGPTClay.aiMidjourney  Related resources: MIT study on AI and critical thinking (referenced in conversation) Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn – we’d love to help you cut through the noise and start getting real value from AI. Connect with the hosts: Nihal SalahGil Chan

    27 min

  2. 07/28/2025

    How we actually use AI to plan our days, make better decisions, and get unstuck

    How are people really using AI day to day – beyond the hype? In this episode, we share the specific ways we use AI in our personal and professional lives. From planning and strategy work to home repairs and supplement research, we talk through the tools and tactics that help us stay focused, move faster, and avoid overwhelm. 📝 Show notes Key discussion points: Why AI helps Nihal manage ADHD and stay structured in her strategy workThe underrated power of voice mode for messy thinkersHow Gil uses his own app, Mira, for weekly brain dumps and task trackingThe difference between asking AI to do the work vs helping you think betterUsing AI for daily prioritisation, task triage, and accountabilityTravel planning workflows that cut hours of researchUsing AI to source credible health supplement recommendationsGrok for news summaries and staying current without the doomscrollAI in DIY and home repairs – the £150 mistake Nihal avoidedProduct ideation and edge case exploration using AI as a thought partner Notable quotes: “AI is a game changer for messy thinkers – it helps me go from chaos to clarity.” – Nihal“I don’t ask AI to create the strategy – that’s what clients hire me for. I use it to structure my thinking.” – Nihal “AI helps me think about what I’ve missed, especially when scoping new products.” – Gil “When it’s free, you’re the product.” – Nihal “We don’t need more AI slop. We need more content that adds real value.” – Gil Tools mentioned: ChatGPT Voice ModeClaudePerplexityGrok on XMira – Gil’s custom productivity appLibrarian (app for Slack digests) Use cases discussed: Strategic thinking & planningWeekly task prioritisationPersonal coaching-style reflectionsTravel planning with constraintsSupplement research with clinical backingNews curationDIY and home improvement fixesUX and product flow ideation Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn – we’d love to help you cut through the noise and start getting real value from AI. Connect with us on LinkedIn: Nihal SalahGil Chan

    21 min

  3. 06/28/2025

    The overlooked power of AI as a thinking and building partner

    What if your most productive collaborator wasn’t human? In this episode, Gil and Nihal share how they’ve used AI to build, ship and stay focused. From using Claude to refine product strategy, to spinning up prototypes in hours with Claude code, they dig into the overlooked power of AI as a thinking and building partner. Key discussion points Why Gil built an AI productivity app called Mira – and how he dogfoods it dailyUsing Claude as a thought partner for strategic planning and product developmentHow Gil created a working prototype in 3 hours using Claude code and Claude’s understanding of prior transcriptsThe difference between organising thoughts vs. organising execution – and how Mira bridges bothNihal’s experience building a simple lead magnet quiz with Claude code (as a non-technical user)Why most people fail when trying to build with AI – and how to avoid the same trapReplit, Cursor, Claude Code – what works best and why it depends on how your brain worksThe power of starting small, staying scrappy, and iterating quickly with AI Notable quotes “I ended up with a working prototype in three hours – without hiring a team, without writing code, just by pairing with AI.” – Gil“The mistake I kept making was going too big too soon. But the moment I built something simple, everything clicked.” – Nihal “Mira helps me decide what to work on when I’ve got just 10 minutes in the car – that’s the real productivity win.” – Gil Tools and links mentioned Claude Code by AnthropicReplitCursorVercelGitHub Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn – we’d love to help you cut through the noise and start getting real value from AI. Nihal SalahGil Chan

    21 min

  4. 06/28/2025

    The most overlooked use case for AI that will transform your marketing

    Struggling to really understand your audience without spending a fortune on research? In this episode, Nihal and Gil unpack one of the most overlooked use cases for AI: customer research. We share how founders and marketers can now use AI to uncover deep insights -faster, cheaper, and more effectively than ever before. Key discussion points: What synthetic research is and how one AI company is using it to replace traditional methodsHow Nihal used AI to completely shift a client’s positioning through forum analysis and review miningA breakdown of qualitative vs quantitative research - and how AI makes both more accessibleTools, prompts and LLMs you can use right now to run deep researchWhy knowing where your audience hangs out (e.g. Mumsnet vs X) changes everything Notable quotes: “I truly believe that any solid marketing strategy is built upon a deep understanding of your customers.”“There’s gold in reviews -and AI can mine it for you in minutes.”“Most small businesses skip research because it’s time-consuming and expensive. But that’s exactly what AI can now change.” Tools and tips mentioned: Claude for deep research and analysis of forum conversationsChatGPT for live web research and survey creationGrok (X) for communities active on Twitter/X, especially Web3Use Amazon reviews and forum posts to uncover pain pointsUse CRM data, live chat logs, and inbound messages to train LLMs Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn – we’d love to help you cut through the noise and start getting real value from AI. Nihal SalahGil Chan

    22 min

  5. 06/28/2025

    The productivity trap: When AI helps you do the wrong thing, faster

    In this episode, we share how AI can sometimes do more harm than good, especially when it comes to strategy. Gil and I reflect on moments when AI tools sent us in the wrong direction, what went wrong, and how to use AI more effectively (without letting it derail your priorities). We also touch on the importance of downtime, domain expertise, and why process still matters- AI or not. 📝 Show notes Key discussion points: The productivity paradox of AI: why doing more doesn’t always mean doing betterGil’s story: how using Claude and ChatGPT to identify marketing blind spots wasted a week of his timeThe missing link: AI outputs without a clear business strategy or prioritiesNihal’s experiment: comparing ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok to generate a marketing strategy (and why none really nailed it)Why great outputs still depend on domain expertise and a clear processThe underrated power of using AI for research and audience insightsWhat to do before you prompt and how to anchor AI in actual goals and frameworks Notable quotes: “I was doing a whole bunch of things, but they weren't the things I should have been doing.” – Gil“Your domain expertise is what helps you evaluate whether what AI gives you is good, bad, or just noise.” – Nihal“If you don’t have a process, AI won’t save you. It’ll just help you get lost faster.” – Nihal Links mentioned: Claude by AnthropicChatGPTGrok by xAI Connect with the hosts: Nihal SalahGil Chan Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn - we’d love to help you cut through the noise and start getting real value from AI.

    20 min
  6. The hidden downside of prompt templates (and what to do instead)

    06/17/2025

    The hidden downside of prompt templates (and what to do instead)

    Do you have a folder full of saved prompts or templates you thought would make AI work better- but never actually use? In this episode, Gil and I share how relying on prompt templates and “perfect prompts” often limits what you get out of tools like ChatGPT and Claude. We break down the mindset shift that helped us go from copy-pasting prompts to having real conversations with AI-leading to better learning, faster results, and outputs we’re actually excited to use. Key discussion points: Why prompt libraries and templates can actually hold you backThe difference between prompt engineering vs. iterative thinkingHow to structure AI conversations to learn while doingUsing AI to fill knowledge gaps and test your understandingWhy ending your first prompt with a question improves resultsThe surprising role of system prompts in shaping AI behaviourHow mindset and frameworks beat tools in the long run Notable quotes: “The biggest mindset shift? Stop trying to ‘prompt engineer’ your way out of thinking.” – Gil“I’ve paid for prompt packs and never used them—because once I started just talking to ChatGPT like a teammate, I got much better results.” – Nihal“AI gives better answers when you start with better questions—and a conversation, not a command.” – Gil Links mentioned: Anthropic’s Claude system prompt CursorOpus Clips  Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn – we’d love to hear from you! Nihal SalahGil Chan

    16 min
  7. The 100-Hour Lesson: What Building with AI Really Takes

    06/10/2025

    The 100-Hour Lesson: What Building with AI Really Takes

    In this episode, Gil and I talk about where AI helps—and where it just frustrates the hell out of you. I share why I spent 20 hours trying to automate part of this podcast and then decided I didn’t even want to. Gil talks about switching from Cursor to Claude for code generation and what he’s learning from building his own AI assistant. Lots of honest chat about tools, burnout, and the emotional side of learning. What we get into: Why I scrapped my newsletter automation even though it technically workedThe tools we’ve been experimenting with lately: Claude, Cursor, Replit, OpusWhy your skills (and brain wiring) really matter when working with AIHow to spot when you’re trying to automate the wrong thingGil’s building an AI assistant—and has probably sunk over 100 hours into itThe problem with all those “1-click AI app” videos on socialHow education (and parenting) might need to change in the AI eraWhy it’s OK to suck at first—and why that’s part of the processNotable quotes: “I realised I don’t want to automate the newsletter—I want to write it.” – Nihal “Even if what you built doesn’t ship, those 100 hours weren’t wasted—they were hours of learning.” – Nihal “Just because it can be automated doesn’t mean it should.” – Gil “If AI makes it too easy, we risk losing the grit and growth that comes from doing hard things.” – GilTools mentioned: CursorClaudeReplitRiversideOpus Clip Connect with us: Have AI questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn – we’d love to help you cut through the noise and start getting real value from AI. Nihal SalahGil Chan

    30 min
  8. Think Faster. Build Smarter. How AI’s Reshaping Our Work and Minds

    05/26/2025

    Think Faster. Build Smarter. How AI’s Reshaping Our Work and Minds

    In this first episode of Cut Through with AI, co-hosts Nihal Salah and Gil Chan kick things off with an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about how they’re actually using AI — not just to work faster, but to think more clearly, get ideas out of their heads, and reshape how they build. They cover: Using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and Replit to automate and accelerate real workHow AI is helping them turn messy ambition into focused executionWhy voice notes beat “perfect prompts”How AI can act as a thinking partner — especially when your brain’s wired a little differentlyAnd the ADHD diagnosis Nihal recently decided to talk about publicly — and how AI’s changed the game This one’s real, a little raw, and intentionally unscripted. If you’re overwhelmed by the hype and just want to know how ambitious people are using AI day-to-day — you’ll feel right at home. AI tools mentioned in this episode:  ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.comClaude – https://claude.aiReplit – https://replit.comCursor – https://www.cursor.soLovable – https://lovable.dev/ Riverside – https://riverside.fmOpus Clip – https://www.opus.proCapCut – https://www.capcut.com

    41 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

Cut Through with AI is a podcast for ambitious founders, solopreneurs, and creators who want to use AI to radically rethink how they work — not just speed it up. Hosted by marketing strategist Nihal Salah and founder/product builder Gil Chan, this show is about using AI as more than just a tool — it’s a thinking partner, a workflow engine, and a way to finally unlock ideas and momentum that used to feel out of reach. We share real-world ways people are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and Replit to solve problems, save time, and think more clearly — across both work and life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the hype and want honest conversations, tested workflows, and the occasional messy brain dump, this podcast is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Nihal Salah
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © @Cutthroughwithai
  • Show Website
    Cut Through with AI