Stop Using ChatGPT for the One Thing It's Mediocre At

ChatGPT is the most capable all-rounder we have, which is exactly why people reach for it by default. That default wastes it on jobs it's just okay at.

For long-document reasoning, Claude is better. For sourced research, Perplexity. For an actual image, Midjourney or Ideogram. Using ChatGPT for all of those works, but it's rarely the best tool in the room.

The cost isn't failure; it's a slightly worse result you don't notice because you didn't compare. Slightly-worse compounded across a workday adds up.

I keep a mental map: ChatGPT for general writing and coding, then route the specialist jobs to the specialist. Five minutes picking the right tool beats an hour polishing the wrong one's output.

Versatility is a feature, not a mandate. The best chatbot is the one you don't use for the job it's worst at.