Leveraging Advanced ChatGPT Models and Features for Professional and Business Gains

Key Quotes

"There's nearly 900 million people using ChatGPT each week, but I've got to be honest, very few people have a clue what they're doing. It's like being given keys to a Ferrari, but you just use it to keep dry and cover up when it rains. It's not how you should be using it, especially for teams, because ChatGPT at work is an actual competitive cheat code."

Jordan Wilson highlights that despite widespread use, most ChatGPT users are not leveraging its full potential, likening it to underutilizing a powerful tool. He emphasizes that this is particularly true in a professional context, where ChatGPT can provide a significant competitive advantage.

"Do not use the free version of ChatGPT. Here's why, and hopefully those people listening over there at Oben AI don't get mad at me for saying this. It's not the best model. The version of GPT that you get on the free plan is not what you think... So there is a technically a newer version of GPT-5.2 that is the latest version of ChatGPT, but if you are on the free plan, it is using a model called GPT-5.2 Instant, which by all comparisons is not very good."

Jordan Wilson advises against using the free version of ChatGPT, explaining that it does not utilize the most advanced models. He clarifies that the free tier employs a less capable model, GPT-5.2 Instant, which is significantly inferior to the latest versions available through paid plans.

"Most numbers suggest that more than 95% of ChatGPT's 900 million users are on the free plan. You shouldn't be. OpenAI is not paying me to say this. I feel the same way about Google Gemini, about Anthropic Claude, about Copilot. You shouldn't be on a free plan. I understand, economies tough, getting a job is tough. Yes, it is criminally cheap. Any of those plans for $20 a month, you can go out there and compete with anyone doing anything, whether you're trying to get a job, whether you're trying to get a promotion, whether you're trying to push your company forward."

Jordan Wilson argues that paying for AI services, even at around $20 a month, is a worthwhile investment for professional advancement. He points out that the vast majority of users remain on free plans, missing out on the enhanced capabilities that paid versions of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot offer for career and business growth.

"Rule number two, you should almost always be using the thinking models. I get it, you, and by you, we as a society, we as humans, for the most part, are lazy and impatient. It's actually weird, as these AI models get more and more capable, as they get more robust, as they get smarter, as their agentic capabilities increase, it's almost like the default for us humans is to do the opposite, is to kick back more, be even lazier."

Jordan Wilson advocates for the consistent use of "thinking models" within AI platforms, contrasting this with a societal tendency towards laziness and impatience. He observes that as AI becomes more advanced, people often become less engaged rather than more proactive in utilizing its capabilities.

"This is one of the biggest cheat codes, I'd say, that most average users skip over, is not taking advantage of a built-in feature that a lot of people don't know. And it's not just between the models, it's with the modes as well. We're not going to get too much into that in today's episode, that's a little more advanced, but I wanted to keep this one a little shorter. But even if you're using the different modes, GPTs, canvas mode, study and learn, whatever mode you're using, you can keep it going using the different modes and not have to start over. Not having to re-explain yourself, not having to copy and paste anything. ChatGPT doesn't skip a beat when you change a model or mode."

Jordan Wilson identifies "context switching" between different AI models and modes as a significant, underutilized advantage of ChatGPT. He explains that this feature allows users to maintain conversational context and workflow continuity when changing models or modes, unlike some other AI platforms that require starting over.

"Number four, use projects and custom GPTs more than you think. My gosh, this is good for me to say out loud because I'm also reminding myself. I literally thought like two days ago, 'I'm like, okay, Jordan, this is like the third time this hour that you just clicked new chat when you should have either went and found the project you already built, or you probably should have built the GPT or something like that.'"

Jordan Wilson emphasizes the importance of utilizing "projects" and custom GPTs, admitting that even he sometimes defaults to creating new chats instead of leveraging these organizational tools. He suggests that these features, which allow for customized AI versions and data attachment without coding, are often overlooked by users.

"Number six, ChatGPT is best for teams, period. The future of work, I've been saying this, good thing I have receipts all on the website. I've been saying this for a long time before it was a popular thing to say, the AI operating system. I've been saying that for a very long time. I do think in the same way that, you know, through the 90s and the early 2000s, most businesses made a choice, are we a Windows organization, or are we a Mac organization, or are we a Linux organization? You have to do the same thing with an AI operating system, and you have to move your day-to-day business processes, your entire team, you better just do it now, there's no need to wait."

Jordan Wilson asserts that ChatGPT is fundamentally best suited for team collaboration and that businesses must adopt an AI operating system approach. He draws a parallel to past decisions businesses made regarding Windows, Mac, or Linux, stating that integrating AI into daily business processes is now a critical necessity.

"Rule number seven, leverage chain of thought summaries as your secret weapon. I talk about this randomly on the show, but if you really want to separate yourself from being, or your company or your department, you need to be doing this. I cannot emphasize enough, especially if you're using a model like GPT-5.2 Pro, look at the chain of thought."

Jordan Wilson identifies "chain of thought summaries" as a crucial tool for differentiation, urging users to leverage them, particularly with advanced models like GPT-5.2 Pro. He explains that reviewing these summaries allows users to understand the AI's step-by-step reasoning process, which is essential for verifying accuracy and improving outcomes.