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Greet from the deep,

It’s Ole from the AI Solopreneur here.

Today, you’ll learn how to use Perplexity to research any topic 5 times faster.

Why this is important:

Sure, knowing how to write newsletters, articles, or social media posts in 5 minutes with AI is cool…

…but if you still need 1 hour to research the topic, you still spend waaay too much time creating content.

What you’ll learn:

• How to access and use Perplexity

• Perplexity’s advantages and disadvantages vs ChatGPT

• 4 time-saving research workflows in Perplexity

• How I use Perplexity to find new substances to endulge 🍄 (just joking)

Ready?

Let’s dive into it!

How to access and use Perplexity

To be a fast creator, you need to be a fast researcher.

The best tool for that is Perplexity.

Here’s how it works:

You ask any question.

Perplexity scans the internet for resources to answer your question, and gives you an answer with references to all these resources.

For example, here’s how it answered my question:

“How can I use Perplexity to research any topic many times faster for writing?”

(yes, I’m a big brain using Perplexity to research Perplexity)

In either case, it’s pretty simple to use:

Just go to Perplexity.ai and type in a question to try it.

Now that you have Perplexity, let’s first clarify when you should use it compared to ChatGPT.

Perplexity’s advantages and disadvantages vs ChatGPT

Which tools you should use always depend on the occasion:

Trying to use a screwdriver when you really need a hammer won’t get you anywhere.

And it’s the same for AI research tools:

Depending on what you want to do, you should either use ChatGPT or Perplexity.

I think of Perplexity as this more thorough, academic, smart librarian that is great at answering questions very accurately.

ChatGPT, on the other side, is more like your talkative neighbourhood Kebab store owner:

He can answer any question very fast, but when the topics get advanced, he sometimes hallucinates some weird facts.

Maybe our kebab owner grows some mushrooms in the back…

How I use ChatGPT for research:

• To get fast, basic answers

• To simplify proven concepts for me

• For more creative questions with no definitive answer

How I use Perplexity for research:

• For comparisons

• For academic research

• When I want a “deep” answer

• When I need to know the best sources for further research

It doesn’t really matter if you copy my approach or create one for yourself.

Just be aware that Perplexity (and ChatGPT!) might not be the best research tool in every occasion.

Now, let’s dive into the workflows:

4 time-saving research workflows in Perplexity

1) Use Perplexity to research for writing:

Perplexity.ai can streamline your research process by generating relevant information and insights on various topics, helping you gather valuable content faster.

Use questions like:

“Create an overview of…”

“Tell me 5 things about [TOPIC]…”

“What are the biggest mistakes [TARGET AUDIENCE] makes with their business?”

Example Prompt:

"Generate an overview of the key business strategies that have led successful solopreneurs to grow their online presence."

2) Use Perplexity to do market research:

Analyze market trends and customer sentiments by generating market reports and competitor analyses.

Use questions like:

“Create a comparative analysis of…”

“Research the 5 biggest trends in [MARKET]”

“What are the biggest pain points of [COMPETITOR]’s customer?”

Example Prompt:

“Provide a comparative analysis of the top three digital marketing tools in terms of effectiveness and affordability for solopreneurs.”

3) Use the Perplexity Chrome Extension to summarize websites:

With the Perplexity Chrome Extension, you can sumarize any website, saving you time and effort in information extraction.

Prompt: (while you’re on the website)

"Summarize the key findings from this website"

4) Use Perplexity as a “gateway” to find materials on your own:

If you ask broader questions to Perplexity, it’s a great “gateway” to other resources on the topic.

Example prompt:

"Recommend academic sources and industry reports related to online branding for solopreneurs, aiding in their strategic business development.

Wrap up + vote for the next deep dive topic

You vote, I write.

In the next deep dive, we’ll cover the close runner-up to the Perplexity topic:

“How to outline your first educational course with AI”

Let’s end this Newsletter about research with the most important question on every scientist’s mind….

What is the best pizza in Europe?

I had this one in Budapest and it made it to the top 3 of this year’s neapolitan pizza awards.

What’s your #1 spot for pizza? I need all your tips.

Keep diving,

Ole