The Swipe File System: The Cheat Code for Getting Elite AI Output

Most people ask AI for help using vague instructions like "make this better" or "rewrite this more clearly." That produces average results because the AI is guessing your expectations. 

Swipe Files fix this by replacing guesswork with examples. 

You show the AI what "good" looks like, and it learns your standards instantly. 

Here's how to build the system properly. 

1. What a Swipe File Actually Is

A Swipe File is a small collection of reference examples the AI can learn from. 

Not prompts. Not templates. Not instructions. Examples. 

For each type of task you repeatedly do—emails, reports, proposals, presentations, messages, scripts—you save high-quality specimens that represent the standard you want the AI to match. 

Swipe Files give the AI: 

• Structure 

• Tone 

• Formatting 

• Vocabulary 

• Reasoning patterns 

This is how you get output that feels senior-level, polished, and aligned with your style. 

2. Why Swipe Files Work So Well

Large language models aren't command-based—they're pattern-based. 

When you say: 

"Improve this." 

The AI has to invent its own definition of "improve." 

But when you say: 

"Analyze these examples and then apply the same structure and tone to my draft." 

You remove ambiguity. You replace "guessing" with "mirroring." 

The difference is night and day. 

3. The Core Prompt: "Analyze → Then Apply"

This is the most reliable pattern for using Swipe Files: 

Step 1 - Analyze the examples  

• Ask the AI to break them down into: 

• Structure 

• Tone 

• Transitions 

• Vocabulary patterns 

• Argument flow 

• Common frameworks 

Step 2 - Apply the patterns  

Then give the AI your draft and tell it to apply the extracted patterns directly. 

Here is the prompt template: 

"Analyze the files I've attached. 

List the key patterns in structure, tone, and formatting. 

Then, apply those patterns to improve the draft below without changing the underlying meaning." 

This separates the "learning" from the "doing"—and eliminates hallucinated frameworks or unintended style changes. 

4. What Belongs in a Swipe File

Swipe Files should be organized by use case, not by date or source. 

Good categories include: 

• Difficult emails 

• Performance reviews 

• Pitch decks 

• Project plans 

• Status updates 

• Sales proposals 

• Technical explanations 

• Onboarding docs 

• Executive summaries 

• Video scripts 

• Job descriptions 

The category matters more than where the file came from. Your future self won't remember "where" something lived, but you will remember the type of work you need to create. 

5. How to Build a Swipe File System (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Start saving high-quality examples  

Any time you see something excellent: export it, copy/paste it, save it as a PDF, or take a screenshot. Collect only what you actually want to imitate.

Step 2: Create folders organized by use case  

For example: 

📂 Swipe Files 

├── Difficult Emails ├── Executive Summaries ├── Slide Decks ├── Project Plans ├── Product Announcements └── Writing Style (Personal) 

Step 3: Add 3-10 strong examples per category  

• No need for hundreds. The goal is signal, not volume. 
  

Step 4: Use the "Analyze → Then Apply" prompt 

•  Upload the relevant examples alongside your draft. Tell the AI to extract patterns first, then transform your content. 

Step 5: Maintain it like a toolkit  

• Every time you encounter a great piece of communication, ask yourself: "Would future me want the AI to write like this?" If yes, add it. 

6. Real Examples: How Swipe Files Transform Output

Example 1: Difficult Email 

• You save: A firm but diplomatic email, a boundary-setting message, or a conflict-resolution template. 

• The Result: When writing your own tough email, the AI uses these tone anchors to write with precision, calm confidence, and authority. 

Example 2: Pitch Deck 

• You save: Great slides, strong titles, layouts, story flow, and headline structures. 

• The Result: The AI learns the rhetorical shape and applies it to your deck outline. 

Example 3: Policy Summary 

• You save: Crisp executive summaries, bullet compression, and layered reasoning. 

• The Result: The AI starts producing summaries that actually look executive-ready. 

7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Organizing by date  

• Dates do not matter. Use-cases do. 

Mistake 2: Uploading weak or average examples  

• Swipe Files only work if you use elite samples. 

Mistake 3: Mixing totally different formats.  

• Keep categories clean. Keep emails with emails, slides with slides, and summaries with summaries. 

Mistake 4: Expecting the AI to magically know your style.  

• It learns from what you show it, not what you intend. 

8. The Outcome

Once you start using Swipe Files: 

• Your writing strengthens 

• Your drafts get cleaner 

• Your tone becomes consistent 

• Your deliverables feel senior level 

• The AI stops guessing and starts matching 

• Your entire workflow gets faster and more predictable 

Swipe Files turn AI from an "assistant" into an "apprentice"—one that learns your standards and improves over time. 

Next: Post 4 - AI-First Task Planning: The Workflow That Produces Elite Output Every Time