Across The TableAcross The Table

Three things on the table this week: how to negotiate without getting eaten alive, why the way you use AI might be the most underrated skill of the decade, and a network that confirms transactions faster than your bank clears a wire.

Oh, and I’m thinking about a run for Congress. The deadlines are tight and I’m deciding now.

Business - Negotiate like a ProBusiness - Negotiate like a Pro

Trust but verify. Make sure you know exactly what is important to you and the goals you want to attain. During a negotiation you will frequently hear phrases like “in the spirit of partnership” and “I want to be fair and reasonable.” What follows is usually a tough pill to swallow.

Be wary of verbal agreements. They often happen in real time and the principals generally only cover the big picture. Price, duration, discounts. But there is always more to discuss like payment terms, early termination and the dozens of other issues that only matter when things go sideways. If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.

At various times during a negotiation you will want to be firm and steadfast or flexible and accommodating, sometimes within the same conversation. The key is to understand what you are looking to accomplish. If you have a redline, make it clear immediately. Simply saying no is sometimes the most powerful move you can make. Don’t be overly accommodating. The other side will smell blood and exploit it.

Finally, avoid negotiating in piecemeal. You may have an agreement, have a further discussion about other issues, and then agree again. Only for the other side to come back and ask for more. One side will view it as bad faith and the other side will say it was never discussed. All issues should be put on the table (preferably in writing) and resolved at the same time.

Go down the list once and trade for the issues that matter most.

AI - On Second ThoughtAI - On Second Thought

In this Brief I initially wanted to declare the death of an industry: prompt engineering. Last year the nascent field was set ablaze. Here are “The 10 best prompts for X” and “How to Prompt like Y.”

I’m compelled to draw a distinction between the “use these prompts” crowd and the people who are putting thought into their inputs. Because the prompts matter. And the context you provide matters. It is the single biggest difference between being amazed with the current capabilities of AI and being unimpressed with the output.

You can utilize generic prompts from other people. Or you can put in additional effort, further customization for your specific circumstance, and coax the system to produce output that sounds like you. You can build a repeatable system through context engineering with a few hours of your time by explaining exactly what you need. How you want it to look, sound, the length, the formatting. The variables are endless.

My focus is shifting to questions such as which is the right model to use in a particular situation, what other context and information can I provide to receive a response that’s sharp and on point, and whether prompts should be thousands of words long or if it’s better to spoon feed sentence by sentence.

Builders today are looking to work with engineers. But these are not engineers in the traditional sense. Engineers now can be media, financial, or legal professionals. With AI, everyone has the ability to be an engineer which is quickly becoming a baseline expectation.

Bitcoin - ConfirmationBitcoin - Confirmation

Bitcoin’s blockchain is unique in that once information is recorded it remains there forever. Transactions are irreversible. There are no adjustments or do-overs on the ledger.

The network of miners and nodes confirms each block. Nodes are the thousands of computers around the world that independently store and validate the entire Bitcoin blockchain. The nodes make sure no one cheated the system. No one can double spend their coins. Six confirmations is the general standard for a transaction to be considered final. Confirmation usually occurs in minutes. Compare that to a wire where the bank may hold funds for seven days before releasing them to you.

This is much different than a world where people can dispute charges through the credit card company or write multiple checks without any cash behind them. Or spend counterfeit dollars.

Bitcoin’s blockchain is also audited in real time every 10 minutes. The nodes are the auditors. Compare this to the traditional financial world where an audit generally occurs once a year and with great expense.

In sum, Bitcoin is a trustless network that does not require intermediaries and is transparent for all to see, updated and audited in real time every 10 minutes. Bitcoin is more than a “cryptocurrency.” It is a decentralized public ledger that settles transactions without a banker or middleman in sight.

IRC - Personal NoteIRC - Personal Note

I’m thinking about running for Congress.

I live in NY-1, the congressional district on the east end of Long Island. I also grew up here. Over the last 30+ years I’ve witnessed firsthand the immense development of eastern Long Island and the ever-aging infrastructure as it struggles to keep up. Everything costs more. And it’s only getting worse.

NY-1 is a district with nearly equal numbers of registered Republicans, Democrats, and Independents: no one has a lock on it. I’m not enrolled in a political party and would run as an independent. I’m thinking about the platform “Long Island First” where my mission would be solely to deliver for the district. No loyalty to either side. I’d work with whoever wants to help on any given day. My focus: fully restore the SALT deduction, improve our cost of living and water quality, and secure resources to upgrade and modernize the LIRR.

The biggest hurdle to get on the ballot in November would be obtaining 3,500 valid signatures from eligible voters. Because the major parties will try to strike many signatures if they violate extremely technical rules, I likely need more than 6,000 signatures. And I’d need to collect them over a six-week window opening soon.

I don’t plan to run a money-driven campaign. If I run I’d rely on in-person appearances and social media. A bootstrapped operation with Claude serving as my campaign manager. I might even crash campaign events held by the major party candidates or the debate I undoubtedly wouldn’t be invited to.

I’d need a ton of help to win. If this resonates with you or you want to help make it a reality, reply to this email and tell me you’re in.

Here’s a logo I might use if I run:

The LinksThe Links

Worth your time:

• Context Engineering vs Prompt Engineering
• More on Bitcoin Block Confirmations
• SALT Deduction Cap Remains and Reverts in 2030
• Long Island Water Problems

I’ll catch you at the next block.

-Ian R. Cohen

Principal Attorney - IRC Legal

Block No. 03 Originally Published 943060