One of the most interesting things I’m seeing as more people use my insolvency co-pilot, VAi, is this:
Many users are treating it like a Google search.
That is completely understandable. Most of us have spent 20+ years training our brains to work in ‘search mode’:
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type a few keywords
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skim a handful of results
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open a couple of tabs
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piece together an answer
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then try to convert that into something usable for a client, a file note, or a report
The problem is that VAi is not a search engine. And if you use it like one, you’ll only ever get a fraction of its value.
VAi is designed to behave more like a competent insolvency colleague sitting next to you, one who can draft, structure, stress-test, and produce work output, not just find information.
Why ‘Google habits’ produce mediocre outputs
A typical Google-style prompt looks like this:
“wrongful trading definition”
“CVL director duties”
“pre-pack SIP 16 requirements”
VAi can respond to those, but the answer will be generic – because it has no idea what problem you are actually trying to solve.
In insolvency, context is everything: the stakeholders, the timeline, the conduct risk, the cash position, the funding, whether you’re trying to protect directors, maximise creditor outcome, avoid misfeasance exposure, or simply get the paperwork right.
When you don’t supply that context, VAi has to guess. And when it guesses, you get a cautious, broad, ‘textbook’ answer.
Useful – but not transformative.
Superusers don’t ‘search’. They brief.
People who get exceptional results from AI often use a simple discipline that gets described as CRIT:
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Context
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Role
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Interview me
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Task
It’s memorable because it reflects how good professionals actually work: they gather facts, define the perspective, ask questions, and then deliver an output in a specific format.
And here’s the key point for VAi users:
VAi already has the Role embedded. It is built to respond as an insolvency practitioner co-pilot.
So, for VAi, you can drop the ‘R’ and use:
CIT — the VAi way
C is for Context
Don’t just tell VAi the topic. Tell it what’s happening.
What sort of entity is it? What has gone wrong? What stage are you at? What’s the urgency? Who is pressuring whom? What are you trying to achieve? What constraints are you under?
The stronger the context, the more VAi can behave like a real case colleague.
I is for Interview me
This is the most underused lever.
Most users assume they must ask the ‘perfect question’ upfront. They don’t.
Instead, ask VAi to interview you – because the best insolvency advice always starts with the right questions. You’ll often find that the act of answering those questions clarifies the case in your own mind too.
T is for Task
This is where you stop getting ‘an answer’ and start getting ‘work output’.
Tell VAi exactly what you want:
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an email to directors
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a creditor narrative
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a file note for the case file
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a board briefing pack
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a SIP-aligned checklist
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a risk register
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a draft report section with headings and tone guidance
Also specify: length, tone, structure, and what to assume or avoid.
A best-practice CIT example prompt for VAi
Below is the sort of prompt that reliably produces high-grade output.
You can copy/paste this and adjust it to your situation:
CIT Prompt Template (Copy/Paste)
CONTEXT
I am advising on a UK limited company. Sector: [sector]. Trading history: [e.g., 6 years / newco].
Current position:
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Cashflow: [positive/negative], arrears with [HMRC/landlord/suppliers], any CCJs? [yes/no]
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Balance sheet: estimated assets £[x], liabilities £[y], secured lending £[z]
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Staff: [number], any wage arrears/redundancy risk?
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Key events/timeline: [what happened and when]
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Director concerns: [e.g., personal guarantees, wrongful trading, overdrawn DLA, reputational risk]
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Stakeholder pressure: [HMRC threats, landlord, bank, major supplier, etc.]
My objective is: [what you want to achieve].
Constraints: [time, cost, limited info, uncooperative stakeholders, etc.].
INTERVIEW ME
Before giving advice, ask me up to 10 targeted questions that you would ask as an IP to clarify options, risks, and next steps.
After I answer, produce your final output.
TASK
Once you have enough information, produce:
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A clear options appraisal comparing [e.g., trade-on, informal restructure, CVL, administration], including pros/cons, risks, and likely stakeholder reactions.
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A director-focused action plan for the next 7 days (prioritised checklist).
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A draft email to the directors summarising the position in plain English (professional tone, UK).
Format: headings, bullets, and a short executive summary at the top. Keep it to ~[x] words.
That is CIT in action: context-rich, question-led, and output-specific.
What changes when you use CIT?
When you brief VAi properly, three things typically improve immediately:
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Relevance – it stops giving “general insolvency law” and starts giving case-shaped guidance.
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Quality of judgement – it begins to flag real-world risks and practical sequencing, not just definitions.
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Usability – instead of reading information, you receive draft deliverables that you can refine and send.
This is the difference between ‘I searched something’ and ‘I progressed a case’.
The challenge: try it once, properly
Here’s my practical challenge:
The next time you open VAi, don’t type keywords.
Use CIT.
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Spend a few minutes writing real context
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Ask it to interview you
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Tell it exactly what output you want
Then compare the result with your usual ‘search-style’ prompts.
In most cases, you will find you get something closer to a capable colleague’s first draft than a page of generic commentary.
And that is the whole point: VAi is there to give you back time, reduce friction, and help you move faster – while still keeping professional judgement and ‘human-in-the-loop’ safeguards where they belong.
If you want to get the best out of VAi, stop searching.
Start briefing.