"Checking in. How are you doing?" Jeff Fargo does not send that follow-up. In this Fargo Walks episode he names what he sends instead: a cheat sheet built for the person receiving it, covering whatever AI they already use and which version fits each task in their job.
What is wrong with a "checking in" follow-up?
Jeff's position on it is flat. In his words, "I don't send that follow-up. Don't do that." The clip offers no improved version of the line. It gets replaced, not rewritten.
What goes on the cheat sheet?
Three things, all of them about the person receiving it. Whatever AI they use, named in the clip as Claude, ChatGPT or Perplexity. Which version of it to use for each task in their job. And, in Jeff's words, "If they're paying for more horsepower than the task needs, the sheet shows them where to dial it down."
That makes the follow-up a deliverable instead of a question. The person opens it and has something to act on.
Why does the version matter?
Money. The clip ties version choice to what the person is paying for. Horsepower above what the task needs is spend with nothing behind it, and the sheet is where that shows up.
Who else should get one?
Your clients. The clip closes the instruction with "Do the same for your clients." Because the sheet is built per person and per task, it is assembled from what you already know about that client's work.
Related reading: Quoted a Price and Heard Nothing and Multiple LLMs and AI Agents.
What this does not mean
It does not mean the cheat sheet is a template. It is built around one person's AI and one person's tasks, which is what separates it from the follow-up it replaces.
It does not mean more AI is better. The horsepower point in the clip runs the other direction: when the task is smaller than the model, the sheet shows where to dial it down.
The decision
Pick one client you were about to check in on. Build the sheet for them: the AI they already use, the version that fits each task in their job, and where to dial it down. Send that instead of the question.
Sources
- Fargo Walks, episode 105: Replace ‘Checking In’ With a Personalized AI Cheat Sheet. Published October 18, 2026. Every claim on this page comes from the clip's title and description. No transcript was used.
I'm Jeff Fargo, founder of Fargo Factor. I help businesses streamline and scale with AI. https://www.fargofactor.ai
WHEN THE DECISION MATTERS
Sending "checking in" when you could send something useful?
Bring the client and the task. I can help you streamline and scale with AI.
