#ThirstyThursday Issue #260

Click the image for the punchline 👆.

✅ Today’s Checklist:

• When to use each of Claude’s models
• The warm breakfast you need this fall
• The AI lesson to steal from IKEA
• A 5-4-3-2-1 routine for busy women over 35

QUICK LINKS

AI TOOLS

Haiku, Sonnet, Opus or Fable? Which Claude Model Fits the Job

Takeaways:

• Think of Claude’s models as different levels of capability. The creator compares Haiku to a middle schooler, Sonnet to a high schooler, Opus to a college student, and Fable to a PhD. The idea is to match the model to how complex the task is, and save the heavy hitters for work that needs them.
• Choose your model based on what you’re trying to accomplish. The creator recommends Haiku for simple tasks like checking French grammar, Sonnet for everyday questions like identifying a camera, Opus for in-depth research and building automations, and Fable for complex projects like creating an interactive world map from your photo library.
• Experiment with different models and effort settings to find the right balance between speed, quality, and token usage. Lower-effort settings can make responses faster, while higher-effort settings allow more extensive reasoning. Your connectors and skills carry across Claude’s apps, though which models you can pick depends on your plan.

Watch the explainer on Instagram.

FOLLOW-UP FIX

Joanna Wore an AI Note-Taker to a Retreat. Here’s What It Caught.

You meet someone great at a conference, trade ideas and promise to send an intro. Then it’s the next session, the next dinner and the next handshake, and by the time you’re back at the hotel you’re piecing together who said what and what you promised to whom.

Our co-founder Joanna knows the feeling. When she spoke at the Top Shelf retreat in Austin, she clipped the Plaud NotePin onto her outfit and stopped reaching for her phone every time she wanted to record. Here’s what she got back:

• The most thorough AI summary she’s seen, with the full audio next to the transcript
• Speaker labels that held up in a group of 10+ people
• A “Things to Remember” list that caught real follow-ups, like an offer to host an AI adoption lunch and an intro to a women’s community in Denver
• A mind map of every topic covered, plus a battery that lasted days on one charge

She also covers what she’d change, what to ask IT before recording at work, and who should skip it. If you’re always the one sending the recap, it’s worth five minutes.

👉 Read Joanna’s Plaud review.

HEALTH

Pumpkin Pie for Breakfast, With 30 Grams of Protein

Takeaways:

• Make a warm, protein-rich breakfast that tastes like pumpkin pie. For one serving, whisk together 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or cornstarch), 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Pour into a small baking dish and bake at 350°F for 23–25 minutes, until just set with a pudding-like texture.
• Add a creamy protein topping once the custard has cooled for 5 minutes. Mix 1/3 cup Greek yogurt with 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, then spoon over the custard. Finish with 1/2 tablespoon hemp seeds and 1/2 tablespoon chopped pumpkin seeds. Add a little extra maple syrup if your protein powder is unflavored.
• This breakfast combines protein, fiber, and healthy fats in one serving. The egg, Greek yogurt, and protein powder provide over 30 grams of protein according to the creator, while pumpkin contributes beta-carotene and fiber. Hemp and pumpkin seeds add magnesium, zinc, and healthy fats, making it a nourishing alternative to a typical sweet breakfast.

See the recipe on Facebook.

BUSINESS

IKEA Handed Routine Calls to AI, Then Retrained 8,500 Employees

Takeaways:

• IKEA’s largest franchisee, Ingka, introduced an AI assistant called Billie in 2021 to handle repetitive customer service requests. Within two years, Billie was reportedly handling 47% of customer inquiries, freeing employees to focus on more personalized, higher-value services.
• Instead of eliminating 8,500 customer service positions, Ingka reportedly retrained those employees to become remote interior design advisers. Customers could book video consultations, receive personalized room-planning advice, and get product recommendations.
• The lesson for leaders is to use AI to grow what your team can do, and treat any cost savings as a bonus.Automate repetitive tasks, identify where employees can contribute more value, and invest in training that moves people toward work requiring creativity, judgment, expertise, and human connection.

Read on LinkedIn.

THE MARKUP

Why the Same Shot Costs $59 or $500

Someone in your group chat is paying $500 a month for a GLP-1. Someone else is paying $59 for the same doctor-prescribed compounded medication out of a US-licensed pharmacy.

The ingredients in compounded GLP-1s cost around $5 to produce. So those hundreds more you’re paying? That’s the markup, not the medication.

Collective pools members’ buying power to negotiate GLP-1 pricing straight from US pharmacies, the same model Thrive Market used on organic groceries. A $199 annual membership (less than $17/month) gets you compounded semaglutide at $59/month or tirzepatide at $69/month, and the price stays the same at any dose.

You also get unlimited messaging with a real doctor, dose adjustments when needed, plus nutrition support most programs skip. Try it free for 21 days, (only pay for your medication) and see why better care doesn’t have to cost more.

👉 Stop overpaying for your prescription.

HORMONES

The 5-4-3-2-1 Fitness Routine Built for Busy Women Over 35

Takeaways:

• Keep the routine small enough to repeat. Start each morning with a 10-minute walk outside before you check your phone, then fit in four workouts a week: three strength sessions and one optional session of lifting, Pilates or yoga.
• Keep meals simple with three a day and about 30 grams of protein at each. Build the plate around protein and vegetables, keep the carbs, and front-load your water. The creator aims for two 40-ounce bottles by 2 p.m., so scale that to what your body needs.
• Close the week with one Sunday reset. Take an easy walk, spend 10 minutes looking at what worked, and prep a few proteins so weekday meals come together fast. If you skip a workout, follow her “never miss twice” rule and pick it back up the next day.

Watch on IG.

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