Field intelligence for AI-first professionalsVol. II · Nº 56 · Saturday, August 15, 2026
← The comparison

Learn Gemini.

Google's AI, deeply integrated with the tools you already use. Learn how to use Gemini for multimodal tasks, Google Workspace, and creative projects.

Open Gemini
§  Getting started
  1. 01Go to gemini.google.com and sign in with your Google account (any Gmail works).
  2. 02You get immediate access to Gemini on the free tier with no additional signup.
  3. 03Upgrade to Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) for Gemini 3.1 Pro access, Deep Research, and 1,000 AI credits/month.
  4. 04Install the Gemini app on your phone and enable Gemini in Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets) for integrated AI.
PlanPriceWhat you get
Free$0Gemini Flash access · Image generation · Google Search grounding · 100 AI credits/month
AI Pro$19.99/moGemini 3.1 Pro access · 1M token context window · Deep Research mode · Veo 3.1 video generation · 1,000 AI credits/month
AI Ultra~$42/moEverything in Pro · Deep Think reasoning mode · 25,000 AI credits/month · Ultra-tier model access · Priority access
§  What it’s good at
Native Google Workspace IntegrationGemini lives inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. Draft emails, summarize threads, create presentations, and analyze spreadsheets without switching apps. If you live in Google's ecosystem, this is the most seamless AI experience.
Multimodal by DefaultGemini handles text, images, video, and audio natively. Upload a photo and ask questions about it. Share a video clip for analysis. Combine multiple input types in a single prompt for richer interactions.
Google Search GroundingGemini can pull real-time information from Google Search, giving you current answers backed by web sources. It cites its sources so you can verify the information.
Gems (Custom AI Personas)Create custom Gemini personas with specific instructions, knowledge, and personality. Like ChatGPT's Custom GPTs but integrated into Google's ecosystem. Great for creating role-specific assistants.
Deep Research ModeFor complex research questions, Gemini can conduct multi-step web research autonomously. It searches dozens of sources, synthesizes findings, and produces a comprehensive report with citations.
1M Token Context (Advanced)Gemini Advanced supports up to 1 million tokens of context, one of the largest available. Process entire codebases, book-length documents, or hours of meeting transcripts in a single conversation.
§  Prompting Gemini

Leverage Google Integration

If you use Google Workspace, try Gemini directly in your workflow. In Gmail, click the Gemini icon to draft replies. In Docs, use "Help me write" to generate or refine content. In Sheets, ask Gemini to create formulas or analyze data.

Use Multimodal Inputs

Take advantage of Gemini's native multimodal capabilities. Upload images, screenshots, diagrams, or documents and ask questions about them. You can combine text and images in a single prompt.

[Upload a photo of a whiteboard]
"Transcribe this whiteboard, organize the ideas into categories, and suggest three action items based on what's written."

Create Gems for Repeated Workflows

If you do the same type of task regularly (writing social media posts, analyzing data reports, drafting emails in a specific style), create a Gem with those instructions built in. Then you just provide the input each time.

Use Deep Research for Complex Questions

For questions that require synthesizing multiple sources, use Deep Research mode (available in Advanced). It will search the web, analyze sources, and compile a detailed report. Best for market research, competitive analysis, and literature reviews.

"Use deep research to compare the top 5 project management tools for remote teams in 2026. Focus on pricing, key features, integrations, and user reviews. Present findings in a comparison table."

Combine with Google Search

Gemini automatically grounds its responses with Google Search when needed. For time-sensitive questions, be explicit that you want current information to ensure it searches.

"Search for the latest news about [topic] from the past week and summarize the key developments."
§  Prompts to steal
Workspace
I'm uploading a Google Sheets export with our team's project data. Create a pivot summary showing: projects per status, average completion time by category, and team member workload distribution. Format as a clean table I can paste back into Sheets.

Plays to Gemini's Google ecosystem strength. The "paste back into Sheets" instruction ensures practical, usable output.

Visual Analysis
[Upload product photos]
I'm listing these products on our e-commerce site. For each photo: suggest an SEO-friendly product title, write a 2-sentence description highlighting the key visual features, and recommend which photo should be the hero image.

Leverages multimodal input. Practical e-commerce use case that combines vision understanding with writing.

Research
Use deep research to analyze the current state of remote work policies at Fortune 500 companies. What percentage have returned to office, what percentage are hybrid, and what are the emerging trends for 2026? Include sources.

Triggers deep research mode for comprehensive, sourced analysis. Specific metrics requested prevent vague summaries.

Creative
Generate 4 variations of a social media graphic for our product launch announcement. Style: modern, clean, using our brand colors (navy blue and coral). Include the text "Now Available" and a celebration element.

Gemini's image generation combined with specific creative direction. Multiple variations give options to choose from.

Email
Draft a follow-up email to a potential client I met at a conference yesterday. Their name is Sarah, she's the VP of Engineering at a fintech startup, and we discussed how our API monitoring tool could help their team. Keep it warm but professional, suggest a 30-minute call next week.

Perfect for Gemini in Gmail. Enough context for a personalized email that doesn't sound templated.

§  Watch
Google Gemini: PRO Tutorial for Beginners · Kevin Stratvert · beginner
Learn 85% of Google Gemini in 12 Minutes · Jeff Su · beginner
Google Gemini AI Course for Beginners · freeCodeCamp.org · beginner
The CORRECT Way to Use Google Gemini · Jeff Su · beginner
Learn 80% of NotebookLM in Under 13 Minutes! · Jeff Su · intermediate
How to Use Gemini AI with Google Workspace · AI Andy · intermediate
Gemini Tutorial for Google Workspace, 3 Power Moves · Kevin Stratvert · intermediate
New Google Gemini Gems Beats Custom GPTs · Skill Leap AI · intermediate
Introduction to Gemini APIs and AI Studio · Google for Developers · advanced
Building with the Gemini API and AI Studio · Google for Developers · advanced
Introduction to Vertex AI Studio · Google Cloud · advanced
§  Official resources
GeminiStart chatting with Gemini. Free with any Google account.Google AI StudioExperiment with Gemini models, tune prompts, and build prototypes.Gemini API DocumentationDeveloper docs for building with the Gemini API.Google Workspace AI FeaturesLearn about Gemini integration in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.Google AI BlogLatest research, product updates, and AI announcements from Google.