Claude and ChatGPT’s latest models are nitpicky and burning tokens. Here’s the fix

The useful part

I've been using two of the newest Claude and ChatGPT models to tinker with my personal self-hosted projects… and lately, I've found myself drowning in bugs. Not that Claude Opus 5 and GPT-5.6 Sol (which powers the new GPT Work agent) are causing bugs in my code. Indeed, my queue of open "issues" seems to have doubled in the past week, filled with critical flaws and elaborate workarounds, each broken down into multiple steps.

How it works

• Even worse, when I ask one of the models to review the issue of another, the reviewing model invariably finds all kinds of problems with the first model's work, leading to yet more multi-step fixes.
• This isn't just an issue for coders, by the way—it's a problem for anyone who needs help with editing work proposals, reviewing Excel spreadsheets, or performing any number of everyday AI duties while on a...
• I'm all for being thorough, but the nitpicky nature of the new Claude and GPT models is akin to a body shop mechanic who wants to replace the hood of your car after spotting a tiny nick in the paint.

Details worth keeping

Rather, they're finding them… everywhere they look. All these fixes are taking a toll on my usage limits. So I asked Claude Opus 5 for an "on a budget" prompt that takes a t...