In a recent conversation with Mindstone CEO, Joshua Wohle, he shared an insight that's stuck with me: Out of 100 people using AI, 10 claim they're experts, 20 say they're advanced, and 50 say they're beginners.
The reality? Almost everyone is still a novice. Even the "experts."
Here's why this matters: We're witnessing the emergence of an unprecedented productivity divide. Those who truly master AI tools aren't just 2-3x more productive – they're looking at 5-10x gains, potentially scaling to 100x.
But here's the good news: You can get ahead of this curve.
Here are 6 ways to build real AI expertise that can benefit you in your professional life and personal growth:
Make AI Your Default Decision PartnerTransform your decision-making process by treating AI as your constant thought partner. Stop making important decisions in isolation – instead, run everything through AI systems for a second opinion and use them as a devil's advocate for your thinking.
Build Your Personal Productivity PlatformDevelop a comprehensive system that manages your incoming work and multiplies your output. Learn to parallelize tasks using AI agents and create workflows that dramatically increase your productivity beyond what any single human could achieve alone.
Focus on Fundamentals FirstMaster the basics before rushing to advanced techniques, even if you think you're beyond them. Take time to understand prompt engineering principles and learn the unique strengths and limitations of each AI model you use – this foundation will set you apart from surface-level practitioners.
Leverage AI for Better RecommendationsTurns out, AI's pattern recognition abilities makes it amazing for recommending your future favorite TV shows, books, and musicians. As Joshua shared, they're "dramatically better at choosing what TV show or movie you should be watching than Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, or any of them will ever be." The same applies to books and other content – feed it your preferences, and it will consistently surface highly relevant suggestions that match your taste.
Learn to Leverage Premium ToolsInvest strategically in premium AI tools when the return justifies the cost. Calculate your ROI based on time saved and impact generated, and ensure you're using the right tool for each specific job rather than forcing one solution for everything.
Build Personal SoftwareTake control of your tools by creating custom solutions for your specific needs. Move beyond just consuming interfaces – build them yourself and connect them directly to your data. This allows you to create perfectly tailored solutions that others can't replicate.
The harsh truth? Most self-proclaimed AI experts are barely scratching the surface. They're using basic prompts and celebrating mediocre results.
Meanwhile, real practitioners are building personal operating systems that transform how they work and live.
To get one step closer to being an expert, listen to this week’s episode of The Augmented Life: