Happy May day fellow wayfinder!

Last week, we discussed AI Agents, Productivity Culture & Warrior Traditions. This week, we look at Applied Learning, Prompt Engineering & Bitcoin Value.

Let's dive in.

☕️ Reading time: 5 mins

My 8-Step Process for Absorbing & Applying Emerging Tech

How I keep up with AI, ChatGPT, and Prompt Engineering as a Fractional CxO

Keeping up with the latest in emerging tech (AI/blockchain/etc.) isn’t always easy. It’s constantly changing, shifting, and accelerating. However, once you find something that works for you, it’s important to document it. And sometimes seeing how others are doing things can help. So that’s what I’ve done.

Here’s my 8-step process that might help you kickstart your own process:

1. Start by scanning the social web for trending conversations. This will give you a good idea of what people are talking about and what topics are hot. For emerging tech, I found Twitter to be a great source, if you can filter out the noise and focus on what’s useful. Just as your parents might’ve told you growing up, “choose your friends wisely,” the same applies to social media: choose who you follow wisely.

2. Follow “leading-learners” in the field. When it comes to ChatGPT and Prompt Engineering, I follow people like Rob Lennon. “Experts” like Rob are always sharing their insights and knowledge for FREE on places like Twitter and can help you stay ahead of the curve. However, many of these individuals are known as “leading-learners.” They don’t rely on prior certifications for their expertise — since there may be none that exist in emerging fields — but apply their knowledge publicly in real-time, so they’re able to lead the way. As a result, many consider them to be experts because of the value they provide, then other formal institutions come in and create curriculums based on such content. If you follow these people through their journey, you can learn alongside with them.

3. Pay attention to leading companies. Especially those that are known for innovating in your particular area of interest. What are they working on? What new technologies are they exploring? Find a way to bookmark their posts or add them to custom lists on Twitter.

4. Learn from any tips or tricks being shared. Whether it’s a tweet, blog post, podcast, or webinar, there are always experts sharing their knowledge and experience for free on the social web. Don’t think you need to pay thousands to get the same knowledge. You just need to be vigilant. Only pay for courses if you don’t have the ability to keep up with what’s online, or like the structure of a formal online course.

5. Take courses or certifications if there’s value. Plenty of online courses and certifications are available, and they can be a great way to deepen your understanding of a particular technology or area of interest. As aforementioned, only take these if they will actually be of benefit to you. I typically take certifications only if I want to test my knowledge and use the certification for actual business.

6. Apply your learnings to your clients. Once you’ve gained some knowledge and experience, start applying it to your clients. This will not only help you build your expertise, but it will also help your clients stay ahead of their competition. Document everything you do, so you can use it for potential case studies or social proof of your competency.

7. See what works and what doesn’t. As you start applying your learnings, be sure to track your results. What’s working well? What needs improvement? This will help you refine your approach over time. I keep a “Retrospectives” database in Notion, so I can see exactly what’s working vs not, and refine it over time.

8. Share your learnings and iterate. Finally, share your experience and knowledge with others in the industry. This will not only help you build your network, but it will also help you refine your approach and stay on top of the latest trends. When you take on the attitude of an “eternal student,” you learn to do by doing, and you naturally become a teacher because you’re sharing your process.

So what are you waiting for? Get started on your journey to becoming a leading learner today.

Reminder: Check out the ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers course if you’re interested in AI Prompt Engineering. Start applying the above 8 step-process to your own learning and growth (no matter the topic or industry).

🐦 TWEETS OF THE WEEK

📰 FEATURED NEWS

Personal

• Released the following blogs: My 8-Step Process, Emerging Wisdom Networks, and The Overlooked Importance of Behavior Change & Culture in Technology Adoption

• Announced as a speaker at this year’s CMX Summit in San Francisco, October 2023

Interesting finds

• Stories

  • Bryan Daugherty testifies at New York State Senate Public Hearing to educate legislators on the true potential of the Bitcoin blockchain (Bryan is a colleague of mine for one of my clients)

  • Ancestors' Genetic "Memories" Could Be Passed On For 14 Generations — this brings a whole other level of understanding of how knowledge is “passed on”

  • Yuval Noah Harari argues that AI has hacked the operating system of human civilisation — from The Economist

  • Notion releases next evolution of AI features

  • AI Prompt Engineers now earning between $200K-$300K per year

• Tools

  • God.mode — an AI Agent that has really been helping me with day-to-day tasks

  • Durable — an AI website builder that gets you up and running in seconds

  • Taplio — your personal AI-powered writing coach for LinkedIn

Until next week, remember: through patience & persistence, it will come.

George

Twitter | LinkedIn | Blog | Tools

Last week's premium newsletters:

• Daily #239: GPT-4 community mods?

• Daily #240: Palantir’s new platform for military and defense

• Daily #241: Educating legislators on Bitcoin

• Daily #242: Cultures, behaviors & adoption

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