State of the Union – let’s compare notes
Five issues in, and this might be my favorite one to write.
Because this time, I’m not just sharing a prompt or a framework. I’m pausing to take stock…of where I am, where I think we are, and where this whole AI thing seems to be heading. Consider this something of a non-comprehensive State of the Union. Ha!
What I’ve Been Up To
If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve mostly been experimenting with ChatGPT. But recently I made the switch to Claude…and I’ve been genuinely blown away.
What’s hooked me isn’t just the quality of the conversations (though that’s certainly part of it). It’s the integrations. Claude connects directly with my email and Google Drive, which means it’s not just a thinking partner sitting in a tab. It’s starting to feel like something more embedded in how I actually work. And I’m just getting started. I’ve got my eye on Claude’s Cowork feature next, which is being described as one of the most accessible AI agents on the market right now. More on that once I’ve put it through its paces.
What’s the bigger point? The tools are evolving fast. If you’ve been sitting with one platform out of habit, it might be worth a look around.
The “AI Expert” Problem
Here’s something I want to be honest with you about, because I’ve been sitting with it for a while.
I keep hearing from people who have hired “AI coaches” or paid for “AI training programs”, and walked away feeling like they didn’t get much for their money. And I get it, I really do, because the market is flooded right now with people positioning themselves as experts in a field that’s been around for about five minutes.
Here’s my honest take: the best way to learn AI is to use it. Full stop.
And here’s the part that’s almost funny: if you want a personalized AI learning plan? Just ask AI. Seriously. Paste this into Claude or ChatGPT:
“I want to get better at using AI tools in my work and life. Ask me 5 questions to understand my goals, current experience level, and biggest challenges. Then design a simple, personalized 30-day learning plan I can actually follow.”
That’s it. You don’t need a certification. You don’t need a course. You need curiosity and reps.
I want to be clear about something: I am not positioning myself as an AI expert or teacher. I’m a leadership coach who uses AI every single day and finds it endlessly fascinating, especially the ways it intersects with growth, self-awareness, and human potential. That’s the lane I’m in. And I think it’s a pretty good one.
The Thing That Keeps Me Up at Night
You know me. I’m an optimist. A radical one, even, when it comes to AI. But I’d be doing you a disservice if I pretended I don’t have fears too.
Here’s the one that sits with me most: what happens to the next generation’s ability to think deeply and write well?
Writing isn’t just communication. It’s how we figure out what we actually think. The struggle of trying to articulate something…the frustration, the revision, the “wait, that’s not quite right”… that is the cognitive work. And I worry that if we hand that process over too early, too completely, we might be quietly eroding something we can’t get back.
I don’t have an answer. I’m not even sure I have a fully formed opinion. But I think it’s worth naming, especially for those of us who work in development, education, or leadership…where the quality of human thinking really matters.
Maybe the conversation we need to be having isn’t “how do we use AI more?” but also “where do we protect the hard, slow, irreplaceable work of thinking for ourselves?”
Your Turn
This is the part where I’d usually give you a survey link. But honestly, I just want to hear from you.
Hit reply and tell me:
- What AI tools are you actually using right now? (ChatGPT, Claude, Fathom, something industry-specific, all of the above?)
- What’s genuinely surprised you, good or bad?
- Where are you stuck, or what are you still figuring out?
- And if you’ve had a real breakthrough moment with AI, I especially want to hear that one.
These newsletters get more responses than almost anything else I send…which tells me this stuff is resonating. So let’s make it a real conversation.
I’ll read every reply. And who knows? Your experience might just become the basis for the next issue.
Talk soon, Nathan
