🤖 The Entrepreneur's Not-So Secret Weapon

Welcome… to the newsletter I didn’t want to write.

Since last November 2022, and the public release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the existence of largely accessible artificial intelligence and the future of humanity have been the global “talk of the town.”

If you somehow missed the memo, I applaud you for being so laser-focused, because AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been everywhere this year.

I didn’t want to write about generative AI because I felt like everything had already been said. Also, while this newsletter is partially about how to leverage technology to grow your business, the practicality of a solopreneur or owner of a micro small business (1-20 employees) using AI as a competitive advantage right now doesn’t feel all that realistic. Ultimately, it comes down to the types of tasks you complete each day and whether or not AI can help make completing those tasks faster, more efficient, or at a higher level of quality.

Why did I change my mind and write this issue then?

It’s not about me. This newsletter is and will be for you and your business.

After reading the article, “Don’t wait—create, with generative AI” by McKinsey Global Institute last week, discussing how “$2 trillion to $4 trillion annually of potential value…can be unlocked by using these technologies” and that businesses and workers who don’t use AI will be replaced by those that do, it reminded me of a concern I had for many of my colleagues back in 2018.

As we were beginning to build our own technology platform to help our associates’ businesses, there were a number of associates opposed to the change (as there always is). My biggest warning for those associates was that the industry was about to change, with or without them, and that in the near future, larger, outside market shifts would suddenly progress so rapidly that those who didn’t adopt technology now to create a better consumer experience would find themselves no longer be able to catch up.

It turns out I was right. 😬 It just didn’t happen how I pictured it. 😅

Within a year, a global pandemic appeared, causing the world to pivot on a dime from being a physical-first, digitally-enhanced world, to a digital-first world. For those who were fortunate enough to be able to transact business at all, technology became an integral part of daily operations in a way we hadn’t experienced before. Consultations went to Zoom-only, and marketing shifted heavily to livestreams and video overnight. Sure, those changes were already happening, and this shift expedited the transition.

Those who didn’t adapt quickly were in trouble. 📉

Artificial Intelligence becoming a publically available tool is the beginning of a MASSIVE shift in how we work and live. A shift that will progress faster and at a larger scale than anything we’ve seen before.

Now that we’ve thoroughly set the stage, let’s briefly discuss how you can get started with generative AI, and harness its transformative power to unlock your creative potential and skyrocket productivity.

AI will revolutionize industries and transform the way businesses operate.

This era of generative AI is just the beginning. By learning how to leverage generative AI now, you can prepare your business for accelerated growth and ultimately create a significant competitive advantage through efficiency and scale.

Unfortunately, with every industrial revolution, many people fail to tap into its full potential due to a lack of understanding or fear of its complexity.

Here’s what I recommend you do to begin to separate yourself.

Step 1: Embrace the Potential of Generative AI ✨

The first, crucial step, is to embrace the fact that AI is here and will continue to progress exponentially.

Next, invest a relatively small amount of time to learn what generative AI is and what it has the potential to do for you, your productivity, and your business. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time. Invest one hour to get educated. Invest one hour each week through the end of the year and you’ll be in the 1% of the 1%.

Start small. One step at a time. Learn it. Use it. Learn to use it better.

So, what is a “generative AI model?” I asked ChatGPT for a technical definition of itself. Here was its response.

Next, I asked for a much simpler definition. 😂

On the most basic level, you can use an AI model like this as a conversational search engine. Once you learn how to ask better, more specific questions, it can be an incredibly powerful tool, and by leveraging its power, you can automate content creation, access endless creative possibilities, and save valuable time. Here are a few more ways to utilize this tool for your business.

Imagine effortlessly generating AI-assisted content that captures your brand voice while freeing up your schedule for other crucial, more human tasks. 📈

Step 2: Navigating the AI Minefield: How to Avoid Common Mistakes 🚫

Now, let's address a common stumbling block: over-reliance on generative AI. While it's a powerful tool, it should enhance your creativity, not replace it.

Many people make the mistake of solely relying on AI-generated content without infusing their personal touch. Remember, your unique voice is what sets you apart.

On top of that, directly copying and pasting AI-generated content into your content could become a legal nightmare. AI-generated content can be original but is created based on existing information and content, and it’s challenging to know if copywritten material has been used.

Find the right balance by combining AI assistance with your own creativity, and create content that genuinely reflects your brand identity.

Today’s issue was originally written by ChatGPT back in June. While it provided a helpful starting point, it was so dry, valueless, and boring. 😴

I re-wrote the entire issue from scratch, and only the headers of the 3 steps remain. Hopefully, it’s much less boring now. 😅

Step 3: Ignite Your Creative Superpowers 🦸

AI has the potential to create a remarkable transformation in your productivity and creative output. Create a beautiful landing page, craft ad copy in seconds, or leverage AI for customer support. Check out the AI Library below, In The Weeds 🌾, to search over 1,000 AI tools.

Next, give AI a try. Create a free ChatGPT account (link below as well) and have some fun.

Speaking of fun, an acquaintance recently used another model that generates images, called Midjourney, to create a Minnesota Vikings dream house. It was so realistic people were asking for the link to the property listing in the Facebook comments. 🤯

Learn how to Prompt better and ask better questions for significantly better results. Check out this resource on Prompting here.

Armed with the knowledge of generative AI and some ideas of how to harness its potential, you can find ways to leverage generative AI to ignite your creative brilliance and take your productivity to another level.

I’ll be back… next week! 😆

ONWARD TOGETHER.

In The Weeds 🌾

Additional resources for you to dive deeper.

• The economic potential of generative AI [McKinsey]

• 8 Questions About Using AI Responsibly, Answered [HBR]

• What every CEO should know about generative AI [McKinsey]

• Governance of superintelligence [OpenAI]

• Stanford: Most large AI systems don’t meet proposed EU requirements

• Don’t wait—create, with generative AI [McKinsey]

• ChatGPT Cheat Sheet [Infographic] [Social Media Today]

• 12 ChatGPT Tone Modifiers to Improve Your AI-Generated Content [Social Media Today]

• AI Delegation: The One Skill You Will Need To Succeed In The Future [Forbes]

• Augmented work for an automated, AI-driven world [IBM]

• AI LIBRARY: Your Go-To Spot for Finding, Exploring, Discovering, Accessing, and Saving Your Favorite AI Tools

• OpenAI [Try ChatGPT for Free]

  • Custom instructions for ChatGPT

• Midjourney

  • Community Showcase (Top)

• Bard by Google

• Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.

• Have a great topic idea to share? Share here.