Don't Keep the AI Expert Waiting

Last month in a picturesque Latin‑American capital, I was ambling alongside one of the most AI‑savvy founders I know. We riffed on a thorny question: how do you show leaders that inaction on AI is the expensive choice?

We agreed to co‑build a framework. Calendars, however, colluded against us. A week later the idea was still languishing in my notes—until it hit me: why was I waiting for a human when I could ask the AI in my pocket?

I opened ChatGPT‑o3, workshopped the concept, then asked Claude to critique it. Thirty minutes later I shipped my friend a polished cost‑of‑inaction model.

“That’s better than what we would have produced together,” he replied.

Irony level: expert. I—an acclaimed AI specialist—waited a week for a meeting instead of asking AI directly. If I forget this meta‑skill, what chance does everyone else have?

The Pattern Is Everywhere

1. Seasoned pro, rookie reminder.
In my AI Junto, Arnfinn in Norway—one of our most advanced members—posted a thorny tech issue. A brand‑new participant asked, “Sorry if this is obvious, but… have you asked ChatGPT?” Arnfinn replied with the universal 🤦‍♂️.

2. National Park Service scheduling maze.
At an NPS office‑hours call, a ranger detailed a complex staffing puzzle he’d already emailed me about two weeks earlier. I listened, then asked, “Have you tried ChatGPT?” He hadn’t—even after carefully documenting the problem.

3. My own costly course.
Early in my AI journey I paid thousands for a chatbot class. Between sessions I’d wait days for TA answers that invariably began, “Have you asked ChatGPT?”

We’ve all been conditioned to queue for human experts.

The Meta‑AI Advantage

PowerPoint can’t teach you better slides; Excel won’t invent new formulas. AI is the first technology that teaches you to use itself better.

I recently proved this live: on a Zoom with ~70 NPS staffers, I pasted two of their untouched emails straight into ChatGPT. They’d sent them weeks earlier, but I wanted to emphasize the point that they didn’t need to wait for the “Stanford expert.” (Neither had asked ChatGPT the questions they’d asked me weeks earlier.) The model fired back clarifying questions within seconds—demonstrating to them that the “professor” was already in their pocket.

First, Assess Yourself

Before climbing the ladder below, rate your weakest area 1–5. Start where you score lowest.

The PUG‑E‑ER Ladder for Meta‑AI Mastery

(Think “puggier.”)

Level // Meta‑Skill // Quick Win

P — Prompts (Beginner) // Use AI to improve your prompts. // After a mediocre reply, ask: “How could I rephrase my question to get a better answer? What context do you need?”

U — Use Cases (Intermediate) // Have AI uncover where AI fits your workflow. // Paste the “interview me” prompt (below) and let it grill you for opportunities.

G — GPTs / Agents (Advanced) // Codify a winning flow as a custom GPT/Gem. // “You’re a Custom GPT Expert. I want to create a GPT that handles X. Please interview me about my requirements until you have enough context to draft the GPT instructions.”

EE — Everything Else (Expert) // Default to AI before email, meeting, or Google. // “Here’s my situation… Ask clarifying questions, then advise.”

R — Refuse to Accept ‘No’ (Mastery) // When AI whiffs, iterate—not quit. // “Here’s what missed the mark; help me refine the prompt.”

Your 7‑Day Self‑Teaching Challenge

0: Assess which rung you’re on, on the PUG‑E‑ER ladder.
1: Improve a prompt (P)
2: Let AI interview you for use cases (U)
3: Build a micro‑GPT/Agent (G)
4: Tackle a non‑AI task with AI first (E)
5: Revive a “failed” AI attempt (R)
6: Ask AI and a human expert the same question—compare.
7: Plan which rung to deepen next week.

Document at least one “I can’t believe I missed that” insight daily.

Is the Stanford AI Specialist Already in Your Pocket?

We burn hours on emails and meetings while the expert we’re chasing waits on our phones. If you’re reading this and wondering how to get more from AI, pause the scroll and ask:

“Given my role and goals, what’s the single highest‑impact way I could use you today?”

The expert has been waiting patiently. Don’t keep them any longer.

Related: Use AI to Use AI: The Meta Skill Nobody’s Talking About
Related: Punish Inaction: Why Leaders Must Make AI-Adoption Non-Optional
Related: Beyond the Prompt: Eric Porres on AI Implementation
Related: The Most Important AI Role Has Nothing To Do With Code

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U - “Interview me regarding AI Use Cases” Prompt:

Copy/paste this prompt into your LLM of choice: “You're a generative AI expert, well versed in not just the many capabilities of LLMs like Gemini and ChatGPT, but also of other tools like Gamma, Perplexity, NotebookLM, Napkin, etc. I'd love your help identifying where in my day-to-day work I could incorporate AI naturally, to drive immediate business impact. Please interview me, asking one question at a time about my role, including key responsibilities, workflows, outputs, KPIs etc., until you have enough information to recommend at least 3 AI-powered workflow augmentations. For each recommendation, please tell me which tools I'd need, and scope out how I would begin, perhaps even suggesting a new "workflow conversation guide" I could paste into a new AI conversation to start working immediately. I'm ready to chat now — please ask me questions one at a time, up to 6 questions, before making your 3 AI-powered workflow augmentation recommendations."