An Opinionated Guide to Using AI Right Now
The best modern AI tools, what each one is actually for, and why stressing over "perfect prompting" is the wrong fight. Start here if you're new.
Read on One Useful Thing →These are the ten reads I send people when they want a real foundation in AI. Not the hot-take feed. The writers who've earned their seat at the table, explaining where we are, what's worth using, and how to think about it.
Pour something warm. Take your time.
How to read this list
Each one earns its spot for a different reason. Some give you the lay of the land. Some teach you a specific build. Some pull you back to think about what AI is actually doing to work and to us.
You don't need to read them in order. Pick the one that matches the question you're carrying right now and start there. Save the rest for the weekend.
A gentle reminder
The point isn't to know every term. It's to think clearly enough to keep up.
The best modern AI tools, what each one is actually for, and why stressing over "perfect prompting" is the wrong fight. Start here if you're new.
Read on One Useful Thing →Stop crafting one-off prompts. The real Cowork unlock is folders, context files, and global instructions Claude reads every time.
Read on How to AI →A working playbook for shipping real software using AI agents, even if you don't have a CS degree. 50+ projects, one CLI, zero formal training.
Read on Ben's Bites →Everything you need to spin up your own AI agent on hardware you control, plus six real workflows worth copying. The deep dive on OpenClaw.
Read on Lenny's Newsletter →Eight specific moves to stay employable, sane, and competent in an AI-shaped economy. The opposite of generic future-of-work advice.
Read on The Algorithmic Bridge →A clear-eyed read on where AI capability, capex, and capability gains are actually heading in 2026. The macro picture without the hype.
Read on Uncharted Territories →Every AI term that's been thrown at you in a meeting, defined in plain language. Models, RAG, RLHF, MCP, evals. Bookmark it.
Read on Lenny's Newsletter →Build a Claude Code agent that synthesizes your calendar, email, Slack, HubSpot, Notion, and meeting notes into one ranked morning brief. Full tutorial.
Read on Matt Paige's Substack →The mental model for picking the right AI now that agents are in play. Models vs. apps vs. harnesses, and why the same model behaves differently in different surfaces.
Read on One Useful Thing →A step-by-step for training an AI on your real work, your voice, and the way you think. The one to read after you've gotten your bearings.
Read on Lenny's Newsletter →If You Only Read Three
Start with Mollick's Opinionated Guide for the foundation, Lenny's Glossary so the jargon stops being a wall, and Claire Vo on OpenClaw for the build that changes the rest. Everything else compounds from there.
For Your Job
If you’re ready to set up Claude for your specific job, with custom skills, connectors, and automations built around the work you do every day, I built a bootcamp just for you.
Start the Weekend Bootcamp →Get The Agents
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Get the AI Agent Bundle →Work With Me
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