Early Tech Adoption Pays

Jack Smith shares his perspective on how being an early adopter of new technologies can create business opportunities, particularly in consulting and education. He emphasizes that you don't need specialized credentials - just a willingness to thoroughly understand new tools before others do.

Key Points:

• Early Adoption Strategy:

  • Read the manual thoroughly when new technology comes out ("RTFM" - Read The F*cking Manual)
  • Stay up late learning the details that others won't bother with
  • Being first to understand creates opportunities, even without formal expertise

• Current AI Opportunity:

  • People are "lazy" about reading manuals for tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney
  • Business leaders will pay premium consulting rates ($1000-1500/hour) for AI expertise
  • You can become an "AI expert" simply by deeply learning the tools that just came out

• Real World Example:

  • Case Text company sold for $750M to LexisNexis
  • Their main IP was "8 proprietary prompts" for OpenAI
  • Shows the premium value placed on early understanding of new tech

• Historical Precedent:

  • Mark Cuban got his first $2-3M by reading computer manuals
  • He would "stay up late at night reading the manual"
  • This allowed him to explain technology to business owners
  • Success came from being thorough, not from inherent expertise

• Implementation Approach:

  • Don't need to be first to market
  • Focus on thoroughly understanding new tools
  • Position yourself as an expert through demonstrated knowledge
  • Target specific verticals or industries that need the expertise

The key insight is that thoroughly learning new technology creates consulting opportunities because most people won't invest the time to truly understand the tools, even if they're simple to learn.