At some point in your career, you will be asked to deal with something you don't understand.
A new system your company just adopted. A topic you're supposed to present on next week. An industry you're moving into. A new manager with a completely different set of priorities and vocabulary.
The old approach: read everything you can find, ask around, and hope you pick it up fast enough. That works eventually. But it's slow.
AI is faster — when you use it right.
The problem with searching the internet
When you Google something you don't understand, you get a list of results written for people who already know the basics. You end up on a page full of jargon, clicking links, opening tabs, losing the thread.
AI is different. You can tell it exactly what you know, what you don't know, and what you need to be able to do — and it meets you there.
How to use it as a private tutor
When you're facing something new, try this prompt:
"I need to get up to speed on [topic]. I have about 20 minutes. I have a background in [your background] but I'm not familiar with this area. Give me the most important things I need to understand, explained in plain English. Then tell me what questions I should be asking."
That last part — "what questions should I be asking" — is underrated. It's the thing a good mentor tells you that Google never does.
Then go deeper on what matters
Once you have the overview, you'll know which parts actually apply to your situation. Go narrow:
"Okay, the part I actually need to understand is [specific piece]. Can you explain that in more detail, and give me a concrete example of what it looks like in practice?"
You're not trying to become an expert. You're trying to be functional — to ask smart questions, follow the conversation, and not embarrass yourself. That's achievable in 20 minutes.
Works for new tools too
Just adopted a new project management tool that half the team already knows? Don't sit through another tutorial video. Try:
"I'm new to [tool name]. I come from a background of using [previous tool]. What are the key differences I need to know, and what are the three things I should learn first to be useful in team workflows?"
It will skip the beginner fluff and go straight to what actually matters for someone in your situation.
Works for new leadership too
New VP. New department head. New direction. You need to understand their priorities fast.
Before your next meeting with a new leader, try:
"I'm meeting with someone who has a background in [field/role] and is focused on [their stated priorities]. What does someone with that background typically care most about? What language do they use? What are they usually skeptical of?"
It's not a replacement for actually getting to know the person. But it gives you a head start on speaking their language.
The rule: specific questions get specific answers
Vague in, vague out. The more you tell AI about your situation — your background, your time constraints, your actual goal — the more useful the answer.
"Explain marketing" will give you a textbook definition.
"I'm a product manager who needs to present a go-to-market plan to our CMO next Thursday. What do I need to understand about how marketing leadership typically evaluates a GTM plan?" will give you something you can use.
Getting up to speed is a skill. AI makes it a much faster one.
If you want to build the skills to use AI like this — confidently, in your actual job — Clearly, AI covers it. Plans start at $15/mo.
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The full Clearly, AI course goes deep on everything in this post — with hands-on exercises, real prompts, and new modules launching regularly.
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