Harness AI as a Creative Partner at Work and in Life With Matt Strain

Matt Strain is the Founder and Principal at The-Prompt.ai, a consultancy dedicated to helping businesses adopt and integrate AI tools to enhance productivity and drive innovation. With a strong background in technology, leadership, AI and a knack for making complex technology accessible, Matt works with companies across industries to adopt AI and create practical, effective solutions. He has been featured in prominent publications like The New York Times and Forbes and frequently shares insights on using AI as a strategist, educator, creative partner, and consultant.

In this episode…

In an era when artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into both professional and personal realms, knowing how to leverage its capabilities can make a huge difference. Can AI be more than just a tool? Can AI be a creative partner in shaping ideas, creating solutions and enhancing our productivity?

According to Matt Strain, an AI strategist and consultant, AI isn’t just a faster and better search engine; it’s a dynamic partner capable of sparking new idea, unlocking capabilities and creating efficiencies with ease.

Matt highlights that AI's real value shines when it’s used beyond search or summarizing data, but rather by challenging our thinking and expanding our capabilities. By treating AI like a creative collaborator, users can unlock solutions that may have otherwise gone unexplored. This approach enables professionals and everyday users alike to broaden their capabilities, saving time on routine tasks while expanding their possibilities.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, host Roman Polnar sits down with Matt Strain, Founder and Principal at The-Prompt.ai, to discuss how AI can be harnessed as a creative partner in both work and life. They explore practical applications that save time, how to integrate AI for business strategies, and ways to use it as a tool for innovation. Matt also shares advice on overcoming common AI fears and misconceptions.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• Pillar6 Advisors
• Matt Strain on LinkedIn
• The Prompt
• The Prompt Pillar6 Podcast Resources
• The Prompt AI Fundamentals

Special Mentions

• “Matt Strain - The Ways A.I. is Revolutionizing the Writing Process” on Five Things I've Learned
• The Upshot - The New York Times International
• “35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I.” by Francesca Paris and Larry Buchananon of The New York Times
• ChatGPT
• Claude
• Gemini
• NotebookLM
• Perplexity
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut

Quotable Moments:

• "My initial micro fame came when we were coming up on Valentine's Day, and I had an idea for a cocktail book."
• "It's a good starting point, but you have to validate what comes out of it. You've got to taste test it."
• "I think everybody can save 2-3 hours a week easy, right, without too much work?" 
• "The companies that I find interesting is Moderna... they wanted all employees to create a custom GPT."
• "I tend to focus on the positive side, like I aim for that rational optimism target."

Action Steps:

1. Adopt a growth mindset towards AI: This approach helps overcome the fear of AI replacing jobs and instead focuses on how AI can augment human capabilities, thereby creating new opportunities.
2. Integrate AI into daily tasks: Using AI for routine tasks such as emails, report summarization, and meeting notes can significantly enhance productivity.
3. Engage in continuous learning and experimentation: Regularly experimenting with AI tools in various scenarios, from creative projects to complex data analysis, can deepen understanding and proficiency.
4. Encourage AI adoption in executive leadership positions: Having company leaders model AI usage can inspire broader organizational acceptance and innovation.
5. Establish clear AI usage policies: Implementing well-defined guidelines for AI use within an organization helps address concerns about data privacy and ethical usage.