Ethan King

AI will come for your job unless you come for AI first. 3 minutes from the stage on why automation is compound interest for your time, how to build AI employees, and the 6 Levels of AI Autonomy. youtu.be/D01GTNkiVNU

Neither Justin nor I has a coding background. On King Moves Ep. 154, we talk about AI assistants renaming hundreds of recordings and organizing thousands of files. Start with one neglected folder. Define what organized looks like before handing it over. youtube.com/watch?v=tHUG_WZa…

Before my World Ticket Conference keynote, I flew in 2 days early and sat through the event. I needed to learn their language. Try the smaller version: spend 15 extra minutes researching one client before your next call. Find a recent win you can acknowledge.

I can switch the model behind Henley in the middle of a conversation. Same memory. Same skills. Different brain. If you're comparing AI assistants, ask for a demo of switching models without losing your context. What would you lose if you switched yours today?

I tried an AI assistant called Instinct, then disconnected it. I couldn't tell where my data was going. Before handing over your context file, remove passwords and account numbers. Check where it will be stored. An assistant can learn your business without your bank login.

I choose to own my AI assistant. You can keep your context portable even if you rent. Ask your current AI: "Write an onboarding document for my next assistant using what you know about me. Mark anything uncertain [VERIFY]." Read it, fix it, save your own copy.

I've taught AI employees for 2 years. My starting point for a new assistant: 3 documents. Personal context: who you are. Business context: what you sell and to whom. Brand voice: how you sound. Keep copies in a folder you own so your next assistant can use them too.

My AI assistant Henley runs on a Mac in my office. His memory and skills live in files I can back up and move. Before picking your assistant, ask: Can I take what I teach it with me? Give yourself 10 minutes to decide: rent or own. Then start.

My podcast editing runs on Codex with Computer Use. It trims the audio, adds the intro and outro, formats the show notes, and uploads, in about 24 minutes while I do other work. It used to take me an hour. Pick one weekly task that touches two apps. Hand it off.

Uber's COO said they blew their entire annual AI budget in four months. IBM found the average developer spends under $150 a month on AI and ships better work. Running your top model on a routine spreadsheet is driving a Rolls Royce to buy milk.

Every AI tool has four parts. Make: the platform. Model: the engine inside it. Gear: the effort level. Governor: the guardrails IT set. Learn the combination and you can drive any car on the lot, even next year's.

86% of small business owners using AI say they still need more guidance to get real value (Meta survey, this month). Most of that gap is preparation. Map the process before you hand it to a person or a machine.

Before every meeting, my AI assistant pulls every past email, Zoom transcript, and in-person Plaud recording with that person. Then it sends me a short audio debrief on Telegram. I prep while I drive. Zero recall required.

Tomorrow and Tuesday, 4-6pm ET, I'm walking people through building their first AI employee, live, on their own computer. You build while I build. buildmyaiteam.live

Les Brown was booked to speak to a room of doctors. He's not a doctor. He studied their language until real doctors started calling him Dr. Brown. Preparation is the quiet edge behind wins that look effortless. More on King Moves Ep. 153: youtube.com/watch?v=3XmsDBGK…

Everyone can generate now. Almost nobody can decide. The real skill in the AI era is taste, knowing what to keep, what to cut, and what sounds like you. Let AI do the work so you can spend your hours on the judgment only you have. Done: amzn.to/4wZ06f9

Stop selling your ability to produce. Start selling the judgment you bring to what gets produced. AI handles the process. You bring the one thing it can't fake: the point of view only you have.

I co-write my newsletter with AI every week, but it's far from AI slop. Readership keeps growing because these are my genuine thoughts, opinions, and taste. Don't use AI just to save time. Use it to make your output better, even if it takes longer.

LinkedIn added a button this summer to report AI slop. One study says 4 in 10 long posts read as fully machine-written. When everyone can produce, judgment becomes the product. Have a point of view or get drowned out.

Your ghostwriter charged $1K for one great article. Now the client knows that article takes ten minutes and a good prompt. They won't argue. They'll quietly find someone cheaper, or faster. You can't win the quantity race. Win the taste race.