Without further ado, here’s a recap of what I’ve learned in the first weeks of my AI education course. As a reminder, I still don’t “know what I want to do when I grow up.” I’ve chosen business because it’s important if you want to understand society and money, and consulting strategy because it forces you to learn how to think more effectively. The quantum course is still under construction, but it will join these recaps once I build a solid structure. 

Every business lesson follows the same format:

• Introduction - a quick idea of what the lesson will discuss. 

• Key Definitions - terms that will be used throughout the lesson and general curriculum. 

• Metaphor - a metaphor that “dumbs down” the concept and makes it click.

• Real-Life Examples - how the concept is applied in big companies and small startups. 

• Worked Example - a math-heavy, concrete example.

• Mini Quiz - a 10 question multiple choice, true/false, and free answer quiz that recaps the lesson and makes sure I was paying attention.

• Micro Assignment - applying the lesson to a company/product of my choice.

It creates structure that feels like a “real course,” but I can pause, backtrack, and ask as many questions as I want, which regular school never allowed for. 

In the first week or so of the curriculum, I’ve learned about:

• Value Creation & Value Capture

• Demand, Willingness to Pay, & Elasticity

• Accounting Basics

• Reading Financial Statements

Accounting threw me for a loop, to be honest. I had a hard time understanding the difference between profit vs. income and liability vs. expense. Instead of having to jump to the next subject, I instantly created a “0.5” lesson - a halfway lesson that dove only into those concepts and explained them in depth. I get it now. 

The best part of learning with AI is that the curriculum bends to meet my needs, priorities, and interests. If I need an extra lesson, boom, it’s there. I can dive into a subject that interests me for a few lessons, or pivot to a new subject when I feel ready. 

The consulting strategy lesson structure is slightly different - each lesson builds on itself, as does each week. 

Week 1 of Consulting Strategy included:

• The Business Engine

• The Profitability Framework

• Hypothesis-Driven Analysis

• Mini Case Challenge

• Synthesizing Insights and Storytelling

This course is about learning how to think in layers. Throughout, I can treat ChatGPT like a client, an interviewer, or just a mentor. I get to build issue trees, ask questions, and get real-time feedback - which would take weeks in a more traditional classroom setting. 

One challenge I’m running into is retention. Since studies show physical books are better for memory, I’m creating flashcards and physical study guides to bring back some of that old-school learning. 

My favorite part of it all is how customizable it is. The lesson plan shifts daily based on what I do or don’t understand. The timeline is based on my availability, and the progress is at my pace, no stress. The teacher has pretty much all the answers, but none of the ego that comes with knowing everything. Every single aspect of the curriculum is built by me, for me. 

As for you all, my few but dear readers, if any of you are interested in building a curriculum for yourselves, or have suggestions for mine, I’m open to it all. This is an experiment and I’d love for you to be a part of it.

The Thought Edit follows my experiment in designing a personalized, AI-guided education. Along the way, I explore bigger questions about how we learn, think, and stay human in a rapidly changing world.