Newsletter 308: Your AI Career Thought Partner

Before We Begin: Join Our Dyslexia Awareness Month Research

This October, we're investigating a specific hypothesis: Do neurodivergent thinkers use AI tools differently than neurotypical thinkers? And if so, is it more effective or efficient?

Our AI Readiness Survey takes 8 minutes and helps us understand:

• How different cognitive patterns approach AI collaboration

• Whether neurodivergent minds leverage AI more strategically

• What makes AI partnership effective across thinking styles

• How to build better tools for education and the workforce

Your data directly informs this research. Take the survey and get your personalized AI Readiness Score plus immediate access to resources.

[Take the Survey & Contribute to Research →]

What You'll Learn Today

In this fifth part of our 6-part Future Flash series:

• How to have the career conversation with AI that most people are avoiding

• The specific prompts for analyzing your job's future and finding complementary opportunities

• Why AI should be your devil's advocate, not just your assistant

• How to create a personal thought partner that makes you better at what you're already good at

• The framework for mastering weaknesses without burning time on low-value tasks

• Why this might be the best time ever to be a neurodivergent thinker

• The research question: Do we use these tools differently—and better?

Reading Time: 12-15 minutes | Listening Time: 10-12 minutes if read aloud

The Conversation Most People Are Avoiding

Everyone's talking about AI replacing jobs. Nobody's having the more important conversation: how to use AI to make yourself irreplaceable.

I've been experimenting with something specific over the past few months: using AI not as a tool that does tasks for me, but as a thought partner that helps me understand my career value and amplify my cognitive strengths.

This isn't about prompts for writing emails or summarizing documents. This is about using AI to analyze your career trajectory, identify where you add unique value, and strategically position yourself in a changing economy.

Most people either ignore AI or use it reactively. The opportunity is using it proactively to strengthen your position.

Step 1: The Career Analysis Conversation

Here's the first conversation I recommend having with AI. It's uncomfortable, but necessary:

The Prompt:

I work as [your job title] in [your industry]. I want you to:

1. Research what analysts and experts are saying about the future of this role
2. Identify which aspects of my job are most vulnerable to automation
3. Identify which aspects require human judgment, creativity, or relationship skills that AI can't replace
4. Show me the data on employment trends for this role over the next 5-10 years
5. Be honest about risks and opportunities—don't sugarcoat it

Then help me understand: Where do I add irreplaceable value? What should I be doubling down on?

This isn't fun to ask. But it's better to understand the landscape clearly than to be caught off-guard.

When I ran this for my own work, AI gave me data on trends in entrepreneurship, newsletter publishing, and community building. Some parts were sobering—AI can write newsletters faster than I can. But other insights were clarifying—AI can't build authentic community or develop frameworks from lived neurodivergent experience.

Understanding the difference helped me focus on what matters.

Step 2: The Complementary Strengths Analysis

Once you understand the landscape, the next conversation is about strategic positioning:

The Prompt:

Based on my role as [job title], I want to identify how AI can complement my natural strengths rather than replace me. 

Here's what I'm naturally good at:
[List 3-5 things you excel at]

Here's what drains my energy or takes too much time:
[List 3-5 tasks that exhaust you]

Now help me design an AI partnership where:
- AI amplifies what I'm already good at
- AI handles the cognitive load of tasks that drain me
- The combination makes me more valuable, not more replaceable
- I maintain agency and strategic control

Give me specific workflows for this partnership.

This is where it gets interesting for neurodivergent minds.

My dyslexic brain excels at pattern recognition, connecting disparate concepts, and big-picture synthesis. But I struggle with detailed organization, linear documentation, and administrative logistics.

AI doesn't replace my cognitive strengths—it removes the barriers that prevent me from operating at my highest level. It handles the organizational overhead so I can focus on the thinking that actually creates value.

That's complementary partnership, not replacement.

Step 3: The Devil's Advocate Session

Here's where most people miss the opportunity. They use AI to agree with them, validate their ideas, and make them feel good.

That's not a thought partner. That's a yes-man.

The real value comes from AI that challenges your thinking:

The Prompt:

I'm considering [decision/strategy/career move]. I want you to play devil's advocate and poke holes in my thinking.

Here's my reasoning:
[Explain your position]

Now:
1. Identify flaws in my logic
2. Point out assumptions I'm making that might be wrong
3. Show me risks I'm not considering
4. Present the strongest counterargument against my position
5. Help me stress-test this decision rigorously

Be brutally honest—I need intellectual opposition, not validation.

I use this constantly for business decisions. When I was considering pricing strategies for the Dyslexic AI Assistant, I had AI argue against every approach I was considering.

It identified market assumptions I was making without data. It challenged whether my target audience could afford my proposed pricing. It forced me to defend positions I'd taken for granted.

That opposition made the final decision stronger because I'd already tested it against counterarguments.

Step 4: The Socratic Teaching Method

For areas where you need to build mastery, AI can be an incredible teacher—if you prompt it correctly:

The Prompt:

I need to understand [topic/skill] deeply, not superficially. I want you to use the Socratic method to teach me.

Don't just explain the concept. Instead:
1. Ask me questions that reveal gaps in my understanding
2. Challenge my assumptions about how this works
3. Help me discover the principles through guided inquiry
4. Make me think harder rather than giving me easy answers

I learn best through [your learning style: visual connections / hands-on examples / narrative stories / etc.]

Adapt your teaching method to match my cognitive pattern.

This transforms AI from a search engine into a genuine learning partner.

I've used this for understanding complex business concepts, technical topics outside my expertise, and strategic frameworks I needed to apply. The Socratic approach forces active learning rather than passive consumption.

For neurodivergent minds that often struggle with traditional educational formats, this personalized teaching method is revolutionary.

Step 5: The Strategic Lateral Thinking Session

Here's where neurodivergent cognitive patterns become a major advantage:

The Prompt:

I'm working on [problem/project/challenge] and I'm stuck in linear thinking about it.

I want you to help me think laterally and make unexpected connections:
1. What analogies from completely different fields apply to this problem?
2. What would happen if I inverted my assumptions?
3. What unconventional approaches am I not considering?
4. How would someone from [different industry/discipline] approach this?
5. What patterns from [different domain] connect to this situation?

Push me toward creative solutions that linear thinking wouldn't reach.

This is where my dyslexic pattern recognition becomes an asset. AI can generate connections across domains, but I can evaluate which unexpected connections actually reveal useful insights.

The combination—AI's breadth plus my pattern recognition—produces solutions that neither would generate alone.

Step 6: The Career Pivot Exploration

If the analysis suggests your current role has vulnerabilities, AI can help identify adjacent opportunities:

The Prompt:

Based on my current skills as [your role] and my natural cognitive strengths in [your strengths], what career paths should I consider that:

1. Leverage my existing expertise
2. Match my cognitive processing style
3. Are growing rather than declining
4. Would benefit from AI partnership rather than being replaced by it
5. Align with where the economy is heading

For each option, show me:
- What additional skills I'd need to develop
- How my current experience transfers
- The market demand and salary ranges
- How I could transition gradually vs. making a leap

Be specific and research-backed, not generic.

This isn't about abandoning your career at the first sign of change. It's about understanding options so you're making strategic decisions rather than reactive ones.

When I explored this for myself, AI identified opportunities in AI product consulting, neurodiversity workplace training, and educational technology that I hadn't considered but aligned with my skills and cognitive patterns.

Even if I never pursue those paths, knowing they exist gives me agency.

The Neurodivergent Advantage Hypothesis

Here's the research question I'm exploring with our survey data:

Do neurodivergent minds use AI more effectively than neurotypical thinkers?

My hypothesis: Yes, for specific reasons:

We're comfortable with cognitive partnership: Neurodivergent minds have spent our lives adapting to systems that don't match our thinking. We're not intimidated by AI that thinks differently than we do—we're skilled at productive partnerships with different cognitive architectures.

We think in workflows and systems: Many neurodivergent thinkers have developed elaborate personal systems for managing tasks, information, and energy. This translates directly to designing effective AI collaboration workflows.

We're experimental by necessity: We've had to figure out what works through trial and error because standard approaches often fail us. This experimental mindset is perfect for optimizing AI partnerships.

We understand cognitive translation: We're experienced at translating between how we think and how others need information presented. This skill is exactly what's needed for effective human-AI collaboration.

We value output over process: Neurodivergent minds often care about results more than following "proper" methods. AI partnership is about optimal outcomes, not traditional workflows.

The survey data will help confirm or refute this hypothesis. If you haven't taken it yet, your input matters for this research.

[Contribute Your Data to This Research →]

Why This Might Be the Best Time Ever for Neurodivergent Thinkers

I genuinely believe we're entering an era that favors neurodivergent cognitive patterns in ways previous economies didn't.

AI removes friction barriers: The logistical overhead that has always exhausted neurodivergent minds—organization, formatting, administrative tasks—can now be handled by AI partnership. We can finally operate at our cognitive peak without burning energy on low-value tasks.

Creative and lateral thinking become premium skills: As AI handles routine analytical work, the human value shifts toward creative problem-solving, unexpected connections, and innovative approaches. These are neurodivergent cognitive strengths.

Personalization becomes possible: For the first time, we don't have to force ourselves into one-size-fits-all systems. We can design AI partnerships that match our specific cognitive patterns.

Alternative career paths emerge: The rigid educational and career ladders that often disadvantaged neurodivergent minds are breaking down. Skills and demonstrated capability matter more than credentials and standard progressions.

Cognitive diversity gains recognition: Organizations are starting to understand that different thinking patterns bring strategic value, not just require accommodation.

This doesn't mean everything is suddenly easy. But the tools and opportunities available now genuinely favor neurodivergent cognitive approaches in ways that didn't exist five years ago.

The Framework: AI as Complement, Not Replacement

Here's the framework I'm using to evaluate whether AI partnership is strengthening or weakening my position:

Complementary Partnership (Good):

• AI handles cognitive overhead so I can focus on high-value thinking

• AI amplifies my natural strengths

• I maintain strategic decision-making and creative control

• The combination produces better results than either alone

• I'm building skills and knowledge, not just outsourcing thinking

Replacement Risk (Warning Signs):

• I'm using AI to do things I should learn to do myself

• I'm deskilling rather than upskilling

• AI is making strategic decisions instead of supporting mine

• I can't explain or defend what AI produces

• I'm becoming dependent rather than empowered

The goal is agency and autonomy through AI partnership, not dependency.

Practical Implementation

Here's how I'm actually using these frameworks:

Monday Morning: Career analysis conversation with AI to understand industry trends and where I add unique value

Weekly Strategy Session: Devil's advocate discussion on current business decisions to stress-test my thinking

Learning Blocks: Socratic teaching sessions on topics I need to master for upcoming projects

Creative Work: Lateral thinking prompts when I'm stuck on problems requiring innovative solutions

Monthly Review: Career pivot exploration to understand adjacent opportunities and skill development needs

This isn't hypothetical—it's my actual workflow for using AI as a strategic thought partner rather than just a task assistant.

What I'm Learning From My Experiments

After months of intentional AI thought partnership, here's what I'm discovering:

The quality of the conversation depends entirely on the quality of your prompts: Generic questions get generic answers. Specific, strategic prompts produce valuable insights.

AI challenges you only if you explicitly ask for it: Left to default behavior, AI will validate your thinking. You have to deliberately request opposition and critique.

Neurodivergent cognitive patterns benefit most from personalized prompting: When I specify that I'm dyslexic and need visual, connection-based explanations, the quality of AI responses improves dramatically.

The combination of human creativity and AI analysis is more powerful than either alone: I bring pattern recognition and strategic judgment. AI brings comprehensive research and systematic analysis. Together we produce better results.

This requires active engagement, not passive consumption: AI thought partnership is work. You have to think hard, ask good questions, and critically evaluate responses. But that work compounds into genuine strategic advantage.

The Invitation to Experiment

This newsletter is essentially a playbook for experiments I'm running on myself. I don't know conclusively whether neurodivergent minds use AI more effectively—that's what the research will help determine.

But I'm confident about this: AI partnership creates opportunities for neurodivergent thinkers to operate at our cognitive peak without burning energy on the tasks that have always drained us.

If you're willing to experiment with AI as a strategic thought partner rather than just a tool, these prompts give you starting points:

1. Career analysis to understand your positioning

2. Complementary strengths mapping to amplify value

3. Devil's advocate sessions to strengthen thinking

4. Socratic teaching for skill development

5. Lateral thinking for creative problem-solving

6. Career pivot exploration for strategic optionality

Start with one. See what happens. Refine based on what you learn.

Document what works for your cognitive pattern. That knowledge has value—both for your own career and potentially for others exploring similar questions.

The Research Question Remains Open

Do neurodivergent minds use AI differently? More effectively? More strategically?

I have hypotheses based on my experience and observations. But real answers require data.

That's why the survey matters. Every response adds to our understanding of how different cognitive patterns engage with AI tools and whether neurodivergent approaches offer advantages.

This isn't just academic curiosity. Understanding these patterns will inform:

• How AI tools should be designed for different minds

• What AI training programs should teach

• How organizations can leverage cognitive diversity

• Whether neurodivergent thinking becomes recognized as valuable expertise

Your participation in this research contributes to answering questions that will shape AI development and workforce training.

[Take the Survey & See Your Results →]

Have a Great Week!

I'm genuinely excited about the research question we're exploring this month. Do neurodivergent minds use AI differently? I have strong hypotheses, but I want data to back them up—or prove me wrong.

What I know for certain: AI partnership is giving me agency and autonomy I've never had before. Not because AI does my thinking for me, but because it removes the cognitive overhead that's always drained my energy.

For the first time in my career, I can focus almost entirely on the thinking I'm actually good at—pattern recognition, creative connections, strategic synthesis—without burning 60% of my energy on organization, formatting, and administrative logistics.

That shift feels revolutionary.

If you're experimenting with AI as a thought partner, I want to hear what you're discovering. The collective knowledge we're building matters for how AI tools get designed and how organizations understand cognitive partnership.

And if you haven't taken the survey yet—your data contributes to research that could reshape how we understand neurodivergent cognitive advantages in the AI era.

— Matt Ivey, Founder · LM Lab AI

Join Our Dyslexia Awareness Month Research

Do neurodivergent thinkers use AI differently—and more effectively—than neurotypical minds?

Help us answer this question: [Take the 8-Minute Survey →]

TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read For Fellow Skimmers: The Essential Points

🎯 The Approach: Use AI as a strategic thought partner to analyze your career, complement your strengths, and challenge your thinking—not just complete tasks

💡 The Framework: Six conversation types: career analysis, complementary strengths, devil's advocate, Socratic teaching, lateral thinking, career pivot exploration

🧠 The Hypothesis: Neurodivergent minds may use AI more effectively due to experience with cognitive adaptation, experimental mindsets, and systems thinking

⚡ The Advantage: AI removes friction barriers that have always exhausted neurodivergent minds, letting us operate at cognitive peak without burning energy on overhead

📊 The Research: Survey data will reveal whether neurodivergent thinkers actually use AI differently and more effectively than neurotypical thinkers

🚀 The Opportunity: This might be the best time ever for neurodivergent thinkers—creative and lateral thinking become premium skills as AI handles routine work