In the age of Generative AI Naval Judgment is the most powerful skill: A Personal Journey with 3 Tips

4 minutes ago2 min read

I used to think I was falling behind.

The rise of Generative AI felt like a tidal wave, and as someone like me in 40s, I struggled to keep up.

Every day, new tools, new updates, and new jargon flooded my feed.

It was overwhelming.

Then I stumbled upon a simple but profound truth from Naval Ravikant:

"Judgment is the most powerful skill."

That single line changed everything.

Instead of chasing every new trend, I shifted my focus to sharpening my judgment. And that’s when the real breakthroughs started happening.

Seesaw with "Prompt Engineering" (Effort, Judgement, Skill) vs. "Content Nuclear Blast" (Generative AI).

How I understand Judgment is the most powerful Skill

Here’s how I mastered this game-changing skill in three steps:

Learning the power of keywords
Gaining firsthand experience
Mastering a craft through iterative practice

1. The Hidden Power of Keywords

Most people drown in information.

The smartest ones?

They filter it.

I learned that success in AI (or any field) isn't about knowing everything—it’s about knowing what to search for.

When I started exploring Generative AI, I experimented with keywords like:

ELI5 (Explain Like I’m 5) → For simple explanations.
Rewrite → To see how AI refines content.
Top Writers → To learn from the best.
SEO-based → To create content that ranks.

This small shift gave me clarity.

I wasn’t consuming AI-generated content; I was training my brain to think like AI.

And once I started framing my searches better, my understanding skyrocketed.

2. Why Firsthand Experience Beats Theory

Reading about AI is one thing. Using it is another.

I still remember the first time I played with an AI text generator. I typed in random prompts, expecting magic.

Instead, I got mediocre responses.

Then I changed my approach.

I refined my inputs.

I tried different ways of saying things and saw how small changes made a difference.

That’s when it clicked: AI reflects the quality of your inputs.

This lesson extended beyond text. When I tried AI-generated art, I saw how algorithms mirrored human creativity.

Real learning doesn’t come from reading. It comes from doing.

And the more I experimented, the better my judgment became.

3. Mastery Through Relentless Iteration

The final piece of the puzzle?

Practice. Every. Single. Day.

I treated AI like a craft.

I made simple ChatGPT prompts. I tried different writing styles. I shared my ideas in public and learned from feedback.

Over time, my projects stopped being "experiments"—they started delivering real results.

Finally, I gained confidence.

I no longer felt like I was chasing AI trends. I was anticipating them.

The Art of Shaping Knowledge into Wisdom

Everything changed when I stopped reading and started using my own judgement.

Keywords helped me cut through the noise.
Experience showed me what actually works.
Iteration transformed knowledge into mastery.

Naval was right. Judgment is the most powerful skill.

And once you sharpen it, no trend, no technology, and no disruption can ever leave you behind.

Thanks for reading and if you like this article, please share it with your social circle.

You can also subscribe to weekly newsletters about the latest updates. ENTER YOUR EMAIL BELOW FOR FREE