Every so often something lands on your plate that you know almost nothing about. A new tool your team wants to roll out. A part of the business you’ve never had to think about. A meeting where everyone else seems to already speak the language, and you’re nodding along hoping nobody asks you directly.
The old way was to open ten tabs, skim a few articles, and come out the other side with more jargon and less confidence. These days I give it ten minutes with AI instead. I usually do it over a morning coffee, before the day gets going.
Step 1: Write down what you already know
Before you ask anything, write two lines. What do you already know about this topic, even roughly? And why do you need to know more? Something like: “I know our team tracks customer churn, but I don’t really know how it’s calculated. I need to follow a discussion about it next week.”
This stops the AI starting from zero or pitching it way over your head. It also makes you notice what you’re actually trying to get out of the ten minutes.
Step 2: Ask for a primer at your level
Paste your two lines in, then use this prompt:
“Explain this topic to me in plain English, pitched at someone who’s smart but new to it. Keep it to a short paragraph. Then give me the five terms I’m most likely to hear and what each one means in a sentence. Then tell me what beginners usually get wrong. If anything is debated or depends on context, say so rather than giving one neat answer.”
Read it once, slowly. If a term still doesn’t click, ask for an everyday example. That usually does it.
Step 3: Ask what an expert would ask
This is the step I find most useful:
“List five questions someone who really knows this topic would ask in a meeting about it, and briefly say why each one matters.”
It shows you what good thinking looks like in that area. You don’t need to know the answers yet. Knowing which questions matter puts you a long way ahead of where you were ten minutes ago.
Step 4: Check the important bits
AI can sound very sure of itself and still be wrong, especially on numbers, recent changes and anything specific to one industry or country. Pick the one or two facts you’d actually repeat out loud, and check them against a source you trust: your company’s own documentation, an official site, or a colleague who knows the area.
My rule is simple. I don’t say a fact in a meeting until I’ve seen it somewhere other than the chat.
Step 5: Write three lines in your own words
Close the chat. Now write three lines on what the topic is, why it matters to you, and the one question you still have. No copying and pasting.
If you can’t write those three lines, you don’t understand it yet, and that’s useful to know. Go back and ask about the bit that’s fuzzy. If you can, you’ve got a short note you can glance at before the meeting.
Where AI stops
Ten minutes gets you to “I can follow the conversation and ask a sensible question”. It doesn’t make you an expert, and it’s fine to say “I’m new to this” in the room. For anything that carries real risk, like legal, financial or safety decisions, use what you’ve learned to ask better questions of someone qualified. And if the topic is about your work, keep confidential details out of the chat unless you’re using a tool your company has approved for that.
Quick questions
Can I use this for work topics?
Yes, as long as you keep confidential details out of the chat unless your company has approved the tool. Describe the topic in general terms and you'll still get a useful primer.
How do I know the AI explanation is right?
Treat it as a starting point. Check the one or two facts you'd repeat out loud against a source you trust, like official documentation or a colleague who knows the area.
What if ten minutes isn't enough?
Then you've found out which part is fuzzy. Ask a follow-up about that one bit, or book half an hour with someone who knows the topic and bring your three lines and your open question.