Here’s something most people don’t realize: The richest, most successful people in history weren’t necessarily the smartest. They were the best at leveraging information.
The Medici family didn’t dominate Renaissance Europe because they were geniuses. They dominated because they had better information networks than anyone else. They knew what was happening in distant cities before their competitors did. That information advantage made them powerful.
The same pattern repeats throughout history. The printing press didn’t just spread knowledge. It created a massive wealth transfer to people who could leverage information faster than others. The telegraph. The telephone. The internet. Each breakthrough in information access created new winners and losers.
AI is the next chapter in this story. And right now, we’re living through the earliest days when knowing how to leverage it separates those who thrive from those who fall behind.
Information isn’t just power. It’s the foundation of every competitive advantage in human history. The ability to ask better questions, find better answers, and act on insights faster than others has always determined who wins. AI didn’t invent this principle. It just made it infinitely more accessible to anyone willing to learn how to use it.
The Library Advantage
Let’s go back to ancient Alexandria, around 300 BCE.
The Library of Alexandria wasn’t just a collection of books. It was the most powerful competitive weapon in the ancient world. Scholars traveled from across the known world to access its knowledge. Kings funded expeditions to acquire more texts. Why? Because whoever controlled that information had an advantage in warfare, trade, medicine, engineering, and politics.
But here’s the thing: Simply having access to the library wasn’t enough. You had to know how to extract value from it. You needed to know which scrolls to read, what questions to ask, and how to apply the knowledge you found.
Sound familiar? That’s exactly what prompting is. AI is your Library of Alexandria. Knowing it exists doesn’t help you. Knowing how to extract value from it changes everything.
The Pattern Repeats (Over and Over)
Throughout history, every major shift in information access created massive opportunity for early adopters.
The Printing Press (1440s): Before Gutenberg, books were rare and expensive. Only the wealthy and religious institutions had access to written knowledge. The printing press changed everything. Suddenly, information could spread. The people who figured out how to leverage printed knowledge (scientists, merchants, educators) gained enormous advantages over those who stuck to the old ways.
The Telegraph (1830s): For the first time, information could move faster than physical transportation. Businesses that adapted to telegraph communication could respond to market changes in hours instead of weeks. That speed advantage made fortunes. Those who ignored it got left behind.
The Internet (1990s): We all know this story. Early adopters who understood how to leverage online information built companies, careers, and wealth that seemed impossible just years earlier. Those who dismissed it as a fad paid the price.
AI (Right Now): We’re living through the next shift. And it’s happening faster than any previous information revolution. The question isn’t whether AI will reshape how we work. It’s whether you’ll be someone who leverages it or someone who gets displaced by it.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Here’s what nobody wants to admit: Every information revolution creates winners and losers. Not because some people are smarter, but because some people adapt faster.
A study of major technological disruptions over the past 200 years found that early adopters (the first 15-20% to embrace new technology) captured 80% of the value created. The late majority got scraps. The laggards got replaced.
This isn’t about being first. It’s about being willing to learn while the advantage is still available.
Right now, most people are treating AI like a novelty. They try it once or twice, get mediocre results, and go back to their old methods. Meanwhile, a small group is investing time in learning to prompt effectively. That gap is widening fast.
Why “Just Knowing Stuff” Isn’t Enough Anymore
For most of human history, the competitive advantage went to people who knew things. Doctors who memorized anatomy. Lawyers who memorized case law. Accountants who knew tax codes. Engineers who knew formulas.
That advantage is disappearing.
AI can access more medical knowledge than any doctor. More legal precedent than any lawyer. More financial data than any accountant. The value isn’t in knowing anymore. It’s in knowing how to extract, synthesize, and apply information faster than others.
This isn’t a threat. It’s an opportunity. Because the skill of leveraging AI is completely learnable. You don’t need a PhD. You don’t need to be technical. You just need to learn how to ask better questions than the next person.
The Librarian Analogy
Think of AI as the world’s most knowledgeable librarian. This librarian has read every book ever written, speaks every language, and never forgets anything.
But here’s the catch: The librarian can’t read your mind. If you walk up and say “I need help,” they’ll stare at you. If you say “I need a book,” they’ll ask which one. If you say “Give me something good,” they’ll be confused.
But if you say “I need three recent books on habit formation, written for general audiences, with practical exercises I can start today,” the librarian gives you exactly what you need in seconds.
That’s prompting. It’s not about having access to AI. Everyone has access. It’s about knowing how to communicate with it effectively.
The people who master this skill will have an absurd advantage. The ones who don’t will keep wondering why everyone else is getting ahead.
What This Means for You
You’re standing at the beginning of the biggest information leverage shift in human history. Let that sink in.
Previous generations needed expensive equipment or special access to leverage information advantages. The printing press required a press. The telegraph required infrastructure. The internet required technical knowledge and capital.
AI requires none of that. You need a free account and the willingness to learn how to prompt. That’s it.
This democratization is unprecedented. But it won’t last forever. Right now, the skill is rare enough that learning it gives you a massive edge. In five years, it will be expected. The window for early-adopter advantage is open. It won’t stay open.
The Question You Need to Answer
The history of information revolutions teaches us one clear lesson: The people who invest time learning new tools early win disproportionately. The people who wait get left behind.
So here’s the question: Are you going to be an early adopter or part of the late majority?
Because here’s what happens in every information revolution:
Early adopters spend a few months learning, gain a 5-10x productivity advantage, and build that advantage into career growth, business success, and opportunities others don’t see.
The late majority waits until everyone else has already figured it out. By then, the competitive advantage is gone. They’re just catching up to stay relevant.
You get to choose which group you’re in. But you don’t get to choose forever. The window moves.
Your Next Step
Understanding that information leverage has always been the ultimate competitive advantage is just the beginning. Now you need to build that advantage for yourself.
Start with the basics. Learn to prompt effectively. Practice daily. Watch how it compounds. What takes you an hour today will take you ten minutes in a month. What feels impossible now will feel effortless soon.
The Library of Alexandria burned down. That knowledge was lost forever. Your library can’t burn down. It’s accessible from your phone. The only question is whether you’ll learn to use it before everyone else does.
History remembers the early adopters. It forgets everyone else.
Which one will you be?