I Replaced My $700/Hour Coach with NotebookLM – Here’s What Happened

Summary

Summary of the Video Transcript

The video explores whether AI (specifically Notebook LM) can serve as an effective personal or professional coach by analyzing a user’s private notes, public writings, and annual reviews. The speaker loads 40 documents (150,000 words) of personal reflections, coaching notes, personality assessments, and life goals into the AI to test its ability to provide meaningful insights.

Key Steps in the Experiment

1. Loading Personal Data

   • Private Notes: Honest, unfiltered thoughts, coaching session notes, personality traits (e.g., Myers-Briggs, Big Five), gratitude lists, and life goals.
   • Public Writing: Articles, book summaries, autobiographical reflections, and open-ended questions.
   • Yearly Reviews: Highs, lows, and lessons from the past five years.

2. AI Coaching Session

   • The AI identifies strengths (knowledgeable, visionary, creative) and weaknesses (perfectionism, sensitivity to criticism, overthinking).
   • Highlights recurring challenges, such as work-life imbalance and difficulty delegating.
   • Uncovers blind spots, like avoiding disappointment, which paradoxically leads to more disappointment.
   • Asks future-oriented questions, such as:
     • "What might I regret at the end of my life?" (Answer: Over-prioritizing work over relationships.)
     • "What question should I have asked?" (Answer: Exploring physical sensations as emotional indicators.)

3. AI vs. Human Coaching

   • AI Strengths:
     • Processes vast amounts of personal data quickly.
     • Provides structured, insightful summaries.
   • AI Limitations:
     • Lacks emotional intuition (e.g., reading body language).
     • Can be repetitive or generic in advice.
   • Conclusion: AI is a powerful supplement to human coaching but not a full replacement.

Final Takeaways

• AI can deepen self-awareness by analyzing personal history.
• Best used for data-driven insights, while humans excel in emotional and intuitive guidance.
• Encourages viewers to try AI coaching with their own notes and share experiences.

The experiment demonstrates AI’s potential in personal development while acknowledging the irreplaceable value of human connection in coaching.

Note: The video also promotes the speaker’s book/course (Building a Second Brain) on note-taking and invites viewers to subscribe to their newsletter for more AI-related content.

Details

• Duration: 24m 22s
• URL: I Replaced My $700/Hour Coach with NotebookLM – Here’s What Happened

Tags

• AICoaching
• NotebookLM
• PersonalDevelopment
• SelfAwareness
• DataDrivenInsights
• HumanVsAI
• LifeCoaching
• ProductivityTools
• YouTube
• Video