NotebookLM

Our verdict on NotebookLM

NotebookLM is Google's best tool for learning, and the one Sam picks for educational content over Google AI Studio, Bolt, Claude or ChatGPT. It turned a plain onboarding doc into a clean infographic in seconds and built Jordan a nine-page research deck.

Two caveats from our test in January 2026: Sam hadn't checked the infographic for accuracy, and the deck took long enough that it was still generating while we talked.

What we did with NotebookLM

NotebookLM was our tool of the week in Episode 26. Jordan had shown it to Sam first.

• Onboarding infographic (Sam): our recruiter onboarding lived in plain-text Google Docs. Sam gave NotebookLM one of them, a hiring journey, and got an infographic walking through three phases: sourcing, offer and onboarding, and post-hire support. It "took five seconds to create."
• Research deck (Jordan): he asked it to teach him about Kalshi trading bots, the subject of that episode's Kalshi prediction market trading bot build. It found a YouTube video, Kalshi's API documentation and a white paper on arbitrage in prediction markets, then started a nine-page slide deck.
• A straight answer: Jordan asked whether you can win consistently on Kalshi with a bot. Its answer matched what he had learned the hard way.

And it says, win consistently usually relies on mathematical arbitrage or providing liquidity rather than pure gambling on outcomes.

— Jordan Metzner, reading NotebookLM's answer, Episode 26

How we use NotebookLM

1. Start with what you already have. Sam's source was a single plain-text Google Doc. You don't need to clean it up first.
2. Or start with a question. Jordan asked it to teach him a topic and let it find sources on the web: video, API docs and academic papers.
3. Pick the output for the audience. Infographics for new hires skimming a process. Slide decks for a topic you need to present. Audio overviews for listening on the go.
4. Chat with the sources. Ask follow-up questions, like Jordan's "is there any way to win consistently," before generating anything.
5. Turn the answers into study material. Sam's idea: build a playbook, flashcards or a slide deck from what it tells you.
6. Review before you share. Sam admitted he hadn't checked whether the infographic was perfect. Do that before it reaches new hires.
7. Try the audio overview for notes. A teacher told Sam that students put their weekly notes into NotebookLM, generate an audio overview, and listen while working out or walking.

So they're basically taking their notes from the week, putting it in a podcast, going to workout, and listening to their podcast or a walk or whatever. And I just thought that's such a cool way to learn.

— Sam Nadler, Episode 26

What the research taught Jordan

The Kalshi deck wasn't just a demo. NotebookLM's sources covered cross-platform arbitrage between Kalshi and Polymarket, and Jordan said he believes fees are too high to capture that gap. His conclusion after the research: there isn't much excess yield, and where there is, the platforms take it back in fees. "It sure feels like the house always wins," he said.

Beyond decks and infographics, Jordan listed what else it could make in January 2026: audio overviews, video overviews, mind maps, reports, flashcards, custom quizzes and data tables.

Where NotebookLM falls short

• Slow for big outputs. The slide deck was still generating minutes into the segment.
• Accuracy is on you. Neither of us fact-checked the outputs on air.
• Not a builder. It explains and summarizes. For prototypes and apps we use other tools, as the Google AI Studio vs NotebookLM comparison covers.
• Free for now. Jordan expected it might move into Google's paid suite or add premium features.

NotebookLM compared

• Google AI Studio vs NotebookLM: Sam finds NotebookLM better for educational content; AI Studio is for building.

Jordan noted that people of all ages use it, from doctors and scientists to elementary school and college students, and called it "one of their hits" for Google. For other ways we make decks, see Gamma.

Episodes featuring NotebookLM

• Episode 26: Sam's onboarding infographic and Jordan's Kalshi research deck.

FAQ

What is NotebookLM good for?

Education and onboarding. Sam turned a plain-text onboarding Google Doc into an infographic, and Jordan had it research a topic from the web and build a slide deck. Sam finds it better for educational content than Google AI Studio, Bolt, Claude or ChatGPT.

Can NotebookLM make slide decks?

Yes. In Episode 26 Jordan had it research Kalshi trading bots, pulling in a YouTube video, Kalshi's API docs and a white paper on arbitrage, and generate a nine-page slide deck.

What can NotebookLM create?

When we looked in January 2026: audio overviews (the original podcast-style feature), video overviews, mind maps, reports, flashcards, custom quizzes, slide decks, infographics and data tables.

Is NotebookLM free?

It was free when we tested it in January 2026. Jordan expected it might become part of Google's suite or gain premium features over time.