Typically in an industry you have your standard publications and personalities that are required reading. If you bring them up in conversation, a large percentage of people will be familiar with the latest topic and be ready to provide their thoughts. A quick Google search of “Top 10 People to Follow in ……” returns many, many results for any industry you may plug in.
One of the things that everyone always extols is to differentiate. So how are you differentiating your ideas if you read the same things as everyone else in your industry?
If 50% of your reading is not “off-topic” to your industry then you are not diversified enough in your idea formations. If you are in Real Estate you should be following Weather, Data Analysis and Home Care. If you are in Finance then you should be following Books, Information Theory and Real Estate. (Topics can be substituted based on your preferences.)
The point is you should be following topics that are only tangentially related to your field. That’s how you will push your ideas ahead of the competition.