This resonates deeply. The real disruption isn’t just technological, it’s fundamentally about redefining our value as humans in the workplace. Your call to embrace a strategic, surgical, and scrappy mindset is precisely what’s needed. In my recent manifesto, ‘Augmentation: The New Strategic Frontier’, I explored a similar idea: AI’s true value emerges when we design intentional, human-centric systems rather than passively adopting tools. We’re not victims of automation, we’re designers of our own future. Thanks for clearly framing this crucial conversation and inspiring us to claim agency in shaping what comes next.
Thank you, Roi! I’m thrilled to hear that my words and insights resonated with you--I truly appreciate it. You’re absolutely right: we’re not victims of automation; we’re designers of our own future. That line is spot on. I’m looking forward to diving into your manifesto--it sounds fascinating!
Dee, thank you for this thoughtful summary, it's helpful to see our quandary expressed (along with solutions) here. Your "here's what matters now" section grabbed me. I agree this is a fair assessment of what we need now, only I would contend almost nothing our current education system (generalized platitudes) actually prepares or encourages these very admirable attributes in young people. These high-agency qualities are in very short supply these days (even though many of them have very ancient pedigrees) and young people who have them have them typically in spite of their education. I think how to pivot future schools to imparting these crucial perspectives will be a key to the future of education. Thank you again!
Thank you kindly for your response and for restacking my essay!
I completely agree--our educational institutions haven’t kept pace with what’s now required in the workplace. When I built internship programs (undergrad and grad) at this high-tech company, I was often struck by how many bright, capable interns lacked not just technical skills, but foundational business skills--both hard and soft.
They could follow instructions, but struggled to frame problems, lead with curiosity, or communicate clearly across functions. So, we met them where they were. I offered optional (but strongly encouraged) 1:1s to go deeper than their polished applications. What emerged were overlooked skills from volunteer roles, part-time jobs, mentoring--experience that could be repurposed and strategically reframed for business contexts. That’s what scrappy, adaptive learning looked like then.
Today’s challenges demand even more. Graduates and early-career professionals now need to orchestrate AI tools, design flexible workflows, and build resilience in real time. The business skills needed today include not only communicating asynchronously and translating complexity into action--but also knowing how to learn on the fly, operate ethically in algorithmic environments, and collaborate across teams and tools. These are business skills, too.
That’s why I loved your point: many young people who do have these high-agency qualities often developed them in spite of formal education. The real opportunity now is helping more of them see what they already bring and equipping them to adapt those capabilities for what’s next.
This resonates deeply. The real disruption isn’t just technological, it’s fundamentally about redefining our value as humans in the workplace. Your call to embrace a strategic, surgical, and scrappy mindset is precisely what’s needed. In my recent manifesto, ‘Augmentation: The New Strategic Frontier’, I explored a similar idea: AI’s true value emerges when we design intentional, human-centric systems rather than passively adopting tools. We’re not victims of automation, we’re designers of our own future. Thanks for clearly framing this crucial conversation and inspiring us to claim agency in shaping what comes next.
Thank you, Roi! I’m thrilled to hear that my words and insights resonated with you--I truly appreciate it. You’re absolutely right: we’re not victims of automation; we’re designers of our own future. That line is spot on. I’m looking forward to diving into your manifesto--it sounds fascinating!
Dee, thank you for this thoughtful summary, it's helpful to see our quandary expressed (along with solutions) here. Your "here's what matters now" section grabbed me. I agree this is a fair assessment of what we need now, only I would contend almost nothing our current education system (generalized platitudes) actually prepares or encourages these very admirable attributes in young people. These high-agency qualities are in very short supply these days (even though many of them have very ancient pedigrees) and young people who have them have them typically in spite of their education. I think how to pivot future schools to imparting these crucial perspectives will be a key to the future of education. Thank you again!
Thank you kindly for your response and for restacking my essay!
I completely agree--our educational institutions haven’t kept pace with what’s now required in the workplace. When I built internship programs (undergrad and grad) at this high-tech company, I was often struck by how many bright, capable interns lacked not just technical skills, but foundational business skills--both hard and soft.
They could follow instructions, but struggled to frame problems, lead with curiosity, or communicate clearly across functions. So, we met them where they were. I offered optional (but strongly encouraged) 1:1s to go deeper than their polished applications. What emerged were overlooked skills from volunteer roles, part-time jobs, mentoring--experience that could be repurposed and strategically reframed for business contexts. That’s what scrappy, adaptive learning looked like then.
Today’s challenges demand even more. Graduates and early-career professionals now need to orchestrate AI tools, design flexible workflows, and build resilience in real time. The business skills needed today include not only communicating asynchronously and translating complexity into action--but also knowing how to learn on the fly, operate ethically in algorithmic environments, and collaborate across teams and tools. These are business skills, too.
That’s why I loved your point: many young people who do have these high-agency qualities often developed them in spite of formal education. The real opportunity now is helping more of them see what they already bring and equipping them to adapt those capabilities for what’s next.