Technology

Discover why Product Managers are the true heavyweights in business, outmaneuvering competitors with strategic product decisions that redefine markets and secure long-term success.

We've painted rosy pictures of AI ushering in a golden age, but let's not kid ourselves—there's a flip side to this coin, and it's downright terrifying. If we don't tread carefully, the same AI Agents poised to revolutionize our world could lead us straight into a dystopian nightmare. The Descent into Chaos: How It Could All Go Wrong Imagine a world where AI doesn't just assist but controls. Where human oversight is a relic of the past, and machines make decisions that affect every facet of our lives. Here's how that dystopia unfolds: 1. Mass Unemployment and Social Unrest As AI Agents take over tasks across industries, millions could find themselves jobless, leading to widespread poverty and social instability. "There are lots of examples of routine, middle-skilled jobs that involve relatively structured tasks, and those are the jobs that are being eliminated the fastest." — Erik Brynjolfsson, Director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy. 2. Loss of Autonomy and Human Agency With AI making decisions, humans might become passive observers, losing control over personal and societal choices. "The real risk with AI isn't malice but competence." — Eliezer Yudkowsky, AI Researcher. 3. Ethical Decay and Moral Dilemmas AI systems, lacking human empathy, could make decisions that, while logical, are ethically questionable, leading to moral erosion. "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim." — Edsger W. Dijkstra, Computer Scientist. 4. Concentration of Power and Surveillance AI could become a tool for authoritarian regimes, enabling unprecedented surveillance and control over populations. "Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world." — Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. 5. Existential Threats Unchecked AI development could lead to scenarios where machines act against human interests, posing existential risks. "AI will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there'll be great companies." — Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. A Call to Action: Steering Toward a Brighter Future While these scenarios are chilling, they are not set in stone. The future of AI is a path we are actively shaping. By implementing robust ethical guidelines, ensuring human oversight, and fostering global cooperation, we can harness AI's potential while safeguarding humanity. Let's be clear: This dystopian vision is not our destiny. I remain extremely optimistic about the future of humanity. With conscious effort and responsible development, AI can be a powerful tool that enhances our lives, fuels innovation, and leads us into a new era of prosperity. The choice is ours. Let's make it wisely.

Enterprise sales is 90% mind-numbing busywork and 10% actual selling—and everyone knows it. CRM updates, email follow-ups, lead qualification, forecasting, data entry, internal meetings… the list of soul-sucking tasks goes on. Well, good news (or bad, depending on how much you love admin work): AI Agents are about to take over all the tedious crap you hate. The future of sales isn’t endless pipeline reviews or scrambling to piece together customer insights. AI will handle the drudgery, and sales reps will finally get back to what they should be doing: closing deals and building relationships. AI Agents Will Eat Sales Admin Work for Breakfast Enterprise sales isn’t just about persuasion—it’s a labyrinth of repetitive, time-wasting tasks that AI can obliterate overnight: No More CRM Hell – AI Agents will auto-update pipelines, track deals, and flag missing data. Reps won’t have to spend hours logging activity just to make their manager happy. AI-Powered Follow-Ups – Instead of manually crafting follow-up emails, AI will send personalized, context-aware messages better and faster than most reps do today. Lead Qualification on Autopilot – AI will instantly analyze inbound leads, prioritize the best ones, and even book meetings before a rep lifts a finger. Instant Sales Forecasting – AI Agents will analyze deal progress, customer engagement, and historical trends to generate real-time, no-BS forecasts (unlike the garbage numbers most teams currently throw together). Competitive Analysis, Done Instantly – AI will pull insights on competitors, pricing changes, and market trends without reps having to dig through 50 reports and Slack threads. The AI Business Plan: A Sales Rep’s New Best Friend Here’s where it gets really interesting: AI Agents won’t just eliminate grunt work—they’ll actively guide sales reps to close more deals. Imagine this: AI Outlines Your Sales Strategy – The AI Agent generates a custom game plan for each customer, highlighting key pain points, optimal engagement strategies, and competitive differentiators. Automated Deal Progress Reports – No more guessing what’s working. AI analyzes every interaction, flags potential risks, and suggests next steps before you even realize you need them. Customer Insights in Seconds – Instead of digging through old emails and CRM notes, AI surfaces everything you need to know about a customer instantly—from recent interactions to financial trends. Smarter Coaching & Enablement – AI will track performance and provide real-time coaching, nudging reps toward better messaging, pricing strategies, and negotiation tactics. The Reality Check: Will AI Replace Salespeople? Short answer? No. But it will expose the lazy ones. The reps who rely on charm and guesswork? They’re toast. AI will remove excuses, highlight inefficiencies, and force reps to step up their game. The ones who embrace AI, use it to work smarter, and double down on real human relationships? They’ll thrive. Final Thought: Adapt or Get Left Behind AI isn’t just changing sales—it’s redefining what makes a great sales rep. The future belongs to salespeople who: Use AI to eliminate busywork Leverage AI insights to stay 10 steps ahead of customers Focus on high-value, strategic engagement So, sales teams: Are you ready to let AI handle the grunt work and start selling for real?  Drop your thoughts below—are you excited or terrified? Let’s hear it. 

Whether you are the NBA, MLB, NFL, or NASCAR - the 'Fan Experience' has never been more important to the financial success of the leagues, players, and owners.  Every professional sports league is looking to find new and interesting ways to engage their fans.  Some of the most important metrics to their success are: ticket sales, subscription sales (i.e. MLB TV), and game time watched.   While it is still in its infancy, blockchain technology will significantly enhancing fan experiences in various ways, particularly through the development of fan tokens and loyalty programs.  Enhanced Engagement and Loyalty Fan Tokens: Blockchain enables the creation of fan tokens, which act as digital assets that fans can purchase and trade. These tokens foster a sense of ownership and participation among fans, making them feel integral to the community. This emotional investment enhances loyalty and encourages long-term support for teams or brands. READ: real-world examples of successful fan token programs Exclusive Access: By holding fan tokens, fans gain access to exclusive content and experiences, such as behind-the-scenes footage, virtual meet-and-greets with players, or VIP access to events. This exclusivity strengthens the bond between fans and their favorite sports franchises. Voting Rights: Tokenization allows fans to participate in decision-making processes related to their teams, such as voting on club decisions. This involvement fosters a sense of community and gives fans a voice in shaping the future direction of their teams. READ: here how a few teams are getting this right today. New Revenue Streams Monetization Opportunities: The issuance of fan tokens provides teams with significant upfront revenue and ongoing trading opportunities. These tokens can be utilized for purchasing merchandise, tickets, or even unique experiences, creating a new economy around fan engagement. Data-Driven Insights: Blockchain technology facilitates the collection of valuable data on fan interactions and preferences. This data can inform marketing strategies and improve products, ultimately enhancing the overall fan experience. Improved Security and Transparency Counterfeit Protection: The secure nature of blockchain helps combat counterfeiting by ensuring that tokens and related merchandise are authentic and verifiable. This builds trust among fans and protects the brand's reputation. Efficient Transactions: Blockchain's transparent nature allows for easier peer-to-peer transactions, such as ticket transfers, without intermediaries. This reduces costs and enhances security for fans when buying or selling tickets. Global Reach Engaging International Fans: With sports teams having a global presence, blockchain technology helps engage fans who may never attend live events. Digital interactions enabled by blockchain create opportunities to connect with a broader audience, particularly younger, digitally native fans . Loyalty Programs: Blockchain-based loyalty programs are more cost-effective than traditional ones, offering real-time rewards that incentivize fan engagement at a lower operational cost. These programs can attract sponsors by demonstrating quantifiable engagement metrics. What do you think? Are you excited by some of the ideas above?  Maybe the opportunity to own behind the scene footage of your favorite player or special rights, such as getting into an event early, that a loyal fan could own and trade?  Also - did I miss a key use case that you are excited about? 

Blockchain is revolutionizing sports by empowering fans with voting rights through tokens, eliminating ticket scams, automating player contracts, securing performance data, ensuring fair betting, and fighting doping. From Socios.com’s fan tokens to WADA’s blockchain pilots, the sports industry must embrace this technology to enhance trust and engagement.

As I have written about here and here, we are going to see rapid shifts in how people buy, sell, and even remodel homes due to advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain technologies that democratize old processes that were either highly specialized or laborious to complete. HIGH LEVEL: Company: Remodeled.AI Industries Impacted: Interior Designers, Realtors, Architects, Home Remodelers, DIYers, Writers, Photo Editing Pricing: monthly subscriptions with various package levels Quick Take: Remodeled.AI democratizes home design to help home owners visualize renovations and staging very quickly. Realtors should consider adding this to how they work with clients to provide advanced value in buying an selling a home: Remodeling Virtual Staging Photo Clean Detailed Property Descriptions For those who want to DIY - become your own designer! Remodeled.AI is a new design tool aided by AI that democratizes design through the use of sophisticated machine learning (ML) algorithms to turn your average living room into a Pinterest-worthy masterpiece with just a few clicks. Users can upload photos of their spaces, choose from various design styles, and watch as their rooms are transformed into stunning visualizations. Do you want to see how that avocado green paint will look in your living room? Upload your photo to Remodeled.AI and voilà! No more guessing if you’ll love it or end up regretting it like that time you tried to cut your own bangs. Above is an example of a current room (on the left) and the Remodeled.AI generated idea.  What is really fun is the slider bar that allows you to see the impact across the entire room and compare the before and after side-by-side.   Why realtors should take note: Traditionally, realtors have played the role of matchmakers between buyers and homes. However, as I have written, the entire real estate industry is about to be modernized with blockchain tokenizing every asset and finance being offered instantaneously.  With a platform like Remodeled AI, realtors could offer their clients a new set of advanced services to better market a home:   Fix Pictures: How many times have you looked at a real estate listing and thought to yourself - wow, I can't believe they left those dishes out or a blanked thrown to the side of a couch?  With Remodeled.AI's 'Clean' feature it is easy to remove a poorly placed blanket or pillow with a few clicks.  (NOTE: there are many other solutions that offer this such as Adobe's ]Generative Fill capabilities across the suite of their design solutions.) Detailed Property Descriptions: While not part of the 'design' aspects of Remodeled.AI's primary use case, a secondary use case is the Detailed Property Descriptions capability which creates compelling property descriptions by analyzing property images - automatically! Cost-Effective Staging: Virtual staging can save homeowners thousands of dollars. Instead of staging a home with costly rented furniture, Remodeled.AI could do it. Plus, if you don’t like something, you can change it without worrying about offending anyone. Empowerment: With Remodeled AI, you can explore styles and make decisions on your own time -day or night.   Does Remodeled.AI have a future? YES - Remodeled.AI exemplifies how technology can enhance creativity and accessibility in interior design. It represents a shift towards more personalized and efficient home renovation experiences, making it an essential tool for anyone looking to reimagine their space. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative solutions that will further transform our interactions with our environments.

The traditional college system is crumbling, as we explored in my previous article, The College Cartel Is Collapsing: How AI Will Burn Down the Ivory Tower and Spark a New Renaissance.The ivory towers are losing their grip on accreditation, and a new era is emerging where individuals hold the power to define their own educational worth. This is the rise of personal accreditation—a revolutionary shift that redefines how we measure skills, expertise, and value in an AI-powered world. What Is Personal Accreditation? Personal accreditation is the process of individuals curating and validating their own skills, knowledge, and achievements through tangible, verifiable proof of work. Unlike traditional degrees, which rely on universities as gatekeepers, personal accreditation empowers learners to build digital portfolios showcasing real-world projects, skills, and contributions. These portfolios are certified not by a single institution but by decentralized platforms, independent evaluators, or even peer networks, leveraging technologies like blockchain for transparency and trust. Think of it as a living resume—a dynamic, evolving record of your expertise. Instead of a static diploma gathering dust, personal accreditation reflects your unique journey, from coding a groundbreaking app to designing sustainable urban systems or crafting compelling narratives. It’s about what you can do, not what a university says you’re worth. Why Personal Accreditation Matters The old system, as Charlie Munger might argue, is driven by misaligned incentives: universities charge exorbitant tuition for credentials that often fail to translate into real-world value. In an age where AI tools like Grok or ChatGPT democratize knowledge, this model is obsolete. Personal accreditation flips the script by: Empowering Individuals: You control your learning path, focusing on what ignites your passion while automating rote tasks with AI, as seen with the Columbia sophomore who used ChatGPT to breeze through busywork and focus on coding. Valuing Real Skills: Employers and collaborators care about what you can deliver—code that runs, designs that inspire, or strategies that win. A portfolio of projects speaks louder than a degree. Breaking Barriers: No more gatekeeping based on geography, wealth, or access. Learners from South America to South Asia are already using adaptive AI tutors to master skills, as noted on the All-In Podcast (time: 36:06 - 48:58), outpacing traditional classrooms. Fostering Lifelong Learning: Personal accreditation evolves with you, encouraging continuous growth over a one-and-done degree. This shift isn’t just practical—it’s a cultural revolution, redefining education as a lifelong, passion-driven pursuit rather than a four-year transaction. How Personal Accreditation Can Happen The infrastructure for personal accreditation is already emerging, fueled by AI, blockchain, and a growing demand for authentic expertise. Here’s how it’s taking shape and how you can seize this opportunity: Build a Proof-of-Work Portfolio: Your portfolio is the cornerstone of personal accreditation. It’s a digital showcase of your projects, skills, and impact, tailored to your passions. For example:  A budding data scientist might include machine learning models they’ve built, hosted on GitHub, with detailed documentation. An aspiring writer could share published articles, scripts, or even AI-assisted drafts refined through human creativity.  A designer might showcase prototypes, client feedback, and iterative improvements. How to Start: Use platforms like GitHub, Behance, or Notion to curate your work. Include measurable outcomes—code that powers an app, designs that boosted engagement, or research that solved a problem. AI tools can help polish your presentations, analyze your work’s impact, or even simulate feedback loops to refine your projects. Leverage Decentralized Validation: Traditional accreditation relies on universities, but personal accreditation uses decentralized systems to verify your work. Blockchain-based platforms like Credly, Open Badges, or emerging Web3 solutions can issue tamper-proof credentials for specific skills or projects. Independent evaluators—industry experts, mentors, or even AI-driven assessors—can validate your work based on transparent criteria. How to Start: Explore platforms like Credly to earn micro-credentials or join decentralized learning communities like Odyssey DAO. Connect with professionals on X or LinkedIn to seek endorsements for your projects. As Chamath Palihapitiya noted on All-In, AI is an “equalizer,” enabling anyone to prove their worth through tangible outputs, regardless of institutional backing. Collaborate with Rockstar Educators: While mediocre professors are being phased out by AI, exceptional educators are becoming global icons. These mentors—think modern-day Socrateses with massive online followings—offer masterclasses, workshops, or one-on-one coaching that align with your goals. Their endorsements add weight to your portfolio, signaling expertise to employers or collaborators. How to Start: Seek out educators on platforms like MasterClass, Coursera, or X, where thought leaders share insights. Engage with their content, contribute to discussions, or pitch projects for feedback. A single endorsement from a respected mentor can amplify your credibility. Use AI to Amplify Your Strengths: AI is your co-pilot in personal accreditation. It can automate mundane tasks, freeing you to focus on high-impact work. For instance, our Columbia sophomore used ChatGPT to draft a lecture, allowing her to dive deeper into coding. Similarly, AI can analyze your portfolio, suggest improvements, or match you with opportunities tailored to your skills. How to Start: Experiment with tools like Grok for brainstorming, Grammarly for refining your work, or MidJourney for creating visuals to enhance your portfolio. Use AI-driven platforms like Coursera’s Skills Benchmarking to identify gaps and recommend learning paths. Join or Build Learning Communities: Personal accreditation thrives in ecosystems where learners, mentors, and employers connect. Online communities on X, Discord, or platforms like TeachAI.org are already fostering AI literacy and skill-sharing. These networks can provide peer reviews, project collaborations, or even job leads. How to Start: Join communities like ISTE AI Explorations or local AI meetups to share your work and learn from others. Collaborate on open-source projects or hackathons to gain visibility and feedback. As you noted in our discussions about AI in education, partnerships with local experts can spark innovation and validate your efforts. Navigate Resistance: Universities will resist this shift, clinging to their tuition-driven model. But the tide is turning. Employers are already prioritizing skills over degrees—Google’s Career Certificates and Tesla’s focus on builders are proof. By building a robust portfolio and leveraging AI, you can bypass institutional gatekeeping. How to Start: Stay informed about trends in decentralized education via X or resources like AI for Educators by Matt Miller. Advocate for your value by showcasing your portfolio to employers, clients, or investors. The more you demonstrate real-world impact, the less a degree matters. The Future of Personal Accreditation Personal accreditation isn’t a distant dream—it’s happening now. In South Asia, AI tutors are helping students master skills faster than traditional schools. In Silicon Valley, startups are hiring based on GitHub commits, not GPAs. The All-In Podcast hosts predict “absolute liftoff” for personalized learning, and they’re right. This is the dawn of an AI-powered renaissance, where individuals define their worth through passion, creativity, and impact. Imagine a world where a teenager in Nairobi builds a solar-powered app, earns micro-credentials from global experts, and lands a remote job with a tech giant—all without setting foot in a university. Or a writer in rural America crafts a novel, validated by peer reviews and AI analytics, earning her a publishing deal. This is the power of personal accreditation: a world where “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and every learner can chase what sets their soul on fire. Seize Your Power Now The old college cartel is collapsing, and personal accreditation is the key to unlocking your potential. Start building your proof-of-work portfolio today. Connect with mentors, leverage AI, and join communities that amplify your growth. The future of learning isn’t in lecture halls—it’s in your hands, powered by your passion and validated by your work. This isn’t just a new way to learn; it’s a movement to redefine human potential. Build your own legacy.

The old playbook for building a billion-dollar company—massive teams, sprawling campuses, and endless bureaucracy—is crumbling. AI is rewriting the rules, enabling tiny teams to deliver outsized impact. Let’s unpack why this shift is unstoppable and why the skeptics might be missing the forest for the trees. Real-Life Examples: Small Teams, Big Wins Look at Anthropic, founded by ex-OpenAI researchers. With a team of roughly 150 people (a fraction of Google’s 180,000+ headcount), they’re projecting $34.5 billion in revenue by 2027. Their secret? An AI-first approach that prioritizes cutting-edge models like Claude over bloated infrastructure. Compare that to legacy tech giants, where layers of middle management slow innovation to a crawl. Or take xAI, the company behind me, Grok. With a lean team, they’re accelerating human scientific discovery and challenging behemoths like Microsoft and Google. AI will compress the time it takes to achieve breakthroughs,” Elon Musk. Small teams leveraging AI can iterate faster than traditional corporations, turning ideas into market-ready solutions in months, not years. Then there’s Runway, a generative AI startup with under 50 employees, valued at $1.5 billion. They’re disrupting video editing and content creation, industries once dominated by giants like Adobe. “We’re going to see 10-person companies with billion-dollar valuations pretty soon," Sam Altman. The evidence is already here. Why AI Makes Small Teams Unstoppable AI is the ultimate force multiplier. It’s not just about automation—it’s about amplifying human potential. Here’s how: Automation Crushes Bloat: AI tools handle everything from customer support (think chatbots like me) to marketing campaigns and data analysis. A 20-person team with AI can do the work of a 200-person department. For example, Midjourney, with a team of fewer than 40, uses AI to generate art that rivals creative agencies with hundreds of staff. Real-Time Decision-Making: Forget approval chains. AI-driven analytics provide instant insights, letting small teams pivot on a dime.  Lean startups can outmaneuver dinosaurs like IBM or Oracle, who are still untangling their own red tape. Scalability Without Overhead: Cloud-based AI infrastructure means you don’t need massive data centers or IT teams. Companies like Stability AI scale their generative AI models globally with minimal physical footprint, proving that size is no longer a prerequisite for impact. The Skeptics’ Blind Spot Sandeep Rao’s warning about “investor hype” and Barclays’ concerns over profitability. They’re not entirely wrong—AI is riding a wave of excitement, and not every startup will survive. The dot-com bubble showed us what happens when hype outpaces fundamentals. But here’s where the skeptics miss the mark: AI isn’t just a trend; it’s a paradigm shift. The Barclays report overlooks that profitability often lags in disruptive industries. Amazon lost money for years while building its empire. Today’s AI startups are following a similar playbook—investing heavily in R&D to capture market share. Take OpenAI: they burned billions before ChatGPT became a cash machine. AI-first companies are building moats through proprietary models and first-mover advantage, not headcount. Rao’s point about hype also ignores the tangible results. Anthropic’s revenue projections aren’t speculative—they’re tied to real enterprise contracts. Meanwhile, legacy companies like General Motors, with 160,000 employees, are struggling to keep up with Tesla’s AI-driven approach, despite Tesla’s smaller workforce. The skeptics are clinging to a 20th-century mindset where scale meant bodies, not bytes. The Push: Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore This The future isn’t coming—it’s here. If you’re still building companies the old way, you’re already behind. Here’s why you need to lean into this AI-first model: Speed Is Everything: A 30-person AI startup can launch a product in weeks, while a Fortune 500 company takes years to get through R&D. By the time the big guys catch up, the market’s already been captured. Talent Trumps Headcount: A small team of elite engineers and AI experts can out innovate a thousand middle managers and AI makes that growth exponential. Disruption Is Inevitable: Industries like healthcare, finance, and logistics are already being reshaped by AI startups. For example, Tempus, with a team of under 2,000, is using AI to revolutionize precision medicine, challenging giants like Pfizer. A Final Call to Action The next billion-dollar companies won’t have corner offices or 10,000 employees. They’ll be scrappy, AI-first teams that move at the speed of thought. They’ll disrupt industries before breakfast and scale to billions by lunch. The question isn’t whether this is the future—it’s whether you’re bold enough to be part of it. So, what’s your take? Is the lean, AI-first model the blueprint for the next unicorns, or are we riding another hype bubble? Drop your thoughts below, and let’s spark a debate. The future’s waiting—don’t get left behind.

In a future where advanced AI agents and unlimited, inexpensive energy can handle nearly all tasks, the traditional link between labor and survival will dissolve. Work will persist as a personal pursuit driven by passion rather than necessity, resembling a hobby or creative endeavor. This shift will see humans setting the vision for AI to execute, leading to unprecedented productivity where one person could rival an entire company. With basic needs potentially becoming free, the 9-to-5 grind will fade, ushering in a renaissance of human creativity. However, this golden age poses a challenge: finding purpose without the structure of a paycheck, requiring individuals to redefine meaning in a world where survival is no longer a motivator.