Introduction: The Wave Is Coming
Every time a wave of innovation crashes in, those ready with their gear—positioned in the right place at the right time—are the ones who ride it to success. History shows this pattern: Nvidia caught the AI hardware wave, dot-com pioneers surfed the internet boom, and early Bitcoin adopters rode the crypto surge. As Jeff Bezos famously said, "It’s hard to catch the wave once it has passed." The key? Positioning yourself ahead of time. But how do you prepare for a wave you can’t predict? Naval Ravikant offers a clue: focus on your passion, build specific knowledge, and pair it with leverage. The next big wave is already forming—Artificial Intelligence—and it’s set to be the defining breakthrough of the 21st century.
The AI Revolution: A New Frontier
AI is reshaping the world faster than any university or bootcamp can keep up with. Knowledge workers—once expensive and scarce—will soon be available at scale, powered by AI, at a fraction of the cost. This shift opens unprecedented opportunities for individual creators. Unlike past waves, there’s no established playbook; the world is still figuring out how to coexist with this technology. The U.S. and China’s fierce AI rivalry ensures this wave won’t slow down, promising years of relentless advancement. For creators, AI isn’t just a tool—it’s the ultimate leverage.
Sam Altman, a leading voice in AI, predicts: "You are about to enter the greatest golden age of human possibility." The question is: how do you position yourself to catch this wave?
The Creator’s Edge: Skills for the Future
In this emerging economy, waiting for others to hand you answers puts you at a disadvantage. As Naval Ravikant puts it, "Today in society you get rewarded for creative work. For creating something brand new that society didn’t even know yet that it wanted." The first-mover advantage is real, and it’s a race to shape the future. But winning requires a specific skill set: original thinking, agency, creativity, and resilience. Sam Altman echoes this, listing creativity, adaptability, and resilience as critical for what’s ahead.
These aren’t skills you’ll find in a textbook or a corporate training program. Employees are often molded into cogs for larger machines, churned out by universities and bootcamps. But designing the machines of tomorrow demands something rarer—innovators with an artistic appetite. Steve Jobs captured it best: "To be a creative person, you need to feed or invest in yourself by exploring uncharted paths that are outside the realm of your past experience." These skills can’t be taught directly, but they can be honed through practice.
The Risk Factor: Embracing Uncertainty
Catching the wave isn’t easy—it demands risk. Humans are naturally risk-averse, a trait explained by Prospect Theory, which shows we fear losses more than we value gains. Imagine a coin toss: win $130 on heads, lose $100 on tails. Most would hesitate, even though the odds favor them. For those halfway up a career ladder, abandoning the climb to chase a new path feels like a loss. But for those with less to lose—or the courage to let go—the shift is easier.
Elon Musk reframes failure: "Failure is irrelevant unless it is catastrophic." After three failed rocket launches, he insisted progress mattered more than perfection. Peter Thiel adds, "No one can predict the future exactly, but we know two things: it’s going to be different, and it must be rooted in today’s world." The Black Swan reminds us that unexpected breakthroughs—like AI—defy prediction, yet reward those who act.
The One-Person Unicorn: AI as Your Workforce
Here’s a bold prediction: the next unicorn won’t be a garage startup with a team—it’ll be a one-person organization powered by AI. Imagine a creator wielding a workforce of bots and automated processes, solving a specific societal problem. The key? Knowledge—not just data, but the human ability to craft explanatory theories and turn them into action. This is our superpower, one AI can’t replicate.
David Deutsch said, "All evils are caused by the lack of knowledge." The path forward is about figuring out how—how to harness AI, how to create value, how to stand out. It starts with trying, risking failure, and building resilience. Those who experiment now will find the answers.
Conclusion: Your Move
The AI wave is forming, and the window to position yourself is open. Focus on your passion, cultivate rare skills, and embrace risk. As creators, we’re not just riding this wave—we’re shaping it. In Naval’s words, "The most powerful money makers are the individual brands." The future belongs to those who act, not those who wait. Over the coming weeks, I’ll dive deeper into these skills—creativity, adaptability, resilience—so subscribe to join the journey. The wave is here. Are you ready to catch it?