Looking ahead to 2026: a few thoughts on skills and survival.
AI won't be a differentiator anymore—it'll be baseline. Like Photoshop was.
Once everyone's got access to the same tools? That advantage evaporates.
That's precisely why real operators—the ones with genuine edge—keep winning. When the playing field levels, the game shifts. Technical execution becomes table stakes. Your actual worth? That moves upstream: strategy, judgment calls, taste, knowing what matters and what doesn't.
The ones who thrive aren't the fastest tool users. They're the ones thinking two steps ahead.
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AirdropHunterWang
· 8h ago
ngl this point hits the nail on the head... It's really not about competing over tools or speed, but about who can figure out what to play clearly.
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LiquidatedAgain
· 8h ago
Here we go again... AI infrastructure is indeed the right direction, but the problem is that most people haven't even considered whether they have a "true edge," instead they are just stubbornly sticking to tools.
I used to be like that—going all in on a certain indicator, thinking I had a secret weapon, only to see the market turn and the liquidation price hit. A painful lesson—if risk control points aren't set properly, even the best strategy is just paper.
Being two steps ahead sounds great, but in reality, most people haven't even thought about the next step.
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ColdWalletAnxiety
· 9h ago
Well said, from the moment tools become accessible to the masses, it's about the person, not the tool. The example of Photoshop is perfect—who still pays just because you know how to use Photoshop? The real competition is in thinking and judgment, which can't be competed over.
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NewPumpamentals
· 9h ago
ngl That's why people still competing with AI tools need to wake up... The ones who truly win are always those who can see through the big picture, not those with quick fingers.
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ConsensusDissenter
· 9h ago
Wait, is it really that simple? Technical equality actually makes the winners even clearer, this logic is a bit absolute.
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ReverseFOMOguy
· 9h ago
This statement is so true. The moment tools become accessible to the general public is when the real differentiation begins.
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Using AI more aggressively is no longer meaningful; what truly sets you apart are aesthetic and decision-making abilities.
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That Photoshop example was excellent. People still brag about how quickly they can use AI... they really haven't understood that the game has changed.
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At the end of the day, it's still about who can see further. Tools are just the execution layer.
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By 2026, a large number of "AI migrant workers" will be unemployed; they don't realize that what they're selling is actually repetitive labor.
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It's a harsh but honest point. In the next decade, it's not about tool proficiency.
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That's roughly the idea: when tools become standard, those without them will fall behind. What truly matters is judgment.
Looking ahead to 2026: a few thoughts on skills and survival.
AI won't be a differentiator anymore—it'll be baseline. Like Photoshop was.
Once everyone's got access to the same tools? That advantage evaporates.
That's precisely why real operators—the ones with genuine edge—keep winning. When the playing field levels, the game shifts. Technical execution becomes table stakes. Your actual worth? That moves upstream: strategy, judgment calls, taste, knowing what matters and what doesn't.
The ones who thrive aren't the fastest tool users. They're the ones thinking two steps ahead.